Hello everyone and God bless you all.
It has been quite a while since I have been on here. Things in my life have been a bit hectic, but I feel that God is calling me to begin my writing again. I wanted to begin again with something that may be a bit controversial and may step on some people's toes. I'm good at doing that. Just ask my wife! The following is not meant to hurt anyone's feelings, simply to get people to think a bit about what they believe and how they act in relation to what they believe. Any feedback, good, bad, or ugly, is always welcomed and appreciated. I can handle a little criticism. But only a little. :-) May God bless you greatly as you read what I have to offer.
Letter To A Christian
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I would like to take a moment of your time and share what I think is a much needed word with you. May God bless you as you read this, and if this message applies to you, may God use it to change your life.
Step into most any church nowadays and you will most likely hear a feel-good, humanistic message that tells you that God loves everyone, no matter what they do; a message completely devoid of sin and hell. If even presented with the Gospel, it will probably be watered-down, so as not to offend anyone. You will most likely hear that the life of a follower of Christ is an easy one, with no self-sacrifice, no changing of your former ways, no hardship. Simply repeat a cute little prayer after the “pastor,” perhaps even get baptized for the continuation of your sins (!), and keep on living like you always have. You may even hear in some churches that everyone is going to heaven! The Word of God says, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:13-14).” Sadly, many modern-day churches teach that the wide gate and the broad highway lead to Heaven.
The Body of Christ has been lulled to sleep by the teachings of such abominable heresies that are promoted by wolves masquerading as sheep. In the modern day church, I daresay there is no fear of God, no love for God, no love for our neighbor; there is only love for ourselves. The Bible teaches us that we are to fear God, that we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, spirit, and strength. The Bible also teaches us that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Yet, we have thrown out what the Bible teaches and have replaced its timeless teachings with the worldly wisdom that says, “every man for himself.” Complacency, I fear, has taken the place of fear and fervor within the Body of Christ. Is it any wonder that less and less people are coming to faith in Christ? Is it any wonder that the world no longer sees Christ as a viable answer to all of its problems? Why should anyone see Christ as a viable answer to anything when so many who profess to follow Him deny so much that He taught?
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths (2 Timothy 4: 3-4).” “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead (1 Timothy 4:1-2).” Is this what is happening here? I fear it is so.
Hosea 4:6a tells us, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you…” Well then, let us go looking for knowledge in God’s Word, so as to not be rejected!
I believe that Revelation 3:15-19 is addressed to the Body of Christ in our day and time. It says, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing.’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from Me - gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from Me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”
What an apt description of modern Christianity! What shame belongs to those of us whom that is addressed to!
The Word says in Isaiah 29:13, “These people say they are Mine. They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
Do you take part in this “stained-glass masquerade?” Do you attend church once, twice, even three times per week, then go home and act like the rest of the world for the rest of the week? When you accepted Christ, did you truly give God control of your life, or did you only give Him lip service? “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God (Matthew 3:8).” Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and the sake of the Good News, you will save it (Mark 8:34-35).”
Is your focus more on serving God or on serving your own sinful, selfish desires? Are you proud of belonging to Christ, or are you ashamed of Him, rarely, if ever, letting His name pass your lips outside of church? Are you embarrassed to be seen praying or reading the Bible? Is hell a reality to you? Are you aware that people are perishing all around you without knowing Jesus? Do you even care? After all, you already have your ticket, right? “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5).” Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in Heaven. But everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).” A follower of Christ does not have the luxury of remaining silent about his or her faith. It will shine forth in all that you say, think, and do… if it is real.
In word, in thought, and deed, do you resemble Christ or the world? Make your choice. Make your stand. Be for Christ, or be against Christ, but be real about it. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other (Luke 16:13a).” “What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15b).” “Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4a)?”
