WITNESS

5-1-13

TAME THAT TONGUE---gossip

How many of us gossip

How many of us

Have listened to gossip

I would say, virtually, at some point or another,

Every one of us

Yet in both Romans !;29

And in 2 Corinthians 12:20

Saint Paul lists gossip among various sins

And says it is WRONG

And in James 3, James writes,

“Likewise

The tongue is a small part of the body

But it makes great boasts

Consider what a great forest

Is set on fire by a small spark

The tongue also is a fire

A world of evil among parts of the body

It corrupts the whole person

Sets the whole course of his life

On fire

And is itself set on fire by hell”

Once upon a time

A woman went to a confessional and said,

“Father, I am a very good person

I just have one small fault

I talk about my friends and neighbors”

Father said,

“For your penance

I want you to go down to the market

And buy a chicken

And come back next week”

The woman thought to herself,

How sensible---instead of 2 Our Fathers-3 Hail Mary’s

He’s going to use the chicken to feed the hungry

The next week

The woman takes the chicken back to the priest

And the priest says:

“I want you to go down to the market place

And pluck the chicken

And spread the feathers everywhere

Then come back next week”

The woman thought to herself,

“Now that’s real penance---but I am sure

Father knows what he is doing”

The woman goes back the next week

And Father says,

“Now I want you

 To go and get all the feathers

And put them back on the chicken”

The woman became appalled and said,

“But Father, how can I do that

I don’t know where they are

They have blown here, there, and everywhere”

Father just said, “Exactly”

The woman got the point

And never gossiped again

My friends

We all have a choice

In how to use our tongue

TO BUILD OTHERS UP

Or to tear them down

But if you decide

To continue to gossip

Ask yourself questions

IS IT TRUE?
IS IT KIND?
IS IT NECESSARY?

“Without wood a fires goes out

Without gossip

A quarrel dies down”                                                      Proverbs 26:26

My mother used to say,

“If you can’t say anything good

Don’t say anything at all”

My friends

I think that that is a great philosophy

To follow

BUILD EACH OTHER UP

Robert P. Wallman

2-18-12

Ps       WITNESS        5-1-13

“A perverse man stirs up dissension-and a GOSSIP separates close friends”

Proverbs 16:28

WITNESS

5-1-13

TAME THAT TONGUE---gossip

How many of us gossip

How many of us

Have listened to gossip

I would say, virtually, at some point or another,

Every one of us

Yet in both Romans !;29

And in 2 Corinthians 12:20

Saint Paul lists gossip among various sins

And says it is WRONG

And in James 3, James writes,

“Likewise

The tongue is a small part of the body

But it makes great boasts

Consider what a great forest

Is set on fire by a small spark

The tongue also is a fire

A world of evil among parts of the body

It corrupts the whole person

Sets the whole course of his life

On fire

And is itself set on fire by hell”

Once upon a time

A woman went to a confessional and said,

“Father, I am a very good person

I just have one small fault

I talk about my friends and neighbors”

Father said,

“For your penance

I want you to go down to the market

And buy a chicken

And come back next week”

The woman thought to herself,

How sensible---instead of 2 Our Fathers-3 Hail Mary’s

He’s going to use the chicken to feed the hungry

The next week

The woman takes the chicken  back to the priest

And the priest says:

“I want you to go down to the market place

And pluck the chicken

And spread the feathers everywhere

Then come back next week”

The woman thought to herself,

“Now that’s real penance---but I am sure

Father knows what he is doing”

The woman goes back the next week

And Father says,

“Now I want you

 To go and get all the feathers

And put them back on the chicken”

The woman became appalled and said,

“But Father, how can I do that

I don’t know where they are

They have blown here, there, and everywhere”

Father just said, “Exactly”

The woman got the point

And never gossiped again

My friends

We all have a choice

In how to use our tongue

TO BUILD OTHERS UP

Or to tear them down

But if you decide

To continue to gossip

Ask yourself questions

IS IT TRUE?
IS IT KIND?
IS IT NECESSARY?

