Decisions and Consequences: A message for all

   I hate to say it but it has been a long time since I sat down to write. It has seemed like I never have the time, which in reality, means I never MADE the time, just like so many of us do today in our busy lives. We never seem to make the time for the things that really are important, but that is a blog for another day.
     I, as a lot of you probably already know, have been unemployed for a little over a month now, and I have not had a lot of luck in finding a new one. So to say I am a little discouraged is definitely a re statement. However, what it has given me time to do, is to sit back and think a lot about the important things in life, and decisions and situations I have made or been in over the last few years.
     Some of the things I thought back on are what you could call, "recent" history in my families life I guess, because it seems like the ones I thought about are all within the last 4 years. I thought back to the last real vacation we took as a family, when we went to Kentucky, in late September of 2012, to see my wife's bother and his family. We stayed in a campground in a trailer they had we rented for a week and had a blast. Now that decision meant, that I did not go see my sister who had just gotten out of the hospital with pneumonia, but did talk to her before we went. And then the day after we got back to NC, we go to the zoo in Asheboro, only to have our daughter attacked by a 19 yr old autistic man. hen the very next day, we get the call my sister has aspirated and is on Life support, so we zoom off to Alabama, where on that following Wednesday, my sister slipped out of this realm and into the next, which had I known how sick she truly was, I would have went and seen her earlier, then went on vacation, hence not being at the zoo that day, meaning my daughter wouldn't have gotten attacked.
       Fast forward to June of the very next year, 2 days before Fathers day. My youngest son asks me to go with him to Texas, to pick up his 2 oldest daughters, my oldest grandkids, and bring them back to NC for the summer. So off we go, Friday afternoon at 12 straight up. We drive 17 hours non stop, arriving at my oldest sons house at roughly 5 am NC time/4 am Texas time. Now I have 2 Grandchildren by my oldest son, whom at this time I had never met, so I was excited to say the least to see them. My mother who lives in Texas, comes over and we stay up all day visiting with my sons, and my grandkids. At 6 pm that night, my son youngest son lays down for 4 hours, and I try to sleep but not happening, and at 10 pm (Texas time/11 NC Time) that night we load up and off we go headed back this way. At 4 am roughly he asks me to take over the wheel and drive until the son comes up. I had been asleep for several hours so I said no problem and we pulled over, got a cup of truck driver sludge, switched places and off we went,cruise control set at 70 mph. When we got on the rad I saw a sign that said Tuscaloosa 22 miles, and the next thing I know we have hit a highway construction ahead/ arrow/ merge right sign and were rolling down about a 100 ft. embankment  at 70 miles an hour. I know we were rolling because I woke with my head going through the side window as we rolled. My two granddaughters and my son walked away without any injuries other than seatbelt rash on my oldest Granddaughter and a small cut on the youngest foot from getting out of the truck barefoot. I spent the next 6 months out of work with a traumatic brain injury. So once again I found myself in a serious situation that was caused by my decision to hurry home. Six months later I took a job making not even half the money I had been making in Raleigh before the accident(the dealership let me go after my twelve weeks FMLA), but I felt being close to home was more important and money wasn't everything. We went from paying the bills to robbing peter to pay Paul. Fast forward 3 years and after the dealership was sold twice, I find myself unemployed again, instead of what I thought would be the dealership/job I would retire from, Why, because of my decisions.
       Now I say all this to get to the meat of this message. The decisions we make today , no matter what it is, good or bad, will have a affect on our lives in profound ways. Let's look at Moses,(Exodus chapters 2:11-25 and 3:1-10) who after seeing a Hebrew slave beat, made the decision to take a life in defense of the slave. A decision which would cause him to run from his home and live in the desert, where he had no royalty, no servants, no family. He had nothing. Moses left everything he had because of a bad decision. Most of us know the story of how Moses saved the daughters of the priest of Midian from rogue shepherds, and how he was rewarded after a time with the daughter named Zipporah to be his wife. However , as we read on in Exodus, we see that God has a plan for Moses, that will lead to the freeing of the slaves. You see a man, named Moses, made a horrible decision and it cost him dearly. But God had other plans for Moses and without that bad decision being made, Moses would have never run from the pharaoh, abided in Midian, or went on the mountain of God, also known as Horeb, where God revealed himself and his plan to Moses. We know Moses went on to be a great man of God and much is recorded about him, including the fact that after all he did in Gods name, he was not allowed to see the promise land, because of his bad decision many years earlier. You see there is always a consequence for a bad decision.
      Today we as a people have made many a bad decisions in our life. I wish I had been thee to see my sister the week before she passed, but not being there is a consequence of my decision and I will live with that the rest of my life. Do I know my sister was saved, no I don't know, I only know what I was told. had I went I would know. Did the wreck I had cost me the best paying job I had in my life, yes it did. Why? Because I chose to go to Texas and make it a turn and burn trip. Did Moses want to see the promise land? I a sure he did, but a bad decision made that impossible for him.
      Have Bad decisions in your life caused you to miss out on something great? Have you been carrying the weight of those decisions, and allowing them to cause you to make even more bad decisions? Have you let the sin of your past, cause you to stray from the plan that of has for your life?Well I have new for you folks. It's not to late, you see some 2000 years ago, a man named Jesus Christ, who happened to be the Son of God, gave his life on a cross, (Matthew 27:32-50), so we could be free. No longer do we have to carry our sin around with us daily. No longer do we have to run away to the wilderness like Moses did. Jesus gave himself a ransom for all so that our sins could be forgiven, and we could become Heirs with him, (Romans 8:17)and live eternally in Heaven with him (John 3:14-17). Have you made that decision yet? Have you chosen to believe in Christ and ask him to forgive you of your sins? Have you asked him to be Lord of your life? If not then their is no better day than today, no better time than now. Don't wait because Jesus has told us he is coming back to take his children home (John 14:2-6), and that's a party you don't want to miss.
      If you feel that God is tugging at your heart and you want to accept Christ it's very simple Just pray : "Lord I know I am a sinner, and I have done wrong, but Lord I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and life, and become Lord of my life this day, Amen."
If you prayed that prayer, then I ask you email me at billroy2016@gmail.com, and let me know by putting My Birthday in the subject line. I will help you find a church home where you can be accepted, and taught more of the word of God, so that you may help someone as I hope this blog has helped you. God bless you and God bless all those who read this.