Be warned my friends, there is simply no such thing as a closet-Christian. If you are simply “playing church,” you are not only harming yourself, but you are harming others around you as well who see what you are doing. People outside of our faith see no credibility in Christianity because of the actions of many of those who call themselves Christians. You may be fooling others in your church, but to be sure, you are fooling nobody else… and especially not God. The Word tells us, “For now the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household (1 Peter 4:17a).”
You can say that you belong to Christ until you are blue in the face, but it is like one of the Catholic saints said long ago, “There is no use walking somewhere to preach if your walking is not your preaching. “ James asks us, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless (James 2:14, 17).” And Jesus gives us the following to meditate on, “Not everyone who calls out to Me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in Heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws (Matthew 7:21-23).”
Does the preceding passage scare you? It scares me. Perhaps, if it does not scare you, you need to take yet another look at 2 Corinthians 13:5. “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.” Philippians 3:18b-19 tells us, “…there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”
On a final note on this topic, I would like to give a word specifically to my Sisters in Christ. Many times I have gone to church and been so distracted by some of the so-called “Sisters” that I could barely focus on the Word what was being presented. To be beautiful is not a sin. To profess to be a follower of Christ and dress and act in such a way as to make people lust after you is. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” Jesus said, “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting (Matthew 18:7).” Are you, dear Sister, tempting believers by what you wear? Are you tempting unbelievers in the same way? Is the world just supposed to ignore the immodest clothing that you wear and deduce by your fancy gold and diamond cross that you wear that you are a follower of Christ? With the example that you set in your appearance and mannerisms, does that cross even matter? Does the cross that you wear, or the fancy Bible that you carry mean anything to you, or is it all just for looks? Were the wounds that Christ carried for you just for looks? Think about it.
So my Brothers and Sisters, perhaps this all applies to you. Perhaps it doesn’t. I’m just making observations. For you who it applies to, perhaps it has not always been like this for you. Perhaps you began your walk with Christ like so many of us did, full of the Spirit, living only for Jesus, completely sold out. Something happened along the way and you burned out. That’s okay. It happens to most everyone at some point. It is never too late to turn back to God. My own life is a testimony to this.
Check out the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. God is waiting for you to return to “your first love (Revelation 2:4b).” God is standing by with some gas to relight that fire with. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of the wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And, if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away (Matthew 18:12-13)!” “But God does not just sweep life away; instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him (2 Samuel 14:14).”
Repent of your lukewarm attitude! Confess your sins to Jesus. Read the Word. Pray. Seek God with all your heart. He is not far from any of us. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).”
Be fervent for our Lord, leave your complacency behind. His return is very near. The signs are all around us. Wake up, dear Brothers and Sisters, and live, truly live for Jesus, the One who died for you. When I was in prison, we had a saying: "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready." Sure, it had a much different meaning than I am using now, but it applies here. Don’t be caught sleeping when He comes back. If you are not ready for your Lord to come back right now, then get ready. If you are ready, make sure you stay that way.
If it has been awhile since you read the Word, may I make some suggestions on places to start? Matthew 5-7; Ephesians 4:17-5:20; Colossians 3; Colossians 4:5-6; and the whole book of James.
May God richly bless you as you live for Him!
*As a final note, no doubt I will have ruffled some feathers by writing this. That’s okay though. Sometimes it is a good thing to get your feathers ruffled. I am sure that someone will think (maybe even say to me?) that it is not my place to judge. We all know that famous passage that is so often misapplied and misunderstood: Judge not! However, I rest my authority to say what I have said in this letter on the following passage:
“…it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside… (1 Corinthians 5:12b-13a).”
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Good morning everyone and God bless you all! It's another lovely, rainy day here in Ukiah, CA. It was very cold and wet here last night and I was, and am, very grateful to have a shelter to stay in.
This morning I was watching videos on YouTube and came across the video that is at the bottom of this posting. I don't get on YouTube very often, but I am glad that I did this morning. It discusses Hell and how so many people think that they are not going there, specifically professing followers of Christ.
