WITNESS

June 1^st, 2013

MONEY CAN’T BUY ME LOVE---PART II

A favorite move of mine

Was a movie called,

“CAN’T BUY ME LOVE”

With a young Patrick Dempsey

It was about

A nerdy high school boy

Paying the most popular girl

In school-to be his girlfriend

So he can become popular

She became

His paid for girlfriend

He becomes popular

And turns into a complete jerk

And she winds up

Despising him

And turns the whole school

Against him

MONEY CAN’T BUY ME LOVE

In life

If we are good-looking

We can buy fame

We can

Even buy sex

But we CAN’T BUY

True love

We can’t buy

True affection

And that

Is what is so great

About our God

We don’t have to

HE MADE US

He loves us

He KNOWS every strength

And every weakness

That we have

He knows

EVERY flaw

In your character

And yet

HE LOVES YOU ANYWAY

Money can’t

BUY ME LOVE

And it

Doesn’t have to

God loves you

FOR WHO YOU ARE

But what do you LOVE MORE

Is it God

Or is it money

“For where your treasure is

There your heart

Will also be”                                                                          Matthew 6:21

“NO ONE can serve two masters

Either he will hate the one

And love the other

Or he will be devoted

To the one

And despise the other

YOU CANNOT SERVE

BOTH GOD AND MONEY”                                                   Matthew 6:24

Where does your treasure lie?

Which master do you serve?

Don’t get me wrong

Having money

Is NOT a sin

We all need money

To live

But the love of money

Putting money above people

Above God-Above family-IS

“For the LOVE OF MONEY

Is a ROOT of all kinds of evil

Some people-eager for money

Have wandered from the faith

And pierced themselves with many griefs”                                            1 Timothy 6:10

“MONEY CAN’T BUY ME LOVE”

For the record

In the movie-“CAN’T BUY ME LOVE”

The young man

Figures out

What a fool he has been

And the MOST popular girl in school

Actually does FALL IN LOVE with him

Fame and fortune

Can never buy real love

But sincerity-honesty-loyalty-and goodness

Being genuine

Being real

Being kind-CAN

And these things

Are qualities of LOVE

And ALL these things

Are qualities of GOD

“No one has ever seen God

But if we can love one another

God LIVES in us

And his love

Is made COMPLETE in us”                                                                1 John 4:12

GOD IS REAL

SO IS LOVE

Robert P. Wallman

2-25-13

Ps        June 1^st, 2013

WITNESS

5-31-13

“First Hand Faith”

In the IVth Chapter

Of Saint John’s Gospel

Jesus tells the story

Of a meeting

With a Samaritan woman

At the well

He tells her

He is the Messiah

But not to tell anyone

Of course she does

But her friends

Come to believe in Jesus

Not only on her word

But because they too

Experience Jesus for themselves

All faith/All knowledge

Starts out as second hand

Because we first learn of it

From someone

Or something else

The great Catholic Bishop

Bishop Fulton Sheen

Was once asked

If he had speech writers

He said, of course,

“Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John”

All of us

Have those same speech writers

And just because our knowledge

Is second hand

It does not mean

It is second rate

And just because

Our faith starts out

As second hand

It does not remain that way

By internalizing our faith

Into the everyday fabric

Of our lives

And by sharing our faith with others

In fact

Our faith becomes first hand

Faith makes us

Strong, loving, and wise

And having our faith

And sharing our faith

Means we are

Never alone

We will always have God

And the love

And faith of each other

Robert P.  Wallman

7/22/10

Ps        Witness        May 31^st, 2013

“For it is by GRACE you have been saved-THROUGH FAITH-and this

NOT from yourselves-it is the GIFT of God-NOT by works-so that no one can boast

For we are God’s workmanship-created-in Jesus Christ to do good works-which God

Prepared in advance for us to do”

Ephesians 2:8-10

WITNESS

5-30-13

A LYDIA MOMENT

In the 16^th chapter

Of the Book of Acts

Paul writes

About a moment of listening

By a woman names Lydia

A minor character

In the Book of the Bible

“One of those listening

Was a woman named Lydia

A dealer in purple cloth

From the city of Thyatira

Who was a worshiper of God

The Lord opened her heart

To respond to Paul’s message

When she and the members

Of her household were baptized

She invites us to her home

‘If you consider me

A believer in the Lord’