     In Christ Service,
        Brother Bill Roy

This is my sister Vickey McGuire who we lost in October of 2012. Love ya sis..........

And below is the truck I rolled a few months later.......Thankful for God's Protecting hands

        

I hurt for many, and have many reasons for my hurt

           The last time I wrote and posted, it was about the problem that was going on with Duck Dynasty Patriarch Phil Robertson and his comments. Today I am writing this because my spirit is hurting on one side, and amazed and concerned on the other. Things have happened within the last month that have hit me like a ton of bricks and caused me many hours of sleeplessness, and many days of just utter confusion. Then we have things in the world that have caused me to think that the things I have always fought for in America, as a soldier and an individual, are being taken and torn to shambles by those who would try to move us into a new direction in this country, and the world for that matter. I also see the signs of the times that will cause the church to be disappear, allowing all ungodliness to prosper worse than it is now. You see, I, along with my spirit, are hurting and I feel like I can no longer sit by and say nothing, so forgive me if this blog appears to be a rant, because in a sense it is. But more than a rant, I hope that it comes off as a warning for all those out there who are trying to walk the line between right and wrong, between good and evil, but more to the point, between heaven and hell.

            Where to begin is the hard part. So I will just try my best to get into it and hope it makes sense. In the last month, I have seen several things happen within friends and family that I never imagined would ever take place. First out of nowhere, my father-in-law comes and tell me that he has been having some issues swallowing and thinks maybe he needs to get it checked, to which I agreed with. Now, for those of you who don’t know , my Dad passed away 9 years ago this October from Lung Cancer, and then in October of 2012, we lost my sister to an undetermined illness, which I still feel may have been a form of cancer, one which I am now believing may have been esophageal cancer. So when he came back from having all these test and they discovered it to be Esophageal Cancer, my heart just fell. I know what it is like to have family go through this and that is the last thing I wanted him, my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or my wife to have to go through. Doctors are very optimistic they caught it early and that is a good thing, so we are believing in healing by our Lord and complete remission after treatment. You see David, my father-in-law,  is a tough individual, I mean he’s having 5 days a week of radiation treatments, and adding one day a week of Chemo on top of that, and still working full time second shift at the boiler plant at Umstead Hospital in Butner.

