Keeping the faith

I accepted Christ as my personal savior in 1970 while a senior in high school ... Go Rangers. I didn’t know much about being a Christian, but I was excited to read the Bible and learn about God. I wanted to become a “better person.”

After reading for a couple of months, I came upon Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.” My eyes lit up. I wanted to have those characteristics in my life!

So every night I would pray asking God to show me where I didn’t produce that fruit. I would be reminded of when I wasn’t kind to someone that day, or where I didn’t have patience in a situation, or lacked self-control losing my temper.

I then confessed those shortcomings to God and promised Him I would try to produce better fruit tomorrow.

It seemed to be working. I thought I was improving by demonstrating better Christian fruit.

One day, my track teammates and I were running through the alleys in a nice neighborhood to the north of Hi Corbett field. There were delightful oranges hanging over the backyard fences. One of my friends said we should eat some to replenish our energy.

Figuring God doesn’t want us to steal, I said we shouldn’t. He convinced me that the residents must not care, as so many had fallen to the ground. I agreed. As we peeled them, the rind was extremely thick and the orange fruit was the size of a golf ball. We bit into the oranges... our lips puckered, as our mouths contracted with a sour taste.

I got home and told my mom. She laughed, then said I got fooled. Those were “artificial or ornamental oranges.” She explained they looked like an orange, smelled like an orange and were very colorful. But they weren’t really an orange.

As I prayed that night, I had an epiphany I will never forget.

My pursuit of having the Galatians 5:22, 23 fruit in my life was just like the ornamental oranges.

It was MY attempt to produce the fruit FOR God. But reading the verse it stated the “fruit of the spirit” not the “fruit of Roy.” My fruit and deeds may have looked good on the outside, as I seemed to be more kind, loving and joyous. But in reality, when I peeled it back my fruit was sour and bitter, not sweet like the fruit God could produce.

God began showing me that it is His work THROUGH me and not me doing FOR God. I began a journey (still on it) learning how to surrender my will and efforts and allow God to do His will and His work through me. I’m nothing more than a vessel for God to pour Himself through to others.

My life since has become a marvelous and fulfilling journey personally and professionally.

I encourage you to examine your life and ask God, “Am I trying to DO for you or are you doing THROUGH me?”

By surrendering your will to His allows God to produce His wonderful fruit through you. It will be sweet and life changing.

(All verses are from Quran, the Final Testament, Authorized English Version, translated by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D.)

God is running everything (39:62, 16:70). As concerns the coronavirus, it is still an ever-changing, volatile situation. And while we don’t know the big picture, we know there’s a good reason for everything including illnesses or natural disasters (18:78-80). God is doing everything and we submit. And we ask God’s protection and help, knowing only He can and does protect us. (1:5) You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.

(13:11) Shifts (of angels) take turns, staying with each one of you, they are in front of you and behind you. They stay with you, and guard you in accordance with GOD’s commands. Thus, GOD does not change the condition of any people unless they themselves make the decision to change. If GOD wills any hardship for any people, no force can stop it. For they have none beside Him as Lord and Master.

As a test, it brings out the faith in people. Or the lack thereof. What do we do? What do we think? Do we find solace in prayer? Do we find solace in hand sanitizer? Who are we? How do we think of God and thank God?

As a test, one “function” of disasters is to remind people of God, to bring them back to thinking of God.

(6:42) We have sent (messengers) to communities before you, and we put them to the test through adversity and hardship, that they may implore. (6:43) If only they implored when our test afflicted them! Instead, their hearts were hardened, and the devil adorned their works in their eyes.

(30:41) Disasters have spread throughout the land and sea, because of what the people have committed. He thus lets them taste the consequences of some of their works, that they may return (to the right works).

In the end the test is just that: it shows people their own scores based on how they respond. They may not even realize it in this world, but it’s recorded. The solution to us seems simple. Worship God alone! But the system is that most people do not believe and we cannot guide anyone. We can invite, but that’s about it. God is telling us this so we don’t grieve or worry about people. It’s not that we shouldn’t try to invite people; just remember not to be attached to the outcome. It’s not us; it’s God.

(12:103) Most people, no matter what you do, will not believe. (12:104) You are not asking them for any money; you simply deliver this reminder for all the people. (12:105) So many proofs in the heavens and the earth are given to them, but they pass by them heedlessly! (12:106) The majority of those who believe in GOD do not do so without committing idol worship.

(28:56) You cannot guide the ones you love. GOD is the only One who guides in accordance with His will, and in accordance with His knowledge of those who deserve the guidance.