She said,

‘Come and stay in my house’

And she persuaded us”                                                    Acts 16:14-15

Thus we have

The story of Lydia’s conversion

One of

What must have been

ONE of thousands of conversion stories

And our Lord

Works the same way today

When life closes in on us

From ALL directions

IT CALLS for a LYDIA MOMENT

A moment

Where we too

Stop and listen

Where we too

Tune the world out

Where we let God

Into our heart

And we respond

And let God move in us

And move in our spirit

“Forgive and act

Deal with each man

According to what he does

For you alone

KNOW THE HEARTS

Of all men”                                                                       1 Kings 8:39

Dear Lord

We pray for a LYDIA moment

In our heart

We pray

For spiritual growth

That moves us CLOSER

To you Lord-and your SPIRIT

And we pray

That we respond accordingly

When you call us outward

To HELP someone else

That may need our time

And our generosity of spirit

And finally-Dear Lord

We pray that by listening and opening up

As Lydia did

That we can OPEN the hearts of others

And CREATE a LYDIA MOMENT for them

Robert P. Wallman

5-14-13

Ps        INSPIRED by an article in Living Faith magazine

            By Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

WITNESS        5-30-13

WITNESS

5-29-13

CHOOSING THE BETTER PART

At the end

Of the Xth chapter

Of Saint Luke’s gospel

Jesus tells us the story

Of 2 sisters

The two sisters were Martha and Mary

And they often opened their home

To Jesus and the disciples

Martha was disturbed---preoccupied if you will

With all the preparations

That had to me made for the dinner

Mary sat quietly at Jesus’ feet

Hovering on every word

That came out of his mouth

Martha was upset

Because she was doing all the work

And said,

“Lord don’t you care

That my sister has left me

To do all the work by myself

Tell her to help me”

Jesus’ answer is astounding,

“Martha Martha

You are worried and upset

About many things

But only ONE THING is needed

Mary has chosen what is better

And it will NOT BE

Taken away from her”

Work needs to be done

In this world

There is no doubt about that

But what Jesus

Is trying to Teach Martha ( and us )

Is that

There is a time and a place

For everything

Work needs to be done

And will be done

But GOD, family, and people

Should always come first

CHOOSE THE BETTER PART

How true it was then

How true it is today

In this fast-paced---me-first world

That we live in

We think

Everything hinges on us

The truth is

EVERYTHING HINGES ON GOD

Work needs to be done

Work will get done

But everything in its proper time and place

Martha must have

Learned her lesson

Because after her brother, Lazarus, died,

And Jesus was three days late in arriving

Jesus said to Martha,

“I AM the Resurrection and the Life

He who believes in me will live

Even though he died

And whoever lives and believes in me

Will NEVER DIE

Do you believe this”                                                        ( Luke 11 )

Martha responded,

“Yes Lord

I believe that you are the Christ

The SON OF GOD

Who has come into this world”

Lazarus did RISE and live again

With his sisters Martha and Mary

And so Lord we do pray

That in this fast-paced---me-first world

That we live in

Help us to ALWAYS REMEMBER

That you have made us FOR YOURSELF---DEAR LORD

And that you love us

With a never-ending---ever-lasting love

And to

CHOOSE THE BETTER PART

Robert P. Wallman

10-14-11

Ps        WITNESS        5-29-13

WITNESS

5-25-13

A FRIENDSHIP FOR THE AGES---David and Jonathan

What do you consider

To be the most important qualities

Of a friendship

Or perhaps your best friend

Loyalty perhaps

One who is there

When you need help

Maybe someone who encourages you

When you are feeling down

The Bible tells us the story

Of such a friendship

Of two such men

Together in GOOD times

Together in bad times

NOT family

Not death

Could destroy this friendship

A friendship

FOR ALL TIMES

Jonathan was the oldest son of King Saul

And a friend of David’s

The boy/man who slayed Goliath

And who

Was to become the king after Jonathan’s father

Jonathan himself

Was a mighty warrior

Who led attacks

Saul-Jonathan’s father

Seeks to kill David

Because of David’s immense popularity

And Saul’s own jealousy of him

David goes to Jonathan and says,

“What have I done

What is my crime

How have I wronged your father

That he is trying to take my life”                                                                  1 Samuel 20:1

Jonathan replies,

“Whatever you want me to do

I’ll do for you”                                                                                       1 Samuel 20:4