“Without wood a fires goes out

Without gossip

A quarrel dies down”                                                      Proverbs 26:26

My mother used to say,

“If you can’t say anything good

Don’t say anything at all”

My friends

I think that that is a great philosophy

To follow

BUILD EACH OTHER UP

Robert P. Wallman

2-18-12

Ps        WITNESS        5-1-13

“A perverse man stirs up dissension-and a GOSSIP separates close friends”

Proverbs 16:28

WITNESS

4-30-13

LET THEM COME---JESUS LOVED THE LITTLE CHILDREN

“Jesus said to his disciples,

Things that cause people to sin are bound to come

It would be better for him

To be thrown in to the sea

With a millstone around his neck

Than to cause one of these little ones to sin

So watch yourselves.”                                                        Luke 17:2 & 3

3 million reports

Of child abuse

Are made every year

In the United States

Jesus loved the little children

Children are a reward from the Lord                                 Psalm 127:3

In 2007,

Approximately 5.8 million children

Were involved

In an estimated 3.2 million

Child abuse reports and allegations

Jesus loved the little children

Almost 5 children die every day

From child abuse More than 3 out of 4

Are under the age of 4

My heart aches

My heart breaks

I don’t think anything in the whole world

Disturbs me as much

As a child being sexually exploited

90% of child abuse victims

Knew the perpetrator

In some way

68% of those abused

Are abused by family members

“People were bringing the little children to Jesus

To have him touch them

But the disciples rebuked them

Jesus saw this, became indignant, and said

“Let the children come to me

And do not hinder them

For the Kingdom of God

Belongs to such as these

I tell you the truth

Anyone who will not receive

The Kingdom of God

Like a little child

Will not enter into it”

And he took

The children in his arms

Put his hands on them

And blessed them”                                                 Luke 18:13 thru 17

Jesus loved the children

Let us

Hold a thought and a prayer

For ALL the abused children

And let us ALL

Work to make this a better world

So that we can truly say

“LET THEM COME”

Robert P. Wallman

6-13-11---------------5:23pm

********  statistics are from the National Child Abuse Statistics

                  Child abuse in America

Ps        WITNESS        4-30-13

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

Catherine lived

From 1337 to 1380

She was

The youngest of 20 children

And from an early age

Was devoted to a life

Of penance and prayer-despite parental opposition

She refused

To consider marriage

And became a Dominican tertiary

She began to mix with other people

And began to nurse the sick-in hospitals

Along with her disciples

Which included both men and women

She taught many to reform

Through a TOTAL love of God

She never learned to write

But wrote 383 letters

Expressing her philosophy

Through dictation

Her holiness

Was centered on Christ’s crucifixion

And she saw this

As the SUPREME love of God-for man

She received much criticism

Especially during the last 5 years

Of her life

When she became involved

In the politics

Of both state and church

She suffered a stroke

On April 21^st 1380

And died 8 days later

Her life story

Was written by Raymond Caputa

Her friend-and later

Master General of the Dominican order

This led

To her canonization in 1461

With the quality of her writings

And her membership

In the Dominican order

Bringing her much support

She became a figure

Of international importance and influence

Became Siena ‘s principal Saint ( along with Bernard of Siena )

And was believed to be responsible

For bringing the papacy

Back to Rome

Her common emblem

Is the lily

And she was declared

A Doctor of the church-in 1970

Her feast day is April the 29^th

Robert P. Wallman

5-3-12

WITNESS

4-29-13

FOREVER TOGETHER---STEPHEN AND PAUL

There are 2 men

In my mind from the Bible

That will be forever

Linked together

Stephen---the first Christian martyr

Who gave up his life for Christ

And Saul---later Paul

Who stood by and approved

Maybe, in fact, even ordered Stephen’s death

Forever together

You and me

Forever linked with God

Forever in God’s word

And in God’s heart

That’s the way it has to be

When they began stoning Stephen

As Saul stood by and watched

Stephen prayed,

“Lord Jesus receive my spirit

Lord do not hold this sin

Against them”

And, of course, God heard Stephen’s prayer

As he hears yours and mine

Out of death---grew life

The death of Stephen---turned in to

The life of Paul

And the beginnings of Christianity

Picture this

You are a great hater of God

And the new Christian movement

You have persecuted many Christians

And it is widely known

As you near

The end of your journey

A light flashes around you---a light from Heaven

You get knocked to the ground

And you hear a voice say,

“Saul Saul why do you persecute me

Go in to the city

And you will be told what to do”

