Early in the morning on January 12, 2009, I received a call that no one ever wants to get. "I have bad news," my dad said. My cousin, Sherron, had been shot. He died a few minutes after my dad called me. I was devastated to say the least. He was only 27 years old. To make matters worse, the suspect is a career criminal. I won't go on about the manner of his death. I'd rather talk about his life, and even more, the good news that he had accepted Christ mere days before his death.
He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior a mere 2 1/2 days before his time on this Earth was over. He had no idea it would all be over when he accepted the call on that Friday afternoon. I am rejoicing--not that he's gone but that we'll be together again in heaven.
These last two weeks have been rough. I've been sad, angry, frustrated, confused, and numb at various times. I am finally at peace and at a point where I realize that no matter what I am going to praise the God who gives and takes away. I praise Him in this storm. I praise He who gave my cousin another chance for salvation before he took his last breath on this Earth. I praise He who is the Alpha and the Omega. The lover of my soul. The only one who can see me through this storm. Despite my sorrow at the loss of my cousin, I praise the Lord because He is faithful no matter what.
I have also been praying for the suspect and his family. Forgiving him has not been easy. I have times when I am angry that he took a life that was so precious and sweet. However, anger, hatred, and unforgiveness only hurt me. They get in the way. They cause me pain and anguish. So those things I have given up in prayer to the Lord. Vengeance is not mine--but His. So, I will continue to praise Him in this storm.
I do extend this message to anyone who does not know the Lord. You know neither the day nor the hour of when your time will be over on this Earth. Is your house in order? Will you be in heaven rejoicing with the believers? Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Ask Him into your heart and life. He will forgive you your sins and love you more than you ever thought possible. He will be your shelter during any storm. Please don't wait until it is too late!
Monday, January 26, 2009
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Statement of Faith
- I believe that the Bible is God's inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative written Word.(II Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:21).
- I believe there is one true God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.(Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30).
- I believe in the deity of Christ (John 10:33); His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35); His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26); His miracles (John 2:11); His vicarious and atoning death (I Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9); His resurrection (John 11:25, I Corinthians 15:4); His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19); His personal return to earth in power and glory (Acts 1:11, Revelation 19:11-16).
- I believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.(John 3:16-19; 5:24, Romans 3:23; 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5)
- I believe that the Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith. Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (Romans 8:13-14, I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30; 5:18). .
- I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are not unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).
- I believe the Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel to every living creature in the whole world. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20)
- I believe that we as Christians are examples of the love of God in this world. It is this (agape) love that we desire to possess and without which we have no right to call ourselves Christians (I John 4:16-17).
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