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I Just Want Forgiveness

10/24/2019

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     “I just want to be forgiven.” The desire for true forgiveness is something that everyone experiences.  Carrying the weight of error, bad decisions, and   broken relationships can be too much to bear alone. Last week, I visited with a young man who I will call Tony to      protect his identity.
     As I entered the room, I spoke to the group and asked, “Does anyone needed to speak with the Chaplain?” Tony raised his hand. We grabbed a couple of chairs; sat and talked. Tony has been in the facility for about two weeks and was from out of state.
     As we sat, I asked, “How can I help you?”
     He answered, “I need prayer for forgiveness.” He did not stop there but he continued to say, “I need forgiveness, I want my parents to forgive me and I want God to save my parents.”
    I sat and just listened to this young man as he cried out for another chance. We know that those who are weary and heavy-laden can find rest in Jesus Christ. Of course, I prayed with him and I also commended him because he not only took responsibility for the wrong he did, but he exhibited an unselfish prayer for his family as well. Even the way in which he went about it was commendable, starting with his desire to get himself right first. This is something that we all can learn; we are not perfect. We as believers need to exercise our liberty to come before the throne of grace seeking mercy and finding grace to help us when we need it. He then requested that his parents forgive him. Realizing that he had hurt and disappointed his parents, he desired to hear it from them.
     It is important to forgive others when they have wronged us and also tell them they are forgiven to provide closure. This is often the only way an individual can move forward. Life without forgiveness is a life lived in the past. Forgiveness is one of the first steps of reconciliation.
     Let me share this: reconciliation is the fruit of effective intercession. Intercession is performed by Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all believers throughout Scripture. Jesus is our advocate and  intercedes on our behalf to the Father. We are told in 1 John 2:1 that if we sin, we have an   advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the believers as we do not know what to pray. Beyond that, all believers are told to pray for all people. We are not only to pray for our families as believers, but also for leaders, the unsaved, and those who have wronged us. Reconciliation of relationships was the thing that Tony was seeking.
     I request that you keep Tony in your prayers as he seeks restoration with his family.  Let’s also keep His parents in prayer because it may be difficult for them to completely forgive their son, but with God’s help we can have confidence that it is all possible. Something that I believe we can learn from Tony is that we need to reconcile relationships that are broken in our lives. When Jesus laid down his life for our sins, he interceded for us and paid the price so that we may live. Yes, the price that was paid was not cheap for our Lord and it is even the more reason we should forgive, intercede and be reconciled with those closest to us.
     Be reconciled and be blessed.

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Who you you say that I am?

6/25/2019

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     I wanted to begin this article with a question for the reader; “Who do you say that Jesus is?” 
      You may be familiar with this question. It is the same question that Jesus asked His disciples in Luke chapter nine. “They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’” 
     During my last visit on campus I spoke with two different groups of teens in their units. In the first group I was approached by a young lady who said she was confused with respect to religion.  This young lady (who I will call Shay) said, “the Muslims also acknowledge Jesus so I’m trying to pick between Christianity and the Muslim faith.” 
      I told her, “I can help clear that up real for you real quick.”  So, I asked Shay the same question that Jesus asked his disciples with a slight modification. 
     I asked, “Who do the Muslims say that Jesus is?”  I asked that question because the Muslim faith holds that Jesus is a prophet. This belief is actually one of the same responses that the original twelve disciples gave Jesus, but Jesus did not affirm that claim. I went on to share Peter’s exclamation in that passage, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”  As I explained this, it seemed to clear up her understanding quite a bit. This led Shay to ask more questions. Sharing the basic truths of the Gospel is very important in not only evangelism but also in discipleship. 
     As I visited with a second group of residents later that day, another young lady (who I will call Pam) I had the opportunity to speak with me.
     “Is there such thing a ghost?”  Pam asked this question because her roommate was worshiping and praying to a spirit that she claimed was a man.  This caused Pam to be afraid in her room and wanted some clarification.  I assured her that God will protect her. I reminded her of the passage in 1 John 4:4; You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
     I think that the first epistle of John communicates a very significant truth.  John identifies the different levels of maturity within the Body of Christ.  John addresses three groups- ‘little children,’ ‘fathers,’ and ‘young men.’ He shares with each one a message that is tailor-made to combat their individual struggles.  John reminds us that the ‘little children’ (who can also be considered babes in Christ) need to be constantly reminded of what Jesus has done. They need to hear again the promise that God made to protect us and keep us from falling. 
     As I left the facility this week, I realized how often I am dealing with babes in Christ who need to be affirmed and reminded of their state. Their struggles need to be met with the Promises of God.  Please keep these young ladies and myself in your prayer.  I pray that God will continue to equip me to respond and lead each child that I encounter to the truth of the Gospel and the one and only true living God our Savior Jesus the Christ.
 