A friend indeed

He even helps him escape his father the King

Who is trying to kill him

David even spares Saul’s life

On several occasions

When he could have taken it

And when Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the family

Are slain in battle

David laments for all of them

And David NEVER FORGETS

His friendship with Jonathan

He says,

“Is there anyone still left

Of the House of Saul

To whom I can show kindness for

For Jonathan’s sake”                                                                               2 Samuel 9:1

He finds out

Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and says,

“Don’t be afraid

For I will surely show you kindness

For the sake of your father Jonathan

I will restore you

ALL the land

That belonged to your grandfather Saul

And you will always eat at my table”                                                            2 Samuel 9:7

David and Jonathan

A friendship in life

A friendship in death

A FRIENDSHIP FOR THE AGES

May God bless you

With many such friends

Robert P. Wallman

7-23-12

Ps        WITNESS        5-25-13

“A FRIEND loves at all times”                                                   Proverbs 17:17

“Greater love has no one than this-that he lay down his life for his FRIENDS”

John 15:13

WITNESS

5-28-13

DARK MOMENTS

We all

Have dark moments in life

With our health

With our finances

With our relationships

Trust God

Trust your faith

Put on the armor of God

Put on the armor of light

You receive a bad health diagnosis

Questionable as to what can be done

Put on the armor of God

Put on the armor of light

God told us

“You will never walk alone”

Trust God

Trust your faith

Jesus said,

“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

Put on the armor of God

Put on the armor of life

You lose your job

You lose

How you are going  to provide for your family

“Finally be strong in the Lord

And in his mighty power

Put on the full armor of God

So that you can take your stand

Against the devil’s schemes”                                               Ephesians 6:10 & 11

Darkness is going to come

In this life

Of that we can be sure

In who or what will you believe

Who or what will see you through

“You will never walk alone”

You have a broken marriage

Or a broken relationship with your child

Maybe even

You have no friends

Who or what

Are you going to believe

Trust in God

Trust in faith

“Take my yoke upon you

And learn from me

For I am gentle

And humble of heart

And you will find rest

For your souls

For my yoke is easy

And my burden is light”                                        Matthew 11:29

At some point in your life

Dark moments are going to come

In who or what

Are you going to trust

We are

Only guaranteed 2 moments

In life

This moment

And the moment

God calls us home

In who or what

Are you going to trust

“AND GOD SAID

LET THERE BE LIGHT”

Robert P. Wallman

7-22-11

Ps        WITNESS        5-28-13

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you-‘GOD IS LIGHT

In him there is NO DARKNESS at all”         

1 John 1:5

WITNESS

5-26-13

“Give it to God”

Is there

Some sin

That you are carrying

That you just can’t get rid of

That you just can’t get through

No matter how hard that you try

No matter what you do

I know

I do

I have a few

Give it to God

Let him

Carry the day

Just give it to God

He’ll carry it

All the way through

After all

He already

Lived and died

And he did it all

Just for you

So don’t

Let the guilt

Get to you

Don’t let it

Eat you alive

You are just

A human being

Doing the best that you can

Like we all

Are trying to do

So don’t quit trying

But give it to God

And he’ll

Get it done

For you

Just

Give it to God

Robert P. Wallman

4/20/10

Ps        WITNESS        5-26-13

“My son-GIVE my your HEART-and let your eyes keep to my ways”

Proverbs 23:26

WITNESSS

5-24-13

GOD SENDS PEOPLE

Throughout time

When the world

Has chosen the wrong road

Has chosen the road of darkness

Instead of God’s road of LIGHT

God sends people

God sends people

People to point out our mistakes

God does this

Because there is

So much at stake

One such person

That God sent

Was Jeremiah

A prophet who came

About 600 years before Christ

Idolatry and perverted worship

Were the rule of the day

God sent Jeremiah

To the people of Judah

Who had

Turned their back on God

Jeremiah pointed out

To the people of his day

That we should worship God

And God alone

For his efforts

Jeremiah endured

Contempt and ridicule

Lost his family and friends

And even suffered attempts

On his life

Throughout time

God has sent us people

Abraham, Moses, and Elijah

Throughout time

God has sent us people

John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul

Throughout time

God has sent us people

Jesus Christ alone

The One who stands out

For all time

This world

Is lost today

Turning its back

On God

Making the wrong decisions

Time after time

Who is God sending today

Perhaps you

Perhaps me

Dear Lord God above

Please  Please  Please

SEND US SOME PEOPLE

Robert P. Wallman

3-30-11

Ps        WITNESS        5-24-13

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

‘Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”