I cannot tell you how many "Christians" I have come across who do not believe that God is going to throw anyone into Hell. These people say that they have read the Bible, they say that they follow Christ, yet they do not believe Christ's own words. He spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. How can someone who professes to be a child of God pick out of God's Word what he/she likes and completely disregard the rest?
I spoke to a guy once who said that he was a Christian. He said that he did not believe in Hell and in eternal torments. I asked him how he could consider himself to be a Christian and yet disregard such an important aspect of the Christian faith. He said that he believed that the parts of the Bible that speak of Hell were either added in later, or simply mistranslated. How convenient! Yeah, let's just take out the uncomfortable parts of the Bible and rationalize our actions by saying that God never intended those uncomfortable parts to be in His Word!
When I was a practicing Wiccan, that was one of the things that I loved about that religion. You could pick the best things from a number of religions and incorporate them into your own beliefs. It seems that people are doing that with the Bible.
Honestly, I am kind of speechless after watching this and I know that it convicted me on a few things. So, I am going to keep this short and let you all just see it for yourselves.
Be sure to check out this video. Sure, the guy speaking gets pretty negative at times, but how can you speak positively about anything having to do with such a horrible place as Hell?
Until next week, God bless you all!
This morning I was watching videos on YouTube and came across the video that is at the bottom of this posting. I don't get on YouTube very often, but I am glad that I did this morning. It discusses Hell and how so many people think that they are not going there, specifically professing followers of Christ.
I cannot tell you how many "Christians" I have come across who do not believe that God is going to throw anyone into Hell. These people say that they have read the Bible, they say that they follow Christ, yet they do not believe Christ's own words. He spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. How can someone who professes to be a child of God pick out of God's Word what he/she likes and completely disregard the rest?
I spoke to a guy once who said that he was a Christian. He said that he did not believe in Hell and in eternal torments. I asked him how he could consider himself to be a Christian and yet disregard such an important aspect of the Christian faith. He said that he believed that the parts of the Bible that speak of Hell were either added in later, or simply mistranslated. How convenient! Yeah, let's just take out the uncomfortable parts of the Bible and rationalize our actions by saying that God never intended those uncomfortable parts to be in His Word!
When I was a practicing Wiccan, that was one of the things that I loved about that religion. You could pick the best things from a number of religions and incorporate them into your own beliefs. It seems that people are doing that with the Bible.
Honestly, I am kind of speechless after watching this and I know that it convicted me on a few things. So, I am going to keep this short and let you all just see it for yourselves.
Be sure to check out this video. Sure, the guy speaking gets pretty negative at times, but how can you speak positively about anything having to do with such a horrible place as Hell?
Until next week, God bless you all!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Untouchables
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’
Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’
Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?’
And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
“Large crowds followed Jesus as He came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. ‘Lord,’ the man said, ‘if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.’
Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.” Matthew 8:1-3
lep·ro·sy
n. tropical skin and nerve disease: a tropical disease mainly affecting the skin and nerves that can cause tissue change and, in severe cases, loss of sensation and disfigurement.
Leprosy is transmitted following close personal contact and has an incubation period of 1-30 years. It can now be cured if treated with a combination of drugs.
Hello everyone and God bless all of you. When I first got out of prison I had determined that each week I was going to post something I wrote in prison until such time as I ran out of things I had written in there. But I have changed my mind. I am going to be posting things I wrote in there periodically, but this week, I decided to write about something I have been experiencing since I got out.
Go back and re-read the verses above, because they have a direct bearing on what I am about to talk about.
In Jesus’ time, a person with leprosy was considered “untouchable.” You were not to even touch someone with leprosy. Actually, leprosy was considered so bad that a person with leprosy was to stand at a distance and shout out, “unclean, unclean,” as people approached. People with leprosy often lived in “colonies” with other lepers. They were the “untouchables” of their time. Today, at least here in America, we have a different type of “untouchable.” Right now, I am one of these modern day “untouchables.”
