THE DIRTY DOZEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITNESS

 

 

7-13-13

 

 

THE DIRTY DOZEN

 

 

Have you ever seen

The movie-“The Dirty Dozen”

 

It was a 1967 film

With an all-star cast

About a group of criminals

A group of rejects

Trying to accomplish an impossible task

Behind enemy lines

In world war II Germany

 

The mission

Almost failed

Because of a traitor

But in the end

They got the job done

 

God had a dirty dozen too

Approximately 2000 years ago

 

They too

Were considered to be

The rejects and outcasts of their day

 

There was Peter-the field marshal

Who was their “ROCK”

Who had the capacity

To strengthen the others

And did

 

It is believed

He preached in Rome

After Christ’s death

 

There was Andrew-Peter’s brother

Who was notable

In the feeding of the 5000

 

There were

The brothers-John and James

The sons of thunder

 

John was considered to be

The one who Jesus “loved

Greater than the rest

 

Bartholomew ( also known as Nathaniel )

Who may have made it

All the way to India to preach

 

Matthew-a tax collector

Of the Jewish race

Who worked for the Romans

Only to leave all

To follow the call of Christ

 

Philip-who left John the Baptist

To follow Jesus

And received the SPIRIT

At Pentecost-like the others

 

Thomas who was notable for “doubting”

For his lack of faith

But remembered by us

Because we can identify with him

When we go through

Our own doubts

 

Thomas too-died as a martyr

For the faith

 

James-son of Alphaeus

Who was beaten to death

With a club

And wrote an epistle

 

Thaddeus

Also known as Jude

The Saint of the Impossible

 

Simon-the Zealot

Who fist preached in Egypt

Then was martyred

Along with Jude in Persia

 

And Judas the traitor

Later replaced by Matthias

Who followed Christ

From his Baptism

To the Ascension

And was a witness

At the Resurrection

 

Jesus came to them

And said,

 

“Go and make disciples

Of all nations”                                                              Matthew 28:19

 

And they CARRIED OUT his commands

To the point of their own deaths

 

Mission impossible

EXCEPT

-FOR THE DIRTY DOZEN

 

Robert P. Wallman

6-21-12

 

Ps            May we too be 21^st CENTURY APOSTLES

                And carry on the work of the originals

 

 

WITNESS        7-13-13 and 2-22-2023

 

 

 

“These are the TWELVE he appointed-Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),

James-son of Zebedee and his brother John ( to whom he gave the name-Boanerges

-which means Sons of Thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,

James-son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot-who

Betrayed him”                                                                  

Mark 3:14

 

 

 

THAT MOST IMPORTANT SERMON

 

February 22^nd

 

“The Most Important Sermon”

 

In the Sermon

On the Mount

Our Lord says

“Blessed are the poor in spirit

For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”

 

But who are

The poor in spirit

I dear say

It is us

All of us

Because

We are chasing

The wrong things

 

Most of us

Are chasing lives

Built on wealth, fame, status, and fortune

But these things

Will not fill us up

 

Nature abhors a vacuum

And we

Must fill our lives with something

 

I suggest

We try to

Fill our lives

With love

Love of God

And

Love of others

 

Only then

Can our spirit be filled

Only then

Can we

Be no longer poor in spirit

 

We need to

Let go of yesterday

We need to

Focus on the present

We need to

Let the Lord possess us

 

God’s gift is today

Today is the most important day

Of our lives

 

By focusing on love

We might find that

We are no longer poor in spirit

And by focusing on love

We might find that

The Kingdom of God

Is not only in heaven

But right here on this earth.

 

Robert P. Wallman

5/14/10

 

SETTING OFF=WITH CONFIDENCE

 

SETTING OFF=WITH CONFIDENCE

 

Today=we SET OFF=

WITH CONFIDENCE

To find our Lord

 

We set off=

With trials and tribulations

And we KNOW=

We will have=to CARRY MANY CROSSES

 

But we know=we will FIND OUR LORD

At the end=of our JOURNEY

 

Today we BEGIN LENT

SETTING OFF=WITH CONFIDENCE

To FIND our Lord

 

“Gather the PEOPLE=

Notify the congregation”                                                                                                        Joel 2:16

 

The people of YESTERYEAR

Did NOT recognize=our Lord

Some 2,000 years ago

I WONDER

 

If it would be=any different today

For human nature=DOES NOT CHANGE

 