You slowly get up off the ground

You cannot see a thing

Your traveling companions

Don’t know what has happened

The lord sends Ananias 

To place hands on you

Scales from Saul’s eyes fall off

Saul can see again

See better than ever

Saul becomes baptized

Filled with the Holy Spirit

And has great vision for God’s new Kingdom

Forever together---Stephen and Paul

Out of death grows life

Life and the vision for a brand new world

How about you and me

Can our life be converted

Can our life be changed

To a life devoted to God

To a life of loving others

Forever together---Stephen and Paul

Forever together---you and me

Forever together---God and us

Tell me Lord---can it be

“For whoever wants to save his life

Will lose it

But whoever loses his life for me

Will find it”                                                                         Matthew 16:25

Forever together Lord

You---Stephen---and Paul

Forever together Lord

You and us

Forever together Lord

For out of death comes life

Forever together Lord

You and me

Robert P. Wallman

5-11-11

Ps        WITNESS        4-29-13

“But the Lord said to Ananias-“GO!  This man is my CHOSEN instrument

To carry my name before the GENTILES and their kings-and before the people of Israel-

I will show him how much he MUST SUFFER for my name”

Acts 9:15-16

THE GOSPEL OF SAINT MARK

Mark---or sometimes referred to as John Mark

Was an evangelist

And author of the second book

Of the Bible

His mother’s house

Was a meeting place

For the Apostles

Mark’s Gospel

Is a book of action

And follows more of Jesus’ deeds

Than his words

It is believed

That Peter is the source

For most of the material in this Gospel

Mark also spent much time

With Paul and Barnabas, his cousin,

And after a disagreement with Paul

Later goes on to be

A very close friend of Paul’s---and helper

Mark wrote his Gospel from Rome

Probably while in prison with Peter

Mark’s Gospel

Focuses on Jesus’ teachings, healing,

And ministering to the needs of others

Mark tells us

That Jesus is the perfect example of love

For ALL of us---for ALL of time

And Mark teaches us

That Jesus’ public ministry

Includes DIVIVE POWER over disease

Nature, demons, and even death

And demonstrates Jesus’ compassion

For a hurting world

Finally Mark wants us to know

That Jesus is concerned

About every aspect of our lives

And as Jesus’ actions

Parallels his words

Our actions

Must parallel Jesus’ words---and our own words

In order for us to be positive witnesses for him

In today’s world

Mark wants us to know

That there is no one

So down and out

That they are beyond the extension

Of God’s love for us

And as Jesus died for our sins

And SAVED us

We are to be of service to others

It is believed

That Mark died a martyr’s death---

Possibly in Alexandria---during the reign of Nero

Mark’s symbol as an evangelist

Is the lion

And his feast day is April 25^th

Robert P. Wallman

2-18-12

WITNESS


4-28-13

AND SO IT BEGINS---THE FIRST MIRACLE

Picture this

You are a woman

With a 29 or 30 year-old-son

You are attending a wedding

Of a relative

Or very close friend

The drink of the day

Is wine

And the hosts of the day

Have run out

You know your son

Is someone very very special

A very special young man

With the capabilities

To help your relatives

In this precarious situation

You know your son

Loves you dearly

So you ask him

To help out

You say to him,

“They are out of wine---can you help”

He looks at you lovingly

And says,

“You must not tell me

What to do

My time has not come”

But he proceeds to try and help

He says,

“Fill the jars with water

Now draw some out

And take it to the master

Of the banquet”

The master of the banquet realizes

He has wine

Not knowing where it came from

Everyone says,

“You saved the best wine until last”                                            ( NOT the custom )

You---a proud Mother

Look at your son proudly

For who he is

And what he has become

AND SO IT BEGINS

Robert P Wallman

3-30-11

Ps        Jesus’ first miracle---the wedding feast at Cana  ( John 2  )

Dear Blessed Virgin Mary-we ask you to intercede for us-with your Son-

So that Jesus may bring a MIRACLE out of our lives-just like he did for You

And your family and friends at THE WEDDING FEAST OF CANA

WITNESS        4-28-13

WITNESS       

4-27-13

HELP

My mom always said,

“Your help

Is at the end

Of your right hand”

I have found

That to be true

But I also

Have found unexpected help

In family and friends

That I never expected

And MOST of all

I found HELP from God

So if I

Could find unexpected help

So can you

“God is our refuge and strength

An ever present HELP in trouble”                                               Psalm 46:1