I live in a homeless shelter. It is not the greatest experience of my life, but things could be much worse. It has been getting down into the 30’s here at night time. There are only 80 beds in this shelter and I have been blessed to be able to occupy one of them. For that I am grateful. Each night as I lay down to go to sleep, I thank God that I do not have to sleep outside in the cold as so many in this town do.
I don’t look homeless, but I do many of the things that homeless people do. I hang out at McDonalds, Starbucks, the parks, and basically anywhere I can find a place to sit down. I am blessed in that I have decent clothing to wear, am able to shower and stay clean, and have a bike to get around town on. But, essentially, I am one of the homeless crowd.
Have you ever felt invisible? Or been looked at like you are an animal and below the person who is looking at you? That is often how homeless people feel. People walk by and either look down on you with a frown on their face, or they walk by and act like you are not even there. And, don’t even, if you are homeless, dare to try to stop someone and speak to them, whether you are asking them for something or not.
Let me ask you a question: when you pass by a homeless person on the street, how do you react? Are you one of those who frown down on the person? Is it a blot on your day to see a homeless person and be subjected to the indignity of having to see them and walk by them?
Or, do you act like that person is not even there? How would you react if someone looked down on you with contempt or acted like you are not there? Would you not be indignant?
The Bible tells us that God has a soft place in His heart for homeless and poor people. In ancient Israel, God instructed the people not to harvest all of their crops so that the poor people of the land could glean food for themselves. Look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-25.
“Jesus said, ‘There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.’”
Now, I am not one of those who say that it is a sin to be rich and point to this as a proof text for that. I am one of those who say that it is a sin to be rich, or even have more than you need, and yet look down on those who do not have anything. I am fortunate. I live among those who Jesus would have been most at home with. As Todd Agnew says in his song My Jesus, “…and I think He’d prefer Beale street to the stained glass crowd.” I’m not quite sure what Beale street is, but I think I get the point of the statement and I think that Mr. Agnew is on to something.
So, let me take the previous questions about what you do when you see a homeless person a bit further. How do you react when a homeless person tries to make conversation with you? Do you rush on by, just supposing that they are only trying to get money for drugs or alcohol? Perhaps they just want someone to talk to, someone to listen to them for a second, a little confirmation that they are still a human and therefore deserving of a little attention, even if only for a second.
Now that I am in the predicament that I am in, I have learned the value of even saying a simple, “Hi, how are you doing?,” to each person that I come across, regardless of how they look or even how they smell.
What do you do when a homeless person has the nerve to ask you for some spare change? I have seen so many homeless people trying to get spare change for whatever purpose, be it food, or alcohol, or whatever, and you should see people’s reaction. It is sad and shocking to see how these people are treated. Now, I have been in this situation for nearly a month, with no end in sight in the foreseeable future, and I know that some of the people who have passed me with disdain written all over their faces had to have been “followers of Christ.” Do you think to yourself when you pass these people that you have no obligation whatsoever to them? When you say your prayers at night and give thanks for a warm house to sleep in and food to eat, do you think of those who are less fortunate? Do you say a prayer for them? Do you think to yourselves when you pass these people on the street, “Well, I have already given money to the church this week, so I don’t need to help this person?” Make sure that when you give that money to the church, you fill out your name on that little envelope so that you can receive your rewards from man. Yeah, I am being sarcastic, but I mean every word of it. I get aggravated sometimes at the attitudes people display who are better off than those around me; those who are more fortunate are only a missed mortgage payment away from being just like me. The people who are around me are “normal” people. They are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. Most of us started out in decent living situations, with parents who loved us. Most of us just fell on hard times. Speaking for myself, I have a wife and 2 children, and immediate family who loves me very much. I just have to be like this until parole says I can go back home to my family 3100 miles away.
The Bible has a couple of things to say about this situation that I think we should take a look at. James 2:14-16 says, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’ - but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” Hebrews 13:2 says, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” And, finally, Luke 14:12-14 says, “The [Jesus] turned to His host. ’When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,’ He said, ’don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.’”