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“Pieces” Part II (Will Power)

5/27/2019

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   I was walking through the halls on a Saturday morning, and came across a few residents outside on a unit rotation.  The weather was warm and many of the kids inside seemed restless. I sat and spoke with a young man whom I will call Terry. (name changed for privacy) We talked for about half an hour. Terry is a slender young man and he was speaking about losing weight.  
I didn’t know why he thought he needed to lose weight.
     Terry kept saying, “If a person is overweight it’s because they have no will power . . . It’s the same as cigarettes.”
     So I explained to him that his conclusion is not necessarily true. I asked him, “Is the reason you are in the facility due to a lack of will power?” 
     He said, “No, I have a real problem”. 
     I explained that there are those who may have a medical  condition which leads to weight gain, some could be poor eating habits, some could be because of the type of medicine they are prescribed, and others are dealing with other issues such as depression. 
     “That’s why they have heart attacks because they are overweight.” Terry replied.
      I told him, “You don’t have to be overweight to have a heart attack.”  He just looked at me as if he didn’t understand the simple fact that I had shared.
     It seems that many times we can get to a point in our lives where we make excuses for our own behaviors, but lack compassion when it comes to considering others. This is where Terry is stuck, insisting that his problems are due to a ‘real problem’ while those around him are simply lacking in will power. Terry and I have had conversations like this before. He tends to speak with confidence on subjects he has limited knowledge of and spreads that information to anyone who will listen.
      Like so many of the youth in this facility, Terry has had his life shattered by the things he has experienced. Broken pieces have a tendency to cut those who encounter them, depending on how  
      we handle them.  How would you handle
Terry?  How do you show compassion while also correcting error?  How   carefully do you handle broken  pieces in the lives of those around you?  Just a few questions to think about as   we continue to help pick up the pieces.
 

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“Pieces” Part I

4/15/2019

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     Have you ever walked on broken glass?  Do you remember the sound and the feeling as it cracked under your feet? During my last visit, I experienced an unusual amount of distress from many of the residents.  It reminded me of those broken pieces of glass that I had walked on after breaking a window when I was young. I want to invite you to take a walk with me through a residential facility- a walk through halls of broken glass.
     My first stop was in one of the male units during lunch time. Most of the young men were on the unit. I was even able to meet some of the children that are usually in the school building. They were happy to see me. After greeting them, they shared what has been going on lately. I showed them some pages from the 'Action Bible,' and they loved it. However, one of the young men that I talked to was very upset. Darren was complaining that he didn’t have the clothes that his mother had sent him. (name changed for privacy) He accused the staff of keeping the clothes from him on purpose as a punishment. I had not seen Darren so agitated before, so I stood by and listened even as I engaged with the other children. The bell rang and Darren refused to go to class until he got his clothes. He sat down, crossed his arms, and didn’t move. The rest of his peers returned to class leaving only three young men in the room.   I called Darren over to me. I told him to always give the benefit of the doubt to others because we don’t always know everything that is happening with that individual. My intent was not to make up an excuse but to help the young man have compassion even through his own pain. 
     “The staff may have forgotten with everything else going on in the units.” 
      Darren responded, “No, she is doing this on purpose.” 
     “Who are you hurting by not going to class?”
     “Nobody.”
     I told him that he was only hurting himself. "Just because you are not    getting your  way, you shouldn’t create more problems for yourself by missing school. School is something that will only benefit you in the long run. Never give people power over your own life so much that you close doors of opportunity."
      Darren thanked me, and turned to his staff. "I need to go to class."
     Have you ever been there before?  Have you judged the motives of others and just the thoughts alone made you act in ways that you we normally would not do?  I remember a verse that Paul penned, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5. Let’s remember that only God can judge the motives of the hearts of men. I believe this would help us to walk with compassion and build relationships. 
     Next month we will continue our walk through halls of broken glass. We go and minister in these places with one goal in mind- to help pick up the pieces.  

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Is it OK to Cry?

4/2/2019

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       Walking through the facilities on my most recent visit I spoke with several children. One conversation on this day stood out the most. A young man asked me an intriguing question.
     “Is it OK to cry?”
     “Yes,” I responded, “crying is an emotion and even Jesus Himself cried.”
     He said, “When I feel like crying in the unit I try not to because everyone picks on me when I do.”  He went on to share that the other boys look at it as  a sign of weakness. 
     “Yes, I can see how that could happen.” I replied, “But I cry too and it is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
     Then I began to encourage him by sharing scriptures about that very topic.   I told him about Job; how he lost all of his children and for many days he cried. Also, I shared how Job’s friends responded by going to his location. They comforted him initially by just sitting with him and crying.  As I shared a Biblical perspective on crying, the young man had a look of relief on his face as if a weight was removed. 
     I went on to explain that we are told to rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep. This passage in Romans reaffirms our call as believers to relationships with one another which are motivated by compassion, not ridicule nor mocking. So I shared a few more verses to comfort him to let him know that he was not alone with respect to expressing his emotions.
     Being angry, crying, and rejoicing are all emotions that are permitted and we are not to feel bad for expressing any of them. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4).  I reminded him that the Lord is here with us to comfort us when we need him the most and He is faithful to His word. The young man thanked me for sharing with him and let me know that he felt better.
    I want to ask you a question today- what do we tell our boys or young men about expressing their emotions? All too often in residential facilities we see scared boys hiding behind false bravado. Let’s remember to show our young men that our emotion is not strange nor a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.
     Yes, it’s OK to cry.
 

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    Sean A. Wilson

    Sean is a retired Army Veteran and resides in Waynesville, Missouri with his wife and children. Sean is a local Pastor and an active community servant leader.  He loves to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With his call into the facilities he visits, that's the message he stands true to communicate. As a compassionate Father, Husband, and Pastor his goal is to just make a difference one life at a time.

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