Don’t ever lose your faith

In God and in others

So while

It is true

“That our help

Is at the end of our right hand”

It is also true

That our HELP comes from God

And in the form of each other

“TWO are better than one

Because they have a good return

For their work

If one falls down

His friend can help him up

Also-if two lie down together

They will keep warm

But how can one

Keep warm alone

Though one may be overpowered

Two can defend themselves

A cord of three strands

Is not easily broken”                                                          Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Our HELP and our HOPE

Is in God

And how willing

We are to help one another

Robert P. Wallman

9-26-12

Ps        Thank you to God

            To my family and to my friends

            For all the HELP

            In sustaining me

            On this journey through this life

WITNESS       4-27-13

“So do not fear-for I am with you-do NOT be dismayed-for I am your God

I will strengthen you and HELP you-I will HELP you with my righteous right hand”

Psalm 41:10

WITNESS

4-26-13

PERSISTENCE

We are

Never going to be perfect

As our Lord and Savior

Was perfect

We are human

We have limitations

We have weaknesses

That doesn’t mean

We should give up

And keep striving

To get better

It just means

That we must recognize

That we are NOT God

Accept it

Keep learning more about ourselves

And keep ourselves moving

In that positive direction

To becomes as close to God---and Christ

As we can---for us

PERSISTENCE

Do you know what persistence means

Persistence means to---

Refuse to give up

It means to persevere

It means

That when we slip up

From time to time

And we will

It means for us

To continue to stand firm in our faith---to persevere

It means for us

To continue to believe

In God’s plan and love for us

It means that we should NOT LISTEN

To those internal and external voices

That are telling us

That we don’t measure up

And that we never will

WE MUST KNOW

That when we begin to doubt ourselves

That GOD STILL BELIEVES in us

“My sheep listen to my voice

I KNOW THEM---and they know me

I give them eternal life

And they shall NEVER PERISH

NO ONE can snatch them

Out of my hand

My Father

Who has given them to me

Is GREATER THAN ALL

NO ONE can snatch them

Out of my Father’s hand

I and the Father are ONE”                                  John 10:27-30

So we must persist

In our faith

We must persevere

In our faith

It is

Our persistence and perseverance

That touches God---NOT OUR PERFECTION

As he knows---he ALONE is perfect

“I thank my God

Every time I remember you

In all my prayers

For all of you

I always pray with joy

Because of our partnership

In the Gospel

From the first day until now

Being confident of this

That he who began

A good work in you

Will carry it on to completion

Until the day of Christ Jesus”                                              1 Philippians 3-6

PERSIST AND PERSEVERE in faith

God loves you

Robert P. Wallman

1-17-12

WITNESS        4-26-13

WITNESS

4-25-13

FINDING COMFORT IN GOD

How would you define

The word comfort

The dictionary defines comfort

As “to soothe- to counsel-

To reassure-and to

Bring cheer to”

Where do you find your comfort

In times of grief

In times of trouble

And so on

And so on

And so on

Of course

We find it in family and friends

And we find it IN GOD

A God

Who ALWAYS understands

“Great is our Lord

And mighty in power

His understanding

Has NO limit”                                                                         Psalm 147:5

For example in times of grief

When we’ve lost someone

Very meaningful in our lives

Job felt grief

When he LOST everyone

And everything

And he had three friends

Come and sit with him

For seven days

“When they saw him from a distance

They could hardly recognize him

They began to weep aloud

And they tore their robes

And sprinkled dust on their heads

Then they sat on the ground with him

For seven days and seven nights

No one said a word to him

Because they saw HOW GREAT

His suffering was”                                                                 Job 2:12-13

And in psalm 23 it says:

“Even though I walk

Through the valley

Of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil

For you are with me

Your rod and staff

COMFORT me”                                                                    Psalm 23:4

HOW about that

For a COMFORTING God

He walks

Through the valley of death

With us

And he is with us

When we are in trouble

NOTHING can separate our God

From us

“For I am convinced

That neither death nor life

Neither angels nor demons

Neither the present

Nor the future

Nor any powers

Neither height nor depth

Nor anything else in all creation

Will be able to separate us

From the LOVE OF GOD

That is Christ Jesus our Lord”                                                  Romans 8:38-39