          Then just as that is sinking in for all of us, good friends of mine and Angie, who we haven’t seen in a bit, separate. Now this couple separating was a big blow to us. Why should their separation affect us so much you say, well let me tell you. This couple hold special spots in our hearts for various reasons. This is one of those couples that you would have never thought in a million years would ever have a problem that would go to this magnitude. They were the epitome of a Christian marriage and family. She was there for my wife when she needed help in dealing with a fear of having friends and getting close to any person for fear of being hurt. She sat, along with another friend of my wife, and cried and prayed and consoled, not just once, but on several occasions. She would call or text my wife to see how she was doing during this time and helped her to break out of a shell more so than she ever had. The gentleman, well, he was a mentor in the ministry. One who even though we didn’t agree on everything or ways of doing things, I felt like he was the closest thing to a brother, other than my Bother-in-law, I had ever had. These folks were the first ones we called when our daughter was attacked on a zoo trip, to ask for prayer. When my sister was put in the hospital after she aspirated and had to be brought back via CPR, they were the first contacts we made when we learned she was gone and going to be taken off life support. Then When I had my wreck in 2013, as soon as I contacted my wife, from the crash site, they were the first phone call I made from the crash site, and my wife called them immediately after her and I hung up. I taught their oldest children in Youth, and their children have even spent the night at our house. We have dined together, cried together, and done life together on so many occasions, that the news of their separation, regardless of the reason, went to the inner core of me and has really tore me up.

                                     But my grieving is only part of the story. You see I look around at the situation in the world today and I think, where will it all end? I also think what is going to become of us. This country that I love and that my grandfather, my father, myself, and my son have fought for has basically become a nation that I don’t know. Now I am sure many of you out there can relate to that feeling. I mean, it used to be that patriotism ran high in the US, but today patriotism is looked upon by the majority as sappy emotion, and that it has no place in our society. I see people burning flags, Veterans being left out in the cold while illegal immigrants are housed, fed, and cared for by our government, as if we owe them that. There are 20 year veterans out there living on the streets because society has decided they are second hand citizens, yet we continue to send money to rebuild other countries because we say we cant stand to see their people in poverty. I see people who have worked for 40 years, not being able to afford groceries to eat because their retirement is not enough because of the rise in prices of everything from Gas, groceries and health care have risen at a rate unsurpassed in history.

                        There are folks out there that say it’s wrong to have any opinion that isn’t in agreement with theirs, especially if you are a Christian.  You see the Radicals have come to be the voice in America, rather than the occasional outburst. Only in America, where we have more freedom than any other nation in the world supposedly, is it wrong for a baker to say that I, in my own business that I built from the ground up, with no help from my government or any other government funded agency,  will not bake a cake for a gay wedding because it goes against what I believe to be morally wrong based on my beliefs in the word of God. Only in America can a photographer be taken to court because they refused to take photo’s at a gay wedding because of their Christian Beliefs, and lose because their beliefs are offensive to someone else, based on their beliefs. I was told the other day that the day is coming, and I firmly believe this as well, when I will be told that if I do not perform wedding ceremonies for gay individuals, that I will be held in contempt of court and charged with criminal activity. I believe that before long in this country Christians will face the same persecution that other Christians have faced around the world ever since the death of Christ.

                  And then there is the situations of the world as well. If you look right now at the world as a whole, you will see there are more wars, and armed conflicts, as well as other areas that are smoldering, just waiting for the wind of conflict to blow a little harder so they can erupt into an inferno, than there has ever been. A few examples would be the situations in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Nigeria and the fight against Boko Haram, Sudan, Mozambique, Mexico and the Drug Cartel Wars, and a big one of interest to me, the situation in Iraq with the terrorist group ISIS threatening all Christians in the area. But what really gets me is how many people truly have no idea what is going on in the world. For instance, how many of you reading this knew that just this past week that the group ISIS that has taken over the Iraqi city of Mosul, in the Nineveh region, told every Christian in the area, to either convert to Islam, pay a religious tax in Gold and no longer show their worship, or be put to death by the sword? If my numbers aren’t off I read that over 60,000 fled the city with nothing more than the clothes on their back. Did you also know that this group also blew up a church in the area that held the tomb of Jonah? How many of us have prayed for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing persecution in this region. And folks don’t think it is just over in other countries, it is also happening right here in America, as I mentioned earlier about the baker and the photographer.