‘And I said 'here I am-SEND ME’”                                                          Isaiah 6:8

WITNESS

5-23-13

WRESTLING WITH GOD

How many of us

Have wrestled with God

Over a particular matter

A particular decision

Maybe even promising God,

“If you’ll just do this for me

I will never ask for anything again”

In Genesis 32

Moses tells us

About an encounter Jacob has with a man

They wrestle all night

And when the man

Sees he cannot overpower Jacob

He touches Jacob’s hip

So that his hip becomes wrenched

The man says,
”Let me go, for it is daybreak”

Jacob responds,

“I will not let you go

Unless you bless me”

“What is your name, the man says?”

“Jacob”

The man said,

“Your name will be no longer Jacob, but Israel

Because you have struggled with God

And with men and have overcome”

The man went away

And Jacob knew

He had had an encounter with God

And lived to tell about it

But he walked with a limp

The rest of his life

Isn’t that the way with us

When we encounter our God

In prayer and in our life

Maybe getting what we want

Maybe not

But walking away

Knowing that we just had an encounter

With God--- and knowing that it will stay with us

The rest of our life

We pray to you Dear Lord

As we wrestle with you

On our journey through life

Wanting our own way and

Not accepting your way and will

For our lives

Yet knowing deep down

That your way is best

We pray

That as we wrestle with you

As we face the trials in our life

That we,

“Be joyful in hope

Patient in affliction

Faithful in prayer”

And that we

“Share with God’s people in need

And practice hospitality”

If we really and truly

Adopt this attitude

We know that we will never lose when

“Wrestling with God”

Robert P. Wallman

11-3-11

Ps       WITNESS       5-23-13

“And a man WRESTLED with God until daybreak”                                  Genesis 32:24

WITNESS

MAY 22^nd, 2013

Saint Rita of Cascia/Saint of the Impossible

The first time I ever heard of Saint Rita was in the 2002 movie, “The Rookie.”

Saint Rita, along with St. Jude, is known as the patron Saint of desperate cases.

She lived from 1377 to 1437.

She wanted to become a nun, but in deference to her parents, she married.

Her husband was violent and unfaithful.  She endured her husband’s insults

And infidelities.  They had 2 sons.  After 18 years, her husband was murdered.

Her sons subsequently died too.

She then become a nun.  She is known for her holiness and miracles.  She is also

Known as the Saint of matrimonial difficulties.

So if you need the impossible, or are in need of a miracle in your marriage,

She might be a good place to start.

Today is her feast day.

Robert P. Wallman

May 22^nd, 2010

Ps        WITNESS         May 22^nd, 2013

“For NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE with God”                   Luke 1:37

“NOTHING will be IMPOSSIBLE for you”                   Matthew 17:20

“And without FAITH-it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God-

Because anyone who comes to him-must believe that

He exists-and that he rewards those who earnestly

Seek him”                                                                                   Hebrews 11:6

MARRIED TO THE CHURCH

Growing up

AS a young man in Pittsburgh, Pa.

ALL I ever thought of

As I got older

Was going to college

Meeting a woman

That I very much loved

And raising a family

In other words-like many of us

I wanted to-pursue THE AMERICAN DREAM

Then came my 22^nd birthday

My first deathbed experience

And my promise to GOD:

“To live for my family

My friends

And ALL people everywhere”

About 2005 or 2006

I finally began to realize

That God had a different plan for me

Than I had for myself

A different plan for me

Than he had for most others

Like Jesus

I was to be committed

To God and the CHURCH

SO I FOLLOW CHRIST

AS MOST ALL of us do

As he is the Head of the Church

“For the husband

Is the head of the wife

As Christ is the head of the church

His body

Of which he is the Savior”                                                      Ephesians 5:23

“After all

No one ever hated his own body

But he feeds and cares for it

Just as Christ does the church-

For we are members of his body

‘For this reason

A man will leave

His father and mother

And be united to his wife

And the two

Will become one flesh’

This is a profound mystery

But I am talking about Christ and the church”                                Ephesians 5:32