The Bible says that the world will know that we are followers of Christ by our love for one another… let us extend that love, the love of Christ, to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I’m not saying to give money to each person that you come across, but you don’t understand how far a little acknowledgement, a small show of kindness, can go with a person. If you have it to spare, maybe you could buy some homeless person a sandwich. Buy two, and do the unthinkable - sit and eat with them, talk to them, listen to their story, give them a sense of normalcy. Pray with them, tell them about Jesus. Dare to touch the untouchable. His eye is on the poor, and it is also on you.
God bless you all.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’
Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’
Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?’
And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
“Large crowds followed Jesus as He came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. ‘Lord,’ the man said, ‘if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.’
Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.” Matthew 8:1-3
lep·ro·sy
n. tropical skin and nerve disease: a tropical disease mainly affecting the skin and nerves that can cause tissue change and, in severe cases, loss of sensation and disfigurement.
Leprosy is transmitted following close personal contact and has an incubation period of 1-30 years. It can now be cured if treated with a combination of drugs.
Hello everyone and God bless all of you. When I first got out of prison I had determined that each week I was going to post something I wrote in prison until such time as I ran out of things I had written in there. But I have changed my mind. I am going to be posting things I wrote in there periodically, but this week, I decided to write about something I have been experiencing since I got out.
Go back and re-read the verses above, because they have a direct bearing on what I am about to talk about.
In Jesus’ time, a person with leprosy was considered “untouchable.” You were not to even touch someone with leprosy. Actually, leprosy was considered so bad that a person with leprosy was to stand at a distance and shout out, “unclean, unclean,” as people approached. People with leprosy often lived in “colonies” with other lepers. They were the “untouchables” of their time. Today, at least here in America, we have a different type of “untouchable.” Right now, I am one of these modern day “untouchables.”
I live in a homeless shelter. It is not the greatest experience of my life, but things could be much worse. It has been getting down into the 30’s here at night time. There are only 80 beds in this shelter and I have been blessed to be able to occupy one of them. For that I am grateful. Each night as I lay down to go to sleep, I thank God that I do not have to sleep outside in the cold as so many in this town do.
I don’t look homeless, but I do many of the things that homeless people do. I hang out at McDonalds, Starbucks, the parks, and basically anywhere I can find a place to sit down. I am blessed in that I have decent clothing to wear, am able to shower and stay clean, and have a bike to get around town on. But, essentially, I am one of the homeless crowd.
Have you ever felt invisible? Or been looked at like you are an animal and below the person who is looking at you? That is often how homeless people feel. People walk by and either look down on you with a frown on their face, or they walk by and act like you are not even there. And, don’t even, if you are homeless, dare to try to stop someone and speak to them, whether you are asking them for something or not.
Let me ask you a question: when you pass by a homeless person on the street, how do you react? Are you one of those who frown down on the person? Is it a blot on your day to see a homeless person and be subjected to the indignity of having to see them and walk by them?
Or, do you act like that person is not even there? How would you react if someone looked down on you with contempt or acted like you are not there? Would you not be indignant?
The Bible tells us that God has a soft place in His heart for homeless and poor people. In ancient Israel, God instructed the people not to harvest all of their crops so that the poor people of the land could glean food for themselves. Look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-25.
“Jesus said, ‘There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.’”
Now, I am not one of those who say that it is a sin to be rich and point to this as a proof text for that. I am one of those who say that it is a sin to be rich, or even have more than you need, and yet look down on those who do not have anything. I am fortunate. I live among those who Jesus would have been most at home with. As Todd Agnew says in his song My Jesus, “…and I think He’d prefer Beale street to the stained glass crowd.” I’m not quite sure what Beale street is, but I think I get the point of the statement and I think that Mr. Agnew is on to something.
So, let me take the previous questions about what you do when you see a homeless person a bit further. How do you react when a homeless person tries to make conversation with you? Do you rush on by, just supposing that they are only trying to get money for drugs or alcohol? Perhaps they just want someone to talk to, someone to listen to them for a second, a little confirmation that they are still a human and therefore deserving of a little attention, even if only for a second.