How about that

For a comforting God

NOTHING can separate us

From OUR God

Not grief-not trouble

NOT our sin-NOT when we fall short

Not even when we are afraid

“COMFORT-COMFORT my people says our God”                 Isaiah 40:1

And God

Will leave his own spirit behind

To help us find the PEACE AND COMFORT

That we need

“”PEACE I leave with you

My peace I give you

I do not give it to you

As the world gives

DO NOT let your hearts be troubled

And do not be afraid”                                                                   John 14:27

Find your peace

FIND YOUR COMFORT

IN GOD

Robert P. Wallman

2-27-13

WITNESS        4-25-13

WITNESS

4-24-13

“The Ultimate Volunteer”

In every society

There are

3 kinds of people

The lawless

Those who do

What the law demands

And the volunteers

Those who go the extra mile

Jesus was

The ultimate volunteer

He gave his life

Freely for all of us

He was

Not just a hired hand

He was

The ultimate good shepherd

Who did not lose

Any of his sheep

So Lord

We ask of you

Not just to do

As we are asked

But for the grace

To go the extra mile

We ask of you

To give our lives freely

Back to you

Not just

To be loved by God

But to give

Our life and love in return

We ask of you

For the grace

To live like you

To give

Our lives freely

And to be like you

Go the extra mile

And be like you

THE ULTIMATE VOLUNTEER

Robert P. Wallman

4/30/10

Ps        WITNESS        4-24-13

A VOLUNTEER is a person who FREELY CHOOSES-or volunteers-to undertake

A SERVICE for someone or something

JESUS-FREELY CHOSE-to live and die for us and for our sins

WITNESS

4-23-13

DUTY

In the tenth chapter

Of Saint John’s Gospel

Jesus tells us an amazing story

Basically it is the story

And the difference

Between doing something out of a sense of duty

And doing something out of love for another

It is the story of

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

The hired hand

Watches the sheep

He is not a bad man

He is doing his job

Out of honor---our of a sense of duty

To receive a paycheck

But when the moment of crisis comes

When the wolves---or the thieves---or something else

Comes to attack the sheep

The hired hand will take off

After all

Who can expect an employee

To give up his life for his job

The GOOD SHEPHERD will not run

He will stand by his sheep when under attack

HE LOVES HIS SHEEP

“I am the good shepherd

The good shepherd lays down his life

For the sheep

The hired hand is not the shepherd

Who owns the sheep

So when he sees the wolf coming

He abandons the sheep and runs away

Then the wolf attacks the flock

And scatters it

The man runs away

Because he is a hired hand

And cares nothing for the sheep”                                           John 10:11-13

Who or what

Are you trusting in this life

If it’s not God or close family

Or very close friends

I guarantee you

That when the attacks in this life come---

And they will come---that they will be gone

In that same Xth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel

Jesus goes on to say,

“I ma the good shepherd

I KNOW MY SHEEP

And my sheep KNOW me

Just as the Father knows me

And I know the Father

And I lay down my life for my sheep

I have other sheep

That are not of this sheep pen

I must bring them also

They too

Will listen to my voice

And there shall be one flock

And one shepherd

The reason my Father loves me

Is that I lay down my life---

Only to take it up again

NO ONE takes it from me

But I lay it down

Of my own accord

I have authority to lay it down

And authority to take it up again

This command

I received from my Father                                                John 10:14-18

What a comforting feeling to know

That WHEN WE GET LOST in this life

That OUR FATHER---and his SON JESUS CHRIST

Our elder brother

Is standing right there beside us

FIGHTING for us

If only we let THEM

Jesus tells us

That when we love someone

We go “BEYOND” the call---out of love

We go

THE EXTRA MILE

“My sheep listen to my voice

I know them---and they FOLLOW me”                              John 10: 27

Dear Lord—we pray

Thank you for loving us

And counting us among your sheep

Robert P. Wallman

2-9-12

Ps        WITNESS        4-23-13

Duty is an obligation-LOVE-is FREELY GIVEN

WITNESS

3-23-13

DUTY

In the tenth chapter

Of Saint John’s Gospel

Jesus tells us an amazing story

Basically it is the story

And the difference

Between doing something out of a sense of duty

And doing something out of love for another

It is the story of

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

The hired hand

Watches the sheep

He is not a bad man

He is doing his job

Out of honor---our of a sense of duty

To receive a paycheck

But when the moment of crisis comes

When the wolves---or the thieves---or something else

Comes to attack the sheep

The hired hand will take off

After all

Who can expect an employee

To give up his life for his job

The GOOD SHEPHERD will not run

He will stand by his sheep when under attack

HE LOVES HIS SHEEP

“I am the good shepherd

The good shepherd lays down his life

For the sheep

The hired hand is not the shepherd

Who owns the sheep

So when he sees the wolf coming

He abandons the sheep and runs away

Then the wolf attacks the flock

And scatters it

The man runs away

Because he is a hired hand

And cares nothing for the sheep”                                           John 10:11-13