                  You see brothers and sisters I have had a lot on my mind and have been wanting to get this off my chest for weeks, but was afraid of offending someone talking about it. But then I remembered that America was built on the voice of its citizens, and for the most part, I still have the freedom of speech. I also turned to my Bible and remembered that Gods word demands we speak out, not disrespectfully, but that we shine a light for the world to see. To those who are hurting in their souls from the collapse of a marriage whether it be from betrayal, secrecy, financial issues, physical or emotion abuse, or any other of a thousand reasons. We are to shine a light into the darkness of war and let that light guide the way for those who are breathing their last breath and have no idea who Jesus is. The destruction left behind when a war is over is immense, and people have to return to homes that are no longer there, or partially destroyed. Many return to nothing, if they are able to return at all. Those people need to see Jesus. Maybe we can’t physically go there, but spiritually we can. Our prayers travel anywhere in this world they need to, and the father hears those prayers, and answers in his will and his time. Our nation, which I love with every ounce of my being, deserves our prayers. Our leaders, regardless of who they are, deserve our prayers. Situations deserve our prayers. My hurting in my spirit, and hopefully yours after reading this, DEMANDS and DESERVES our prayers. For you see, every situation I have mentioned in this blog, is easily conquered when we pray and seek God.

           Matthew 24:6-14 (ESV) States “you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you dare not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away1 and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” But I firmly believe that we as a Nation must head the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 which say “ if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. “ Especially if we are to “endure to the end.”

          I hope that this has made sense to all of you reading, and that I have not confused you. I have had so many different thoughts in my head the last month or so, and had so many emotions running through me that I may have been a little off track at times. My hope is this will help you to realize, that what is given, can be taken, and that nothing stays the same forever. Look to eternity for your answers by looking to the Father through the Son. Remember as I have had to remember the words of Christ in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God Bless you all and may the peace of God rest in your hearts.

 

In Christ’s Love,                       

     Rev. Bill Roy

 

All Scripture reference's are taken out of the ESV translation of God's Holy Word.

The Silence of the Church

  Over the last few days, I am pretty sure you have heard all the uproar about the interview that the Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson gave to GQ magazine. I am pretty sure you have also heard about how A&E TV decided to "suspend" him from the show, which would never have came about if Phil had not invented that duck call 40 years ago in a shed on his property, and which has made A&E a ton of money. Many of you have posted on social media in Phil's defense, many have come out against him calling it homophobic rants and then others have also called him racist for his comments on blacks in his area growing up. After watching many news shows about this over this past weekend, and after reading several articles on it, I have to tell you I have come to one conclusion, the religious persecution we have seen in other countries has come to our shores. The church has become an organization that many believe is outdated, irrelevant, and needs to be placed in the back of the bus so to speak. The church is under fire, and not just from those outside its walls.We have allowed the enemy to infiltrate within and cause division within the body of the church. The church has remained silent for to long and we have allowed the enemy a seat at our table.
       First off let's start with realizing that the reason these comments are "offensive' to many is that they have never heard the Gospel in the true from. Oh many people claim to be christian, because at one time America was known as a christian nation, but no more thanks to our current leadership, but that's another subject. To many churches out there have "watered" down the gospel so as not to offend anyone. Well I realized many years ago that unfortunately, the gospel, is offensive to all those who refuse to hear and obey it. But in our politically correct world today, offending those who do not believe as christian's do is a major no no. If the church would realize the words of Jesus in Mark 16:15 to "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.", then these type of things would not be such major issues and persecution of the church would not be as big in this country as it has become. 
        In this article, the writer of the article says that Phil believes, and I quote from the article, America was a country founded upon Christian values (Thou shalt not kill, etc.), and he believes that the gradual removal of Christian symbolism from public spaces has diluted those founding principles. He then states that “Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong",and then "sin becomes fine." This is where maybe his terminology could have been not so rough, but his comments were right on target. This is when the interviewer asks him, What in your mind is sinful?" Now I love the fact that Phil did not tell him that in my opinion its this or that, instead he states what he knows to be sin from the Bible, homosexuality, bestiality, and adultery for examples. This is where the LGBT organization known as GLAAD (gay & lesbian alliance against defamation) got all bent out of shape and decided to call A&E TV and start a ruckus that got Phil suspended. Now defamation is defined as s the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual, business, product, group,government, religion, or nation. to constitute defamation, a claim must generally be false and have been made to someone other than the person defamed. Now after reading his words, I do not see where anything he said was false, since we all know that the Bible is the infallible word of God, and it did not harm any one person, business, groups reputation. 
       What I do notice through out this entire article is that what Phil Robertson does however , is make sure that the world, through this interview, knows he is not ashamed of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I stand and applaud him for this. You see in Luke 9:26 Jesus says " for whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the Holy Angels". This is where many in the church fall short. We are so afraid of offending others, so we keep our faith to ourselves, hence the reason situations like this arise. We are called to be the light of the world, (Matthew 5:14) to let others see Christ in our lives, but as long as we sit quietly by and say nothing, or do nothing, we allow the enemy to invade and defeat the church. We allow our values and principles to be compromised to fit the world rather than the word. One of the men I watched on a news show the other day said "I am a christian as I think all of us on this panel are, and we do not agree that homosexuality is a sin, but we believe he has the right to say he does." Well to this man I say, if you truly believe homosexuality is not a sin, then you need to look deep into the scriptures and see exactly what God says, and look inside of your walk with God and see how real it is. 
         When we the church, stand up and let the world know that the word of God is the same as it was in the beginning, as it was in the time of Noah, as it was in the time of Christ and it is still the same today. Sin is Sin, and Jesus is still the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). In Isaiah 55:11 the Lord says"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.". The church has remained silent to long, the time is now or never to stand up and let the words of the Almighty God be heard. Then and only then will we see our nation restored and our churches filled with repentant hearts coming to Christ. The time for Revival in our churches is NOW. For to long we have let our mouths be silenced and our hearts be hardened, but no more. The time has come for the body of Christ to stand up and be counted. To go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that His house may be filled (Luke 14:23)
     I pray that you will stand with me in support of Phil Robertson and not only his right to freedom of speech, but his right to speak the words of God without fear of condemnation. God bless all those who read this and may the blessings of the Lord be with you and your family this Christmas season. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Brother Bill Roy.