Nevertheless=today we SET OFF

To find our Jesus=at

The BEGINNING of Lent=WITH CONFIDENCE

 

“The fruit of the righteousness

Will be peace=its effect

Will be quietness=and CONFIDENCE FOREVER”                                                                    Isaiah 32:17

 

“But bless is the one=

Who trusts=in the Lord

WHOSE CONFIDENCE=is in him”                                                                                         Jeremiah 17:7

 

“So do not throw away=

YOUR CONFIDENCE

It will be richly rewarded”                                                                                                   Hebrews 10:35

 

Dear Lord=we begin our

LENTEN JOURNEY today=

And are setting off

With confidence=to find you

 

We know=

There will be

MANY CHALLENGES and difficulties

Along the way

But we know=we will find you

WAITING for us=with love

 

“But if from there=

You seek the Lord your God

 

YOU WILL FIND HIM=

If you seek him

With all your heart=and with

All your soul”                                                                                                                       Deuteronomy 4:29

 

“Take my yoke=upon you

And learn from me

 

For I am gentle=and humble

In heart=and you will

FIND REST=for your souls”                                                                                                    Matthew 11:29

 

Dear Lord=we are

SETTING OFF=WITH CONFIDENCE

And joy=in hopes

Of finding you

At the end=OF OUR LENTEN JOURNEY

 

In Jesus’ name=and in the name=of our forever loving=EVER PATIENT=Holy Father God!

 

Robert P. Wallman

2-21-2023

 

 

Ps        INSPIRED=by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE=by Amy Welborn

 

 

 

WHAT IS THIS THING=CALLED THE CROSS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITNESS

 

 

3-29-13

 

 

WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED THE CROSS?

HAPPY EASTER!

 

 

In Jesus’ day

The cross was the means

Of capitol punishment

Much like

The electric chair

Or lethal injection

Is today

 

In today’s times

It is anything and everything

That separates us from God

 

And just as Jesus had to physically

Carry his wooden cross

As a condemned person

Wrongfully sentenced to death

 

We have to carry our crosses

Rightfully or wrongfully through life

 

And the best way

To carry our crosses in life

Is by uniting our suffering with Jesus

 

Jesus said

 

“If anyone would

Come after me

He must deny himself

And take up his cross

And follow me

 

For whoever

Wants to save his life

Will lose it

And whoever loses his life

For me

And my Gospel

Will save it”                                                                                               Mark 8:34-35

 

Jesus’ wooden cross

Was heavy

It led to his physical death

 

But because he was an innocent man

AND GOD’S SON

God raised him from the dead

 

Our crosses in life

Are heavy too

 

OUR CROSSES of physical illness

OUR CROSSES of financial obligations

OUR CROSSES of broken physical relationships

And our crosses

Of physical addictions

Our own temptations

And our own sin

 

But by

UNITING our crosses with Christ’s

They can become

Just a little lighter

A little easier to carry

 

“Come to me

ALL you who are weary

And burdened

And I will give you rest

 

Take my yoke upon you

And learn from me

For I am gentle

And humble in heart

And you will find rest

For your souls

 

For my yoke is easy

And my burden is light”                                                              Matthew 11:28-30

 

Make no mistake

OUR CROSSES in this life

ARE HEAVY

 

But by uniting

OUR LIVES with Christ

The burden is lighter

 

And like Christ

Who rose from the dead

We can RISE ABOVE our crosses

In this life

 

To live a FAITH-FILLED life

IN GOD AND IN CHRIST

 

By uniting our crosses

To Christ

We can rise above our crosses

In life-and live

 

                                 RESURRECTED LIVES

 

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

 

 

Robert P. Wallman

March 14^th, 2013

 

 

Ps        I LOVE YOU

 

 

WITNESS        3-29-13 and 2-21-2023

 

 

 

TO KNOW GOD

 

February 21^st

 

“To Know God”

 

To know God

Is to love God

 

To know God

Is to love others

 

To know God

Is to forgive others

 

To know God

Is to be kind

To others

 

To know God

Is to love God

 

Robert P. Wallman

11/20/09

 

A SERVANT OF GOD!

 

A SERVANT OF GOD!