So I believe I have

A different calling than you

Not better or worse-just different

I have a friend

I call her “Maggie”

And she is my sister in Christ

And my soul mate (a purely platonic relationship)

She says that she believes

That I was

Never meant to share my life

With just one woman

Because I can reach SO MANY

So Christ

Was married to the church

And he had Mary Magdalene

Following in his footsteps

In my own “little” way

I have my friend Maggie

I BELIEVE

The church to BE a FAMILY

And I believe in FAMILY UNITY

Both in the church

AND IN FAMILIES

UNITY IS SO PRECIOUS

I just don’t understand

HOW THE CHURCH

HAS BROKEN into so many pieces

As I don’t understand

HOW families break apart

Well-FOR what it is

I WILL REMAIN

Married to the church

And to my own PRECIOUS FAMILY

And most importantly

I will remain-COMMITED to my promise

And married to God

And PRAY that God

Will make something

Out of my life and yours

For we are all

“PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD”                        Psalm 116:15

Robert P. Wallman

5-15-13

Ps        Maggie has been my friend since 2006

            She has attended five different churches with me

            -Four different denominations

            She CONTINUES to be my BF

WITNESS

5-21-13

LINGERING SINS---12 YEARS AGO

12 years ago

Were your carrying

The same stupid sins

That you are carrying today

I know that I am

The sin of pride

The sin of gossip

The sin of an addiction

Maybe just the sin of

Not wanting the best

For our family and friends

Oh I know

We are living respectable lives

We are going to work each day

Taking care of family

Maybe even belonging

To a church organization or two

In the Xth chapter of Saint Matthew Gospel

There is a little known parable

A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus---crying out,

“Lord Son of David

Have mercy on me

My daughter is suffering terribly

From demon possession”

Jesus did not answer her

The disciples came to Jesus

And asked him to heal her

For she would not go away

Jesus says,

“I was sent

To heal only the lost sheep of Israel”

Finally this woman who won’t give up

And is persistent in her prayer

Comes to Jesus---kneels before him---and says,

“Lord help me”

Jesus responds,

“It is not right to take

The children’s bread

And toss it to the dogs”

The woman says,

“Yes Lord

But even the dogs eat the crumbs

That fall from their Master’s table”

Finally Jesus gives in and says,

“Woman you have great faith

Your request is granted

And her daughter was healed

From that very hour”

How about us

Do we have the faith and persistence

Of this Canaanite woman

To keep asking God and Jesus

For help

I believe that if we do

If we keep fighting the good fight

We will eventually get our own answer

So I ask you

I ask myself

Are your sins today

The same

As what they were

12 years ago

The same

As what they have been

Your entire life

For we know

That we are either getting better

Or worse

For nothing stays the same

We know

That if we stay persistent in prayer

Strong in our faith

Keep asking for forgiveness---keep asking for healing

We too will get an answer

We too will experience a healing

We too will hear those lovely words

“YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU
YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN”

Robert P. Wallman

5-4-11

• Inspired by the teaching of Father Leo Clifford---OFM

Ps       WITNESS         5-21-13

“Do not love the world or anything in the world

If anyone loves the world-the love of the FATHER is not in him

For everything in the world-the cravings of SINFUL MAN

The lust of his eyes-and the boasting of what he has and does-

Comes not from the Father but from the world-

The world and its desire pass away-but the man who does

The will of God LIVES forever”

1 John 2:15-17

WINDOWS

5-20-13

DOORS AND WINDOWS

Do you remember

The famous saying

When one door closes

Another door or window opens

Well

Open your doors

Open your windows

God-------God

Is going---is going

To come flying through

God is coming

God is coming

God is-----ready or not

God is ready for you

But you have to leave that door

Or window open

Just a tiny little bit

So he can get in

And move you along

In your journey of faith

On the highway

To find love and God

So keep your doors and windows open

Keep living a life full of faith

The harvest is coming

You just

Have to remain patient and wait

Don’t forget

That famous saying

When one door closes

Another window opens

And it will

If we just have

A little faith

God is coming

God is coming

God is coming

Ready or not

God is coming--------for you

Just keep those doors and windows

The harvest is coming

SOON

Robert P. Wallman

3-7-11

Ps        WITNESS        5-20-13

“Then he said  to his disciples,

‘The HARVEST is plentiful-but the workers are few

Ask the Lord of the HARVEST-therefore-to send outworkers

Into his HARVEST field’”                                                                             Matthew 9:37

“Let us not become weary in doing good-for at the proper time-

We will reap a HARVEST if we do not give up-

Therefore-as we have opportunity-let us do good-to all people

Especially to those who belong to the family of believers”                        Galatians 6:9-10

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the HARVEST?’