 

Satisfaction.....Where are you looking for it?

      I sit here tonight with many things on my heart that I want to write about, but I want to focus on just a couple of things and try to tie them in together and hopefully get off my chest what I am feeling in these two areas.
    First off  I have to tell you, my wife Angie and I were talking the other day about something a minister friend of ours had posted online. Not about the content, but how it would take a theologian to understand it, and I realized at that point, that we as ministers of the Gospel need to quit worrying about pretty sermons, elegant, large words and get back to really speaking what God has laid on our hearts in a manner that reaches those who need it. Sometimes I think we, ministers, have gotten so educated that we have lost touch with the people we are supposed to be ministering to, and that's why the church is suffering today, from years of pretty sermons and elegant speeches. Then today I read something a good friend of mine, a very special brother in the Lord, wrote on Face book and I thought, that's what Angie and I were talking about right there. So I am going to do my best in this blog to make sure I don't get to "elegant" or "educated", but instead that I get back to the raw honesty of the word. If this means I hurt some feelings, then remember this, I am bringing you what God has laid on my heart, and hurt feelings means you need to have a talk with the Lord, because as the old saying goes, "if the shoe fits, wear it!"
      Secondly, I have been off now for over 2 months from the wreck on Fathers day, and I have watched a lot of TV news, and read a ton of news online, as well as observed people when I have went out, and I have to tell you, I see a lot of people searching for something in their life to make them happy and satisfy them, but not finding it. I also see a lot of parents teaching their children how NOT to be satisfied, and how NOT to be loved. And I thing to myself, why can't they see what I see. All they need is the Love of God in their lives and he will satisfy them totally. I have seen these people on the street, in the grocery store, on the TV, and even in the Church, yes the Church. I know people like this personally, who just like the ones on TV and in the grocery store , are looking for Love in all the wrong places, and looking for love in all the wrong faces (to Quote an old Johnny Lee song). In today's society the old adage of love 'em and leave 'em seems to be the way a lot of people live there lives. Marriage today is not an institution, it a passing phase in an individuals life, or its a dirty word because they would rather live together than make that commitment. Children are an inconvenience for a lot of folks, or a consequence of that search for satisfaction they are on. To many lives are ruined in this world because people want to look every where but the right where when it comes to Love.
       Isaiah 55:2-3 (NASB) says "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David." Now , I realize that someone out there is going to go , but why should I spend all my money on bread, so let me break this down in a way most will understand.
         Brad is your average young man, age wise he could be anywhere from 21 to 50 lets say. He has a decent job making what he believes is an above average salary of say 42,000 a year.He has a wife and one child. His family has 2 cars with payments, a mortgage on an average house of say $ 150,000.00 and of course credit cards, checking account, savings, 401k, and status in the community. Brads wife doesn't work and is a full time stay at home mom. Seems like this family has it going on doesn't it. On the outside it looks like the perfect little family, but when you look deeper, things begin to change. Brad stops on his way home everyday and picks up his afternoon drink at the ABC store or convenience store, and then heads off down the road, having one for the road as he drives. He arrives home and goes in and changes clothes and proceeds to "interrogate" his wife about her day, where she has went, what she has done, who she has talked to while the kids were at school and he was at work. He goes over picks up her cell phone and goes through the texts, recent calls and anything else he decides to. Now she isn't happy already because he made his usual stop on the way home, so she begins to snap back at him about how he gets out of the house everyday and she has to be stuck at home cooking, cleaning and not getting any respect from him. As usual a big argument ensues and he goes outside, picks up his cell phone and makes a call to someone, then goes in changes clothes again and runs out the door. Seeing this his wife starts to cry and goes into her room and opens up her laptop and joins into a chat room about lonely wife needs company. Meanwhile down in the living room, sitting on the couch watching all of this unfold is a 10 year old, brown haired, little girl/boy who kept their ears covered in order to try not to hear the events in the rest of the house. The child gets up, goes to the kitchen and gets another microwave meal out and fixes it, and then sits down in front of the TV for the evening, forgetting to do the homework they were given, because after all mom and dad don't care if I do it, so why should I, besides this is my second year in this grade so it should be easier.
           While mom is in the bedroom chatting with some guys she has never met and trading provocative photos, Brad is at the local bar, slamming them back when he notices this attractive lady sitting and looking at him. So with another shot of liquid courage, he goes over sits down and begins to get cozy with her. After a couple of hours of this, they leave together , because after all she's easy to talk to and she gets him. They actually never leave the parking lot though, because the lust is so thick they stay right there in the parking lot to get to know each other better. Meanwhile mom has given away her phone number to one of her new online friends and has excused herself to take nice hot bath while she "talks" to her new friend. All the while the child is down stairs watching whatever they can find on TV, or playing the gaming system, to way into the wee hours of the morning, finally falling asleep on the couch. Brad starts to drive home, and seems to be having a little trouble seeing, must have been that last drink he had, from the bottle in the car he bought earlier, before leaving the parking lot. Mom has finally emerged from the bathroom, but upon noticing that Brad isn't home yet, starts calling his cell phone, unbeknown to her has died. Since she can't get hold of him, and noticing the child is asleep on the couch, gets dressed and gets in her car to go find him. She backs out of the drive and starts down the road, without having a clue as to where to go find him. About 10 minutes later she comes up to a red light, at which she stops until it turns green, at which time she proceeds through the light, only to be hit broadside on her side by a car running a so fast it was unable to stop at the red light, and unfortunately it kills her instantly.