Who or what

Are you trusting in this life

If it’s not God or close family

Or very close friends

I guarantee you

That when the attacks in this life come---

And they will come---that they will be gone

In that same Xth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel

Jesus goes on to say,

“I ma the good shepherd

I KNOW MY SHEEP

And my sheep KNOW me

Just as the Father knows me

And I know the Father

And I lay down my life for my sheep

I have other sheep

That are not of this sheep pen

I must bring them also

They too

Will listen to my voice

And there shall be one flock

And one shepherd

The reason my Father loves me

Is that I lay down my life---

Only to take it up again

NO ONE takes it from me

But I lay it down

Of my own accord

I have authority to lay it down

And authority to take it up again

This command

I received from my Father                                                John 10:14-18

What a comforting feeling to know

That WHEN WE GET LOST in this life

That OUR FATHER---and his SON JESUS CHRIST

Our elder brother

Is standing right there beside us

FIGHTING for us

If only we let THEM

Jesus tells us

That when we love someone

We go “BEYOND” the call---out of love

We go

THE EXTRA MILE

“My sheep listen to my voice

I know them---and they FOLLOW me”                              John 10: 27

Dear Lord—we pray

Thank you for loving us

And counting us among your sheep

Robert P. Wallman

2-9-12

Ps        WITNESS        4-23-13

Duty is an obligation-LOVE-is FREELY GIVEN

WITNESS


4-22-13

I AM-TIME AND ETERNITY

With God

There is NO PAST

With God

There is NO FUTURE

GOD LIVES

IN THE ETERNAL NOW

Once and once only

GOD-in the person of JESUS CHRIST

Came out of time and eternity

And walked the dusty back streets-trails-and hills

Of Bethlehem-Jerusalem

And many other cities

Of the old Israel

Jesus told us

Told the world

That he-and his Father

ARE the great I AM

NOT in the past

NOT in the future

IN the eternal now

Long after you and I are gone

He will STILL BE

THE GREAT I AM

I AM

Is mentioned 719 times in the Bible

508 times in the Old Testament

And 211 times in the New Testament

Not I was

Not I will be

I AM

“Moses said to God,

“Suppose I go to the Israelites

And say to them

‘The God of your Fathers

Has sent me to you’

And they ask me

‘What is his name’

Then what should I tell them”                                                              Exodus 3:13-14

“I AM”-THE GOD OF LOVE

For ALL of time

For ALL of eternity

“Your throne

Was established long ago

You are from ALL eternity”                                                                  Psalm 93:2

And he is

To live in the hearts

Of men and women

Of ALL humanity

Forever and ever

“He has made everything beautiful

In its time-He has also set eternity

In the hearts of men

Yet they cannot fathom

What GOD has done

From beginning to end”                                                                          Ecclesiastes 3:11

And in the New Testament

We find Jesus

Walking the dusty hills and mountainsides

Saying such things as:

“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”                                                         John 6:41

“I AM the good shepherd-the good shepherd

Lays down his life for his sheep”                                                         John 10:11

“I AM THE RESURRECTION and the life

Those who believe in me

Even though they die-WILL LIVE”                                                            John 11:25

And so on-and so on-and so on……..