I tell you—open your eyes and look at the fields-

They are ripe for HARVEST!”                                                                     John 4:35

WITNESS

5-19-13

DRUNK-ON GOD’S LOVE

Have you ever

Gone out drinking

And-perhaps-had a little bit too much

Where you

Were just feeling good

And perhaps

Looking to have fun

Maybe even

Someone said

You had so much-that you were

A little bit tipsy

Or even drunk

Because

You were acting so crazily

NOT for many years-but I have

And I have to tell you

I had some fun times

It may surprise you to know

That that

Was exactly what they were saying

About the early apostles and other followers

After Pentecost

-When they all began

To speak and understand each other

In tongues

Some however

Made fun of them and said,

“They have had

Too much wine”                                                                         Acts 2:13

No

DRUNK-ON GOD’S LOVE

Peter

And the other eleven

Heard the rumors

And it disturbed them

Finally-Peter stood up and said,

“Fellow Jews

And all of you who live in Jerusalem

Let me explain this to you

Listen carefully to what I say:

These men are not drunk

As you suppose

It’s only nine

In the morning

This is what

Was spoken by the prophet Joel

  “’In the last days

     God says

     I will poor out my spirit

     On ALL people……..’”                                                        Acts 2:14-17

Dear Lord we pray

That we too may

Be thought of as drunk

NOT DRUNK

By the drinking of alcohol

But drunk-AND IN THE SPIRIT

As those same early apostles

So drunk

That people will say

“HE-SHE LOVES GOD so much

LOVES other so much

That they are drunk

Drunk

On the POWER

Of God’s love”

DRUNK-ON GOD’S LOVE

Robert P. Wallman

10-25-12

Ps        WITNESS        5-19-13

HAPPY PENTECOST SUNDAY!-may GOD’S SPIRIT live in you

“When the day of Pentecost came-they were ALL together in one place-

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violet wind came from heaven and filled

The whole house where they were sitting-

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest

On each of them—ALL of them were filled by the Holy Spirit and began

To speak in other tongues as the SPIRIT enabled them”

Acts 2:1-4

BLESSED JOHN PAUL II

He was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla

On May 18^th, 1920

In Wadowice, the Republic of Poland

He was Pope

Of the Catholic Church

From 1978

Until his death in 2005

He was the second longest

Serving pope in history

And the first

Non-Italian pope since 1523

He was

A very charismatic figure

And acclaimed

As one of the

Most influential leaders of the 20^th century

He was instrumental

In ending communism

Both in Poland

And eventually all of Europe

He was

A widely traveled world leader

And visited 129 countries

During his pontificate

He has

A special emphasis

On a universal call to holiness

Beatified 1.340 people

And canonized 483 saints

Today

He himself-is beatified

He named

Most of the present college of cardinals

Consecrated a large number of bishops

And ordained many priests

A key goal

Of his papacy

Was to transform

And reposition the Catholic Church

His goal was:

“To place his church

At the heart of a new religious alliance

That would bring together Jews, Muslims, and Christians

In a great religious armada”

A man of vision

A legend of our times

Pope John Paul II

Was beatified on May 1st, 2011

Robert P. Wallman

11-10-12

WITNESS

5-18-13

“Suffering”

What do you do

With your suffering

What do you do

With your cross

In our Lord’s day

Capital punishment

Consisted of hanging

On a cross in front of everyone

Today it is the electric chair

But the essence

The true essence of the cross

Is anything

That causes

Anguish of the mind

Or desolation of the spirit

Is there something

In your life

Causing you

Anguish of the mind

Or desolation of the spirit

Heaven knows

There are many things

In today’s world

That causes

Anguish of the mind

And desolation of the spirit

But there is an answer

To this anguish and desolation

And the answer is

God and Christ

So

Do not suffer alone

Pick up

Your cross

And share it with

God and your neighbor

Jesus said

Pick up your cross

And come follow me

DO NOT SUFFER ALONE

Robert P. Wallman

April 29^th, 2010

Ps        WITNESS       5-18-13

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children

Now if we are children-then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ

If indeed we SHARE in his SUFFERINGS

In order that we may also share in his GLORY”