      Upon the police arriving, they discover that the driver of the car that ran the red light has also passed away, and upon further investigation, they discover that Brad is the driver of the car that ran the red light. So now both parents are gone and a child sleeps alone on a couch in an empty house, only to be woken to discover that both mom and dad are gone, and wont be coming back.
        Now I realize this sounds like something out of a movie or TV show, but reality is, both Brad and his wife, were spending everything they made, and all their wages, searching for satisfaction, only to have that search destroy not only the both of them, but to leave a child with the last memory of their parents as one of hatred and neglect. This may be a little over the top, but how many people out there that appear to be happy, are searching and spinning their wheels looking for something to satisfy their soul, because they aren't happy with themselves, their lives or their place in society. This is what Isaiah 55:2 is talking about. Why are you looking for love, wasting your time looking for something you can never find in the worldly things in front of you? Many a men have searched and searched for happiness in money, alcohol, drugs, sex (heterosexual and homosexual) only to find that there is nothing earthly or worldly that can satisfy the soul of an individual.
        Sir Francis Newport, 1st Earl of Bradford, was a respected soldier, and politician in England in the mid to late 1600's, educated at Christ Church College in Oxford England. But he was also an Atheist. He lived a long and eventful life, being elevated to high position in the King's rule, so he wanted for nothing, as did his family, yet on his deathbed at the age of 88, he said "Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched, to purchase the favor of God and be united to Him again. But it is a fruitless wish. Millions and millions of years will bring me no nearer the end of my torments than one poor hour. Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!
       Thomas Paine, one of the famous revolutionaries of the American Revolution, who was also the Author of The Age of Reason, A book which promotes Deism, a religion that does believe in one God, but not the inerrancy of the Bible or the Trinity. A man who wanted for nothing as he was a man of means, wealth and position. A man who, according to research,stated on his Deathbed " I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. O Lord, help me! Lord JESUS CHRIST help me! . . No, don’t leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of Hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one.
      You see, wealth, status, possessions, none of these satisfies the human soul, why? Because they are fleeting, they only last for a short period. They are worldly objects meant only to give earthly satisfaction while we are here, but when we leave this world, our wealth is distributed to those left behind, our possessions are passed on to family or sold, and our status in this world means nothing, for none of these go with us when we leave this world. But Jesus, is with us not only here on this earth, but as believers we have the promise of an eternity spent with him in Heaven. Where we will never want for anything. We won't have to worry about things like cancer or death. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says "....And behold, I am with you always, to the end......" We have the knowledge that even though we shall leave this world through the earthly death, we will not "die".
       If you go on to read the rest of Isaiah 55, you will see in Verses 6-7 that God promises us satisfaction but we must first act...."Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." If we only call upon our Lord and repent he will abundantly pardon us of our sins. You see Jesus has already took the punishment for our sins, all we must do is believe on him, repent of our sins and make him Lord of our life and we will be satisfied. he promises us satisfaction in Verses 12-13 "For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."
        How can I be so sure of this? Well I was once that sinner looking for satisfaction, I looked in bars and chat rooms, drowning my ills in strong drink and sexual gratification, as well as drugs. I let my pursuit for satisfaction destroy my relationships, especially with my children. I was the one who thought that status and money and possessions meant everything, only to be disappointed when I had none. Only to be left alone and disheartened when things fell apart. I walked away from God at one point and looked for that satisfaction in every place but the right place. Now don't get me wrong, I am not perfect and I still mess up, not intentionally, but I know I am forgiven. For I know in who I believe, and have made him Lord of my life. I have stood at the entrance of hell , only to be forgiven at the foot of the cross.
      If you are that person seeking satisfaction, no matter where you are looking for it. Maybe you are looking for it in the arms of another individual, whether that be same sex or not, out of wedlock. Maybe you are letting the search for satisfaction disrupt your relationship with your spouse, or your children through neglect or abuse. Maybe you are letting the Job become your God and putting it above everything else in your life. Maybe you are pursuing more and more possessions or trying to rise the corporate ladder regardless of who it hurts. if you are this person, then I ask you this, have you found true satisfaction in any of these things? I can guarantee they may satisfy for a period, but you will find there is something missing, and that something is actually a someone, Jesus. Look to the scripture John 3:16 and know he is waiting to satisfy your soul, for eternity. If you are this person and need help please contact me with your phone number and I will help you in your search for Christ. For we all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord, and there is none of us righteous, but we are forgiven.
          God Bless all who read this and please feel free to share this with anyone you feel needs it. And I leave you with this Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "

In Christ's Love,
    Bro Bill Roy
cntrydadof3@gmail.com                                                            

The call of the Christian

         I am sitting here trying to figure out how I am going to start this blog tonight and I just realized that the only way to do this is to just jump right in and let 'er rip. You see this week I, with probably more than three quarters of the country, have listened to the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman ruckus on the news and on the radio until I literally am fed up with hearing about it, and I am simply tired of hearing about it because it seems that everyone thinks everyone else has got it wrong and the simple fact of the matter is that the only way to know the truth, was to be there, which we weren't.
        Another thing I am tired of hearing is men who have the title Reverend before their name, calling people racist, or liars and saying this is a slap in the face and the white man is out for the black man, or the black man is out for the white man. If you have the GIFT of being called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the last thing you should be doing is judging people, especially people you have probably A) never met ; B) never spoke to or C) never been in their situation. As ministers of the Gospel we are called by God to show the love of Christ to every person in the world and to build up the church by setting a living example. What we are NOT called to do is to tear people down, and become judge and jury. Especially in such a situation that is already charged with enough negative energy that it could explode at the least little thing.
       I am also tired of people not respecting who I am now in Christ, regardless of who they are. No I am not perfect, but I have been born again, dead to the old and raised in the glorious newness of life by the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary. I will make mistakes and I understand that, but you know what I am striving to be the best example of Christ I can be, not only to everyone I come in contact with, but to my family first and foremost. If you cannot respect the fact that I don't drink anymore, don't smoke, don't tell dirty jokes and lust after women like I did in the past, don't talk the way I did and try to live a holy life in the sight of the Lord, then I am not the one with the problem you are, and if I must separate myself from you , I will. I will stop coming around you and you can stop coming around me. I am who God has saved me and called me to be. I am not ashamed of who I am in Christ. What I am ashamed of is that I ran from God for so many years. I am thankful that he never gave up on me and I did not realize that he was what I was missing after I had died and gone to Hell. So as you can see it has been a week of realizations and at times total disgust for what is going on not just here, but everywhere.
         Colossians 3:1-17 says "1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is call, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