So, for us, we just keep praying and think of God as much as we can. It’s what we should always do. Anything that happens, good or bad, should give us yet another reason to think of God and pray to God and thank God. God promises protection for those who submit, but we shouldn’t take things for granted because we all sin and make plenty of mistakes.

We can use this pandemic as an opportunity to be more steadfast, more righteous and to remember God more strongly.

(30:50) You shall appreciate GOD’s continuous mercy, and how He revives the land that has been dead. He will just as certainly resurrect the dead. He is omnipotent.

(2:45) You shall seek help through steadfastness and the contact prayers (salat). This is difficult indeed, but not so for the reverent.

(57:21) Therefore, you shall race toward forgiveness from your Lord, and a paradise whose width encompasses the heaven and the earth. It awaits those who believed in GOD and His messengers. Such is GOD’s grace that He bestows upon whomever He wills. GOD is Possessor of Infinite Grace.

(57:22) Anything that happens on earth, or to you, has already been recorded, even before the creation. This is easy for GOD to do. (57:23) Thus, you should not grieve over anything you miss, nor be proud of anything He has bestowed upon you. GOD does not love those who are boastful, proud.

(11:115) You shall steadfastly persevere, for GOD never fails to recompense the righteous.

Many churches and Christians across the country have been dramatically affected over the last several months. I was reminded of this verse, Psalm 27:4: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”

The background is that the author, David, was on the run trying to escape for his life. As a result, he was unable to come to the temple. He could not sing the songs of praise or even give an offering to his Lord and Savior. This went on for an extended period of time.

We have all experienced this to a small degree.

We have been unable to attend church services in person and to hear the music and preaching of God’s word.

We have missed the sweet fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The first Sunday we were back together in our sanctuary, I saw many faces wet with tears and full of joy. It was a pleasant sight.

From Psalm 27:4, I see a threefold desire:

• To dwell in the house of the Lord. To be in church.
• To behold the beauty of the Lord. Colossians 3:1-2 — “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth.” We are to set our affections and thoughts on things above and our focus to be more on eternal matters than earthly matters.
• To enquire in His temple. We gain an appreciation and greater understanding about God and how to live our life by studying His word. Romans 10:17 “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” II Peter 1:3 teaches us He has given us all things that pertain to life. We can be assured He is going to teach us and help us as we move forward.

As a follower of Jesus, we can move forward with genuine hope.

Psalm 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”

God is real. Hope is genuine even in the days of trouble.

As the psalmist said, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Most of us are familiar with the old adage about the person who says to his neighbor, “This is a free country, I can do whatever I want. If I feel like punching you in the nose, I can do so.”

The other person, the potential victim, answers, “Your freedom ends where my nose begins.”

In a similar vein, there is the legal caution that someone who yells fire in a crowded theater can be prosecuted for doing so. In other words, freedom and independence have their limitations. Without certain necessary restrictions, no society can function in a meaningful and positive way.

No community can thrive if its inhabitants reject the principle that along with personal rights there are personal obligations. The only outcome of such denial is anarchy.

I think it is fair to say, then, that although there might be some exceptions, few people would challenge the need for age restrictions on the purchase of alcohol or tobacco, voting, serving in the military or the need for a test before procuring a driver’s license, etc. Those who do take issue with such limits are not only not taken seriously but often evoke reactions such as “What is wrong with them?”

Yet there appear to be a growing number of persons, most of whom would be supportive of the examples mentioned above, who have decided that the directives — either mandatory or recommended — on the part of state governments and medical experts relating to slowing the spread of COVID-19, simply don’t apply to them.

For they have rejected all of the advised precautions whether public or private, such as wearing masks, washing one’s hands, or keeping a prescribed distance from others along with not frequenting crowded locales.

Instead they declare, “I will do as I please, go where I please and no one is going to stop me. This is a free country.

“If I should happen to infect someone else with the virus, that ‘s their problem. As far as my own welfare is concerned, if I am willing to gamble; others can, too. I don’t owe anyone anything.”

Some may even add, it really isn’t as bad as the press and TV are claiming. In essence, symbolically, their behavior is the equivalent of yelling fire with impunity or punching someone in the nose just because they feel like it.

That is the dilemma we are now facing.

Unless and until saner and wiser heads prevail, all we can look forward to is more deaths, unemployment and impoverishment, and ironically a return to lockdowns, quarantines and isolation.

How urgent the words of the prophet Jeremiah during this time of crisis: “O foolish people, devoid of intelligence. You who have eyes but cannot see, who have ears but cannot hear.”