Romans 8:16-17

WITNESS

5-17-13

REWARDS

There are

Many kinds of rewards

In this life

There are athletic rewards-

Business rewards-civic rewards-entertainment rewards

And every kind of reward

That you might be able to think of

In this life

But the rewards

That are the longest lasting

ARE the REWARDS FROM GOD

And they are often internal rewards

Where no one else

Thinks of-or hears of

They carry NO MATERIALISTIC VALUE

“One thing God has spoken

Two thing have I heard

That you-Oh God-are strong

And that you-Oh Lord-are loving

Surely you will reward each person

According to what he has done”                                                         Psalm 62:11 & 12

Along those lines

I heard the GREATEST story

In South Florida

The other day

A young woman

A part-time care taker on a golf course

Found a bag of money-$36,000 in cash in it

More than she makes

In an entire year

She could easily

Have kept the money

No one

Would have been the wiser

But she turned the money in

And received no reward

When asked about it-she said.

“I read the Bible every day

I am a Christian

I RECEIVE my rewards

FROM A HIGHER POWER”

A young woman

After my very own heart

You have made us for yourselves

Oh Lord

And OUR HEARTS will be

FOREVER RESTLESS

UNTIL THEY REST IN YOU

Our TRUE rewards

COME FROM GOD

“Since-then-

You have been raised in Christ

Set your hearts

On things above

WHERE Christ is seated

At the right hand of God

Set your minds

On things above

NOT on earthly things”                                                                    Colossians 3:1 & 2

OUR TRUEST REWARDS

COME FROM GOD ABOVE

“I the Lord

Search the heart

And examine the mind

To REWARD a man

According to his conduct

According to what his deeds deserve”                                                 Jeremiah 17:10

And so Lord

We pray

That we have

That SAME heart and faith

AS THIS YOUNG WOMAN

And we-like her

WILL hear the GREATEST WORDS

EVER SPOKEN

When we come to the end of our life

“WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT”                         Matthew 25:21

A TRUE AND EVERLASTING REWARD

Robert P. WALLMAN

4-25-13

Ps        WITNESS        5-17-13

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels

And he will REWARD every man according to his works”

Matthew 16:27

WITNESS

5-16-13

ANGER MANAGEMENT

One of the

Most wasted emotions

That we have is anger

We get angry

We tell someone off

We write someone

A nasty letter

For what

A split moment to feel better

But it almost

NEVER changes anything-long-term

But what about God

What does God

Do with his anger

When we disappoint him

God told Moses,

“The Lord, The Lord

The compassionate and gracious God

Slow to anger-abounding in love

And faithfulness

Maintaining love to thousands

And forgiving wickedness, rebelliousness, and sin”                                 Exodus 34:6 & 7

Maybe that’s what the Lord

Wants us to do-forgive wickedness

Maybe we are first

To go to our brother and sister

And talk with them

“Therefore

If you are offering your gift

At the altar

And there remember

That your brother

Has something against you

Leave your gift there

In front of the altar

First go

And be reconciled to your brother

Then come and offer your gift’’                                                         Matthew 5:23 & 24

And if

You have already tried this

And the person

Proved themselves unreasonable

I suggest

You pray for them

For God

To change their heart

And do your best

To AVOID them

Anger is

A POWERFUL emotion

But if

We truly forgive the other person

We can move

Closer to becoming a better person

And move

CLOSER TO GOD

I am NOT saying

Do not feel anger

But I am saying

Temper your anger with mercy

“The Lord

Is compassionate and gracious

Slow to anger

ABOUNDING IN LOVE”                                                         Psalm 103:8

I am saying

Before you blast someone verbally

Before you fire off

An e-mail

Or write a nasty letter

Think of what

The Lord would do

“This is how we should pray

……..

Forgive us our trespasses

Oh Lord

As we forgive others

……..”                                                                              Matthew 6:9 & 6:12

LOVE not anger

Should be at the HEART of our message

Robert P. Wallman

6-23-12

Ps        WITNESS        5-16-13

“My dear brothers-take note of this:

Everyone should be quick to listen-slow to speak-

And SLOW to become angry-for man’s ANGER does not

Bring about the righteous life that God desires”                James 1:19-20