       So as I read this passage I thought to myself, this applies to today's situations in so many ways, but especially to the church. You see, when you step into many churches tomorrow, Sunday morning, July 21at, 2013, there will be many discussions on the Zimmerman verdict being  held from the pulpit to the pews. There will be those preaching the jury got it right, and those preaching they got it wrong. But what they should be preaching is exactly what we just read above in Colossians 3.
        You see Paul is speaking directly to the saints, those who have been born again. 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.or to put it another way, if you have been born again and have are dead to the old self and raised anew in our Lord Jesus Christ, then act like it and set your sights on the things that Christ would, which is Heaven, Because if you do then when he return, you have nothing to worry about, because you will be found righteous in him. Paul is telling the church to look up, not down. Look to the one who created the Earth by speaking it into existence.we have to always remember that Christ suffered on the cross so we would not have to. We should always, in a sense, walk with our heads looking up to the one who saved us from ourselves.
     Why? Well Paul tells us why in verse's 5-10. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. You see man is earthly, we have this need to be bad it seems. We seem to be more worried about how much money we can make and how much we can buy with it than anything else. We will lie, cheat , steal, kill, destroy every good thing in our lives and never think twice about it. Let alone what we say, think or do to others. Why should we care. I mean so what if I call some guy in Florida on the TV a derogatory name.So what if he's black, Hispanic, Chinese, middle eastern, who cares as long as I don't say it to his face. Well let me say this, what we say in private becomes known in the light. If you are racist or prejudice in any way inside your home, its going to come outside the home. Either you are going to get mad one day and say something you shouldn't and say it somewhere you shouldn't, or your kids will tell off on you. It may even be something as simple as how you look at someone when they walk into the church on Sunday morning and then ignore them and walk right past them to speak to the person sitting next to them. You see what you do in private comes to the light. but if we are a true born again Christian, you will put off all malice towards another person simply because they are of a different color or nationality. You won't speak, privately or publicly, about an individual that is derogatory or damaging.
        In the Church, there should be no separation, no racism, no degrading by anyone who is truly born again. Paul says in Verses 11-15 that 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is call, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Imagine that. A church where there is no black or white or purple or orange. Where everyone is looked at the same. That when the pastor looks out among the congregation all he can see are sinners. Sinners either saved by grace, or sinners unsaved and in need of a touch of Heaven above. If our churches were made of individuals who had put off the earthly and thought only of the heavenly, wow , how much could the church accomplish for Christ. How many more people would be touched instead of hurt by our words and actions. For you see once we have put off the earthly, and put on the heavenly through repentance, then and only then can we  16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
        And once we have accomplished letting the Word of God dwell in us richly, we can go out into the world and make a difference. For then will remember that as Verse 17 stated, We will do all we do in word or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
         So my challenge to all in the church, from the laymen to the pastor, is this. If you are saved by grace, born of the spirit and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, how can you put this scripture to work in your home, workplace, and community? Will you put off the earthly and think of only the Heavenly? When you see someone on the street, will you look at them in love and pray for them, and witness to them if the lord leads?, or will you judge them by the way they dress, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or by any other means? You see God has called us to Love the sinner but not the sin. We are to Spread the Gospel to all the world, not judge it. It is our job to tell them the greatest news there ever was, and that is you can be set free from a life of sin through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Our job is not to Judge them and destroy them with our words and actions.  The job of the Church is to love not hate. Regardless of skin color, social status or sexual orientation, The job of the church is to minister to those in need, spiritually and physically. That does not mean we have to condone what the individual is or does, we do not have to hang out with them in the bars and the sin infested places they go, but we must tell them there is a loving God who is waiting for them at Calvary, who wants nothing more than to have a personal relationship with them.
      I pray that this passage makes a difference in your life as it has mine, for you see, many years ago I was probably one of the most racist men I had ever met. But when Jesus came into the picture, he showed me that I am no different inside than a black man, a red man, or a yellow man. We all bleed and we were all created by the same God. And that same God loved us ALL enough to allow his son to come to this earth and die as a ransom for ALL of OUR SIN. Romans 3:22-23 states 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Not for just the white man, or black man, or Hispanic man or middle eastern man but for ALL MEN. In Gods eyes there are no distinctions, we are all equal in his eyes.
            Good night to all and God Bless.

In Christ's Love ,
     Rev. Bill Roy