a brother's plea

I received this letter to Ronnie in today's post