Now that I am in the predicament that I am in, I have learned the value of even saying a simple, “Hi, how are you doing?,” to each person that I come across, regardless of how they look or even how they smell.
What do you do when a homeless person has the nerve to ask you for some spare change? I have seen so many homeless people trying to get spare change for whatever purpose, be it food, or alcohol, or whatever, and you should see people’s reaction. It is sad and shocking to see how these people are treated. Now, I have been in this situation for nearly a month, with no end in sight in the foreseeable future, and I know that some of the people who have passed me with disdain written all over their faces had to have been “followers of Christ.” Do you think to yourself when you pass these people that you have no obligation whatsoever to them? When you say your prayers at night and give thanks for a warm house to sleep in and food to eat, do you think of those who are less fortunate? Do you say a prayer for them? Do you think to yourselves when you pass these people on the street, “Well, I have already given money to the church this week, so I don’t need to help this person?” Make sure that when you give that money to the church, you fill out your name on that little envelope so that you can receive your rewards from man. Yeah, I am being sarcastic, but I mean every word of it. I get aggravated sometimes at the attitudes people display who are better off than those around me; those who are more fortunate are only a missed mortgage payment away from being just like me. The people who are around me are “normal” people. They are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. Most of us started out in decent living situations, with parents who loved us. Most of us just fell on hard times. Speaking for myself, I have a wife and 2 children, and immediate family who loves me very much. I just have to be like this until parole says I can go back home to my family 3100 miles away.
The Bible has a couple of things to say about this situation that I think we should take a look at. James 2:14-16 says, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’ - but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” Hebrews 13:2 says, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” And, finally, Luke 14:12-14 says, “The [Jesus] turned to His host. ’When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,’ He said, ’don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.’”
The Bible says that the world will know that we are followers of Christ by our love for one another… let us extend that love, the love of Christ, to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I’m not saying to give money to each person that you come across, but you don’t understand how far a little acknowledgement, a small show of kindness, can go with a person. If you have it to spare, maybe you could buy some homeless person a sandwich. Buy two, and do the unthinkable - sit and eat with them, talk to them, listen to their story, give them a sense of normalcy. Pray with them, tell them about Jesus. Dare to touch the untouchable. His eye is on the poor, and it is also on you.
God bless you all.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Answered Prayers
I just wanted to write this for my beautiful wife, Yolanda Cobb. We have been married for a year and a half and it has been quite a ride. However, something changed in her when I went back to prison on this last parole violation. Many, many people have been praying for her and for our marriage. Her whole attitude has gone through such a dramatic change, I simply cannot get over it. I have often said that the most (physically) beautiful person in the world can also be the ugliest. It’s all about a person’s attitude. Many times I have poured out my heart to God asking him to save our marriage and to change my wife. Once, I actually left her. Many times I started to. I’m glad now that I didn’t leave again, and, once again, I am happy to be married to her.
While I was in prison she gave birth to my first child, a boy named Caesar Micah. I think that changed things a bit, but I know that, ultimately, it was God who changed her. Both of us still have a long way to go, but I am learning to “let go and let God.”
For those of you reading this who thinks that God is deaf to the prayers of humanity, let this stand as a testimony of His love for us and His desire to work in our lives. God is not dead Mr. Nietzsche. Lol! He hears our prayers and He understands what we go though. He is not far from each one of us. All we need to do is seek Him. The Word says that when we seek Him, we will find Him. So, what’s wrong with you? Get to seeking!
Even though you may never read this, I love you to pieces Yolanda, Reakwon, and Caesar. You all mean the world to me. And to my wife, I look forward to growing old with you. Get the rocking chairs ready love, I’m already 30! :-)
God bless you all!
While I was in prison she gave birth to my first child, a boy named Caesar Micah. I think that changed things a bit, but I know that, ultimately, it was God who changed her. Both of us still have a long way to go, but I am learning to “let go and let God.”