OUR GOD-The God of love

The GOD of time and eternity

OUR GOD-with no beginning

OUR GOD-with no end

OUR GOD-the GOD of love

For ALL of time

For ALL of eternity

THE GREAT I AM

Robert P. Wallman

April 12^th, 2013

Ps        WITNESS       4-22-13

“I AM the LIGHT of the world-Whoever follows me will NEVER

Walk in darkness-but will have the LIGHT OF LIFE”

John 8:12

WITNESS

4-21-13

BUILDING EACH OTHER UP

Are you like me

Do you long to hear

Some encouraging words

Some appealing words

About you---about yourself

In today’s world

We are all fighting heavy spiritual battles

And losing

Losing battles of health---physical, mental, and spiritual

Losing battles of finances

And losing battles of temptation

Both sexual and otherwise

So what are we to do

We are to pick each other up

When one or another of us falls

“Therefore encourage one another

And build each other up

Just as in fact you are doing”                                               1 Thessalonians 5:11

2000 years ago

Those same spiritual battles

Were taking place---with the same results

Until Christ’s death and Resurrection

After Christ paid our debt in full

There was such a man

A man known for building others up

A man known for working with Paul

To build up the Kingdom of God

His name was Joseph

But the Apostles called him Barnabas

Which means---Son of Encouragement

Barnabas came close

To being an original Apostle

In fact he was responsible

For introducing Paul

To Peter

And the rest of the Apostles

In fact

Mark---the writer of the third Gospel

Was Barnabas’ cousin

So when we fall in today’s world

And at one time or another

We will

Let us be there

To pick each other back up

“But encourage one another daily

As long as it is called Today

So that none of you

May be hardened

By sin’s deceitfulness”                                                Hebrews 3:13

So in this broken world

That we live in

Where churches are broken

Where families are broken

Where people are broken

And where---it seems---at times

Not a single soul

Seems to care

I call on you

To build others up

I call on you

To live with the spirit of Christ

I call on you

To live with the Spirit of Barnabas

I call on you

To live with a Spirit of Encouragement

And so

As this never ending

Battle of life

Seems to be pulling us down

I call on you

I call on me

To keep trying

To lift one another up

“We HEAR oh Lord

The desire of the affliction

You encourage them

And you hear them cry

Defending the fatherless

And the oppressed

In order that man

Who is of the earth

May terrify no more”                                       Psalm10:17

Robert P. Wallman

6-10-11

Ps         WITNESS        4-21-13

“Unless the Lord BUILDS the house-the BUILDERS labor in vain

Unless the Lord watches over the city-the watchmen stand guard in vain”

Psalm 127:1

“It was he who gave some to be apostles-some to be prophets-  

Some to be evangelists-and some to be pastors and teachers

To prepare God’s people for works of service-so that he

The body of Christ may be BUILT up-until we ALL reach UNITY

In the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature

Attaining to the whole measure of the FULLNESS of Christ”

Ephesians 4:11-13

WITNESS


LIFE IS A MARATHON

When I was younger

One of my goals

In my life

Was to run

And complete the marathon

I got hit

With my illness

When I was 22

And have never had

The energy to do it

What I found out was

That I am still running a marathon

Just a different kind of marathon

---a spiritual marathon

A marathon---in which

We are to find God

Both in others

And in ourselves

“But those who hope

In the Lord

Will renew their strength

They will soar on wings like eagles

They will run

And not grow weary

They will walk and not be faint”                                               

For those of you

Who actually do run marathons---physically

How great would that be

But ALL of us

Are on a spiritual journey through life

Age and illness wear us down

Financial struggles leave us breathing hard

Difficult relationships and people

Sometimes leave us feeling empty

“They will run

And not grow weary

They will walk and not be faint”

Are you serious Lord

How can that be

Love God and love others

“And as for you, brother,

Never tire of doing what is right”                                                        2 Thessalonians 3:13

I believe

If we really and truly do this

Always do---or at least try to do---

What is right

We will

Finish the race

We will complete this marathon

We call life

“I have fought

The good fight

I have finished the race

I have kept the FAITH”                                                                  2 Timothy 4:7

With the help and grace of GOD

I’ll see you

At the finish line

Robert P. Wallman

7-27-11

Ps        My thoughts and prayers are going out to the victims of the Boston Marathon

            Spiritual BLESSINGS to you all

WITNESS       4-20-13

Ps         “I have seen something else under the sun      

The RACE is NOT to the swift-or the battle to the strong

Nor does food come to the wise-or wealth to the brilliant

Or favor to the learned

But time and chance happen to them all”                                                    

Ecclesiastes 9:11

“I have fought the good fight-I have finished the RACE-I have KEPT the faith”

2 Timothy 4:7

“Therefore-since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of WITNESSES

Let us throw off everything that hinders the sin so easily entangled

And let us run with perseverance-the RACE marked out for us”

God BLESS the city of BOSTON and the Boston marathoners