 

Jesus was=A TRUE SERVANT=

Of his Holy Father God=He

FOLLOWED his Father’s wishes

Even to=his LAST dying breath

 

TODAY we begin=

OUR LENTEN JOURNEY

With the Lord=to the cross

And to the ULTIMATE TRIUMPH

In the Resurrection

 

We have to be

SERVANTS OF GOD!=and others too

If we want to follow

The DIVINE EXAMPLE of Jesus

 

“Jesus began to ask them’=

‘WHAT were you

ARGUING about?’=But they remained silent

 

For they had been discussing=among themselves

On the way

WHO WAS THE GREATEST”                                                                                                          Mark 9:33-34

 

What a CONTRAST=in people

Jesus=is literally telling them

Of his IMPENDING DEATH=and the apostles

Are worried about=WHO was the greatest

 

IF we want

To be great=if

We want to be A LEADER=

We truly have to live

With humility=and in HUMILITY

And self-discipline

 

“The Lord came=and stood there

Calling as=at the other times

‘Samuel-Samuel!’

 

Then Samuel said=

‘Speak=FOR YOUR SERVANT

Is listening’”                                                                                                                                       1 Samuel 3:10

 

“NOT so with you=

Instead whoever wants to become

GREAT AMONG YOU

Must be YOUR SERVANT……..”                                                                                                   Matthew 2:26

 

ONE MAN=beside Jesus

Who truly was

A SERVANT OF GOD

Was our Saint today=Saint Peter Damian

 

This man was KNOWN

For his HUMILITY

And his self-discipline

 

So let us become

Like a SAINT=Like this Saint today

Saint Peter Damian

And be humble=and A SERVANT OF GOD!

 

The words=I long to hear

AFTER my life is over are=

“WELL DONE=

GOOD AND FAITFUL SERVANT!”                                                                                                  Matthew 25:21

 

So THIS LENT=join me

In DEDICATING your life

To God=and trying to be

A SERVANT OF GOD!

 

Just like Jesus and our Saint Today

Saint Peter Damian

 

In Jesus’ name=and in the name=Of our FOREVER LIVING-LOVING Holy Father God!

 

Robert P. Wallman

2-20-2023

 

 

Ps       INSPIRED by an article=IN LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE=by Steve Pable

THE OLDEST LIGHTHOUSE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE OLDEST LIGHTHOUSE

 

 

Today August 7^th

Is National Lighthouse Day

 

Did you know that

The oldest lighthouse in the United States

Is the Boston Light

On Little Brewster Island in Massachusetts

Built in 1716

 

It was restructured in 1783

Because it was damaged

In the Revolutionary War

 

This makes the oldest lighthouse

ORIGINALLY BUILT-

As Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey

It was built in 1764                                                                    Parade Magazine 8-5-12

 

But we ALL KNOW

That there is a LIGHTHOUSE

That has existed since the beginning of time

And a lighthouse

That will exist

Until the end of time

 

And God said,

“Let there be LIGHT”                                                                            1 Genesis 3

 

The definition of a lighthouse

Is a tower or a structure

With a powerful light

That gives a continuous or intermittent signal

To navigators-a beacon                                                            Merriam Webster Dictionary

 

And in my case

My God-my light

Is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Who is ALWAYS SHINING

 

Even though

I walk in the valley

My light is still shining

 

SHINING

As I navigate this walk of life

As I navigate my health failures

As I navigate my financial failures

As I navigate my relationship failures

 

My light just keeps shining

 

And it is shining

Because my hope

Is NOT in myself

My HOPE

Is in MY GOD

MY ONE TRUE LIGHTHOUSE

 

“You are my lamp O Lord

The Lord turns my darkness

Into light”                                                                            2 Samuel 22:29

 

MY BEACON-MY LIGHT-MY GOD

 

And my light is continuous

NEVER FAILING

It is I who is intermittent

 

 falter

Because of my health

I falter

Because of my finances

I falter

Because people let me down

And I falter

Because though I don’t mean to

I sometimes let other people down

 

But my beacon-my light-my God

Remains steady

THE ONE TRUE LIGHT

Through all my storms

 

The Boston Light

Had to be restructured in1783

Due to damages

 

The ONE true light

The meaning of God in our lives

Had to be restructured

Some 2000 years ago

 

A beacon is a lighthouse

On a coast

That gives ships a guiding signal

That leads us to safety

 

And God our beacon

Our lighthouse

SHOWS us the way to safety

When we become dangerously close

To the edges of life

 

And so on this August 7^th

When we honor the physical structures

We call lighthouses

 

LET US HONOR THE ONE TRUE LIGHT

 

“God is LIGHT

In him-there is NO darkness at all”                                                         1 John 1:5

 

Robert P. Wallman

8-5-12 and 2-20-2023