For those of you reading this who thinks that God is deaf to the prayers of humanity, let this stand as a testimony of His love for us and His desire to work in our lives. God is not dead Mr. Nietzsche. Lol! He hears our prayers and He understands what we go though. He is not far from each one of us. All we need to do is seek Him. The Word says that when we seek Him, we will find Him. So, what’s wrong with you? Get to seeking!
Even though you may never read this, I love you to pieces Yolanda, Reakwon, and Caesar. You all mean the world to me. And to my wife, I look forward to growing old with you. Get the rocking chairs ready love, I’m already 30! :-)
God bless you all!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
I Am Blessed. Very Blessed.
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
I currently live on a prime piece of real estate in central California. To boast a little, this piece of real estate is the most valuable piece of property in the whole state. Not just anyone can come live here. You have to meet certain qualifications to live here, and most people cannot meet these qualifications. We do have to maintain our standards. This place has been called home by many rich people, famous people, and infamous people alike. I share this piece of property with many other people.
I have a room with a view of the San Francisco bay. Actually, the bay is about 200 feet from where I sit writing this. Down closer to the water is a little exercise area that I utilize a couple of times per week.
Several times a day, ferries go by on the bay taking people to various destinations. The people on the ferries are always looking and waving, doubtless wondering what it would be like to live here. Wondering… but most likely very happy that they will never meet our standards. Why?
I have told you the truth about where I live, but I have left out some crucial details. You see, you have to be a criminal to live on this particular piece of property. The rooms are very small and you share them with another man. Between the San Francisco bay and I are 3 rows of bars, a steel door, a man with a rifle, 3 rows of chain-link fence topped by razor wire, and a guard tower. The residence of this place are everything from parole violators to mass murderers. A very exclusive crowd indeed! Right outside of my room, there is a sign painted on the wall. In big red letters, it warns everyone: “Notice: No Warning Shots Fired In This Unit.” The guards do not play around here; they cannot afford to. If you get too far out of line with the other residents here, you may learn that the line between life and death is a thin one indeed. One of the other residents here learned that very lesson just this week.
While I would not wish a stay here on my worst enemy, this place is not all that bad once you are used to it. I am here for a simple parole violation. God-willing, I will be out of here in about 2 ½ months. At breakfast a couple of days ago, I had a man sitting to the left of me who had 2 life sentences. I had a man sitting to the right of me who had 24 life sentences. That kind of keeps things in perspective. I don’t have much time to do at all.
I have been here before, so I already know all the rules. Eyes open, back to the wall, show no fear. This place is not for the faint of heart. God-willing I will never be here again. I should be off of parole next June.
My criminal days are long past. My last felony was 10 years ago at the wise-old age of 20. That was back when I knew everything and thought I could take on the world and win. A judge in Indianapolis showed me that I wasn’t so tough… or smart. With the strike of her gavel, I was off to prison for a 10 year sentence. I am blessed. Very blessed. I could have received 168 years. I served only 6 of the 10 years in prison. Only 6. I was initially released in 2006.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
When I was released in 2006, I took Jesus home with me. I found Him in prison; or rather He found me. I fought Him for many years. Like a child at the doctor’s office facing a needle full of medicine, I needed what Jesus was offering me, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I fought against Him hard. In the end, like the law, my wife, and many others, He won. For once, it was good to lose. In that particular battle, by losing, I really won… just one of the many paradoxes of the Christian life. “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it (Matthey 11:39).” I was irrevocably, forever changed, by Jesus. I was a new person.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
I once was lost, but now I’m found. I once was blind, but now I see. I once was dead, but now I live. My walk with Jesus over the past 4 or 5 years has been a rocky one. It has been fraught with rebellion on my part, many false starts, many failings. Many times I have found myself to be an enemy of Christ. Many times I have walked away from Him. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked… (Jeremiah 17:9a).” Each time I have walked away from Jesus, He has allowed me to wander on my own for awhile, but in the end, He has always brought me back to Himself. “[God] devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him (2 Samuel 14:14b).”
