The Lost Home
Good Morning Friends,
On Monday we prayed with the Pastor of the Church that ministers to the Haitian families of those shot and killed in Immokalee on Sunday and prayed with a woman, Mary Delva, who had taken all her life savings of $43,000 and bought a home in Immokalee only to lose her job and then loose her home to foreclosure for failure to pay home owner association fees. She now is homeless and the LLC that manages the property where she lived are owners of the place she once called home. Pastor Jean Paul conveyed the stories of them both and asked for help. He told the story of Bozner Angervil, the father in church Sunday evening getting a call that his son, Elkim Angervil and girlfriend, Guilene Toussaint were dead at his home. He told the story of Elkim who once played drums in a praise band, coming home to visit, bringing Christmas gifts early because he would be working during Christmas up in Tampa and of his girlfriend a staff at the local McDonald’s. Pastor Jean Paul now has a great hope of gathering the community to begin to explore ways of dealing with the loss of life and home… of ways of not becoming numb to the pain of these situations…of averting future assaults on the community we call My Home, Immokalee. Friends, the Bible has stories about The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, The Lost Son and man has made a story and music about The Lost Chord, but today with explore the pain of The Lost Home.
Scripture: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
Matthew 7:21-23 (NRSV)
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young– a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Psalm 84:3 (NIV)
Message: Immokalee is not my daddy’s Immokalee of the 1960’s and 1970’s, but I do hope it is Our Father’s Immokalee. Regardless, home will never be the same for the Angervil family. Home will never be the same for Mary Delva. Part of the problem is that people fail to love at the moment they can make a difference and the results end up bad. People offer a little hope but rarely a big hope. We are to have great love for others. That is why I do not put a lot of effort into trying to distinguish Christians from non-Christians. It is almost impossible. Of course, many who say they are saved are outwardly sinners showing little or no concern for spiritual things for people and for the place of the heart. For too many Christianity is like putting on or taking off a piece of clothing. What a crime to loose what might have been. What a crime when people put on Christian appearance when it suits them only to take advantage of others. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. Very shallow. Unfortunately there are people who think they can profess to have faith in Christ while having an allegiance to something else. We all are guilty to some degree. When we are double minded God hates it and community suffers. To help us discern Jesus instructs us not look at what’s being said, but look at the actions of what is being done. We cannot always recognize these people who think they can justify themselves. Some of course, portray themselves as living a good enough life or as working very hard at a social cause or working very hard at keeping the rules without loving. They are not mature Christians, if they can be called Christian. Unfortunately, we all can be guilty of avoiding opportunities to glorify God. We all can be hypocrites. Friends, standing on the shoulders of other is hell is still hell. That is why Jesus warns us that many human beings will delude themselves and each other. So are you changed or are you just living a life of make believe?
Pray we realize that we cannot really meet Jesus and believe in Him and not be changed. Pray we have victory in Jesus. Pray we claim him as our Savior, forever. Pray we experience Jesus seeking us and buying us with His redeeming blood. Pray we experience His love that helps us to know Him. Pray we experience and share the love of Christ. Pray we bring meaning to the losses of others. Pray we help people to discover a home where Jesus reigns. Pray Jesus knows us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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