I am blessed. Very blessed.
This is my third parole violation, my fourth time in San Quentin. I have never been in this particular prison for more than 5 months at one time. Many people here will never go home. San Quentin in home to California’s “death row.” There are roughly 500 inmates currently waiting their turn for execution. There but for the grace of God goes me.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
This is such a dark place, such darkness as you cannot imagine. So much demonic activity. So many lost souls, bereft of any hope. So much pain, so much anguish, so much heartache. So much hate. Every now and then, a ray of light in the darkness… another follower of Christ. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it (John 1:5).” Oh, how the forces of darkness here hate the light. Draw close to me Father, for I am depending on You to see me out of here. The only way out is through. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4a).” I remember what it was like to be a part of the darkness that now surrounds me. Again, there but for the grace of God goes me.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
I am where God has ordained that I should be right now, and with that in mind, there is no other place that I would rather be right now. There are so many opportunities here for me to share Jesus with people who desperately need some good news in their life. There are so many opportunities here for me to strengthen other Brothers in Christ who are not going home for awhile, if ever. I am anxious to get out of here. I miss my wife and son, my Mom, my friends, my church… but I am where I need to be right now.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11b-13).” My living arrangement is a roughly 4 x 10 cell that I share with another man. We spend 23 hours per day in these cramped quarters. I come out of my cell for about 30 minutes each morning for breakfast. After breakfast, I am given a sack lunch and returned to my cell. I come out, once more, in the evening for dinner. After dinner, it is back to my cell with a view of the bay. I was not lying about the room with a view. Day after day, this is my routine. This is the routine for the other 499 inmates in my unit as well. The days and months blend together, and after awhile you are not even sure of the date. On most Wednesdays and Saturdays, my unit is allowed to go to the exercise yard on the bay for a couple of hours. The sunshine, fresh air, and unimpeded view of the bay is a nice change. However, whether I choose to go outside or not, I am not really affected by all of this. I have all that I need in my cell. It is sort of refreshing, in a weird sort of way, to be away from my laptop, cell phone, and all the “comforts and necessities of life” that I have grown accustomed to. Prison will help you to keep things in your life in perspective and, at the very least, make you more thankful for what you do have.
I am blessed. Very blessed.
For now, I have what I need to live. I have my Bible. I have plenty of food. I have clothing and a roof over my head. I have writing supplies. I have more, here in prison, than many people in the “free-world” have. I have dedicated and loyal family and friends who are praying for me, writing to me, and waiting for me to get out of here. With just that, I have more than most of my fellow prisoners do. I have all day, every day, to be immersed in the Word of God and in prayer. I have been able to completely re-read my Bible in my first month in here. I am able to draw near to my Father every day with very few distractions. Every day in here is exactly the same. That leaves me free to seek God and not worry about tomorrow. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today (Matthew 6:33-34).” Amen!
I am blessed. Very blessed.
Here, right in the middle of Satan’s very own playground, I know peace, I know contentment, and I even know joy. How many of you who are reading this can say the same? So many of us who follow Christ are so caught up in the hectic rat-race called life that they have left their Shepherd behind; in doing so, they have lost many of the benefits that come from walking with Christ. Heed these words my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Learn a lesson from one who is on the lowest rung of society’s ladder. No matter what your situation is, you can have peace, contentment, and joy. But, you can only have it by abiding in Christ. Cling to our Savior in the bad times and the good. Take the time to cast all of your cares to the side, and kneel humbly before the One who died for, and because of, you. Seek, with a whole heart the face of the Father. You will find Him when you seek Him, and you will not be disappointed. Won’t you take the time out of your busy schedule to simply be still and get to know the great I Am (Psalm 46:10)? Can you not do that little bit for the one who has done so much for you?
Yes, I am blessed. Very blessed indeed. May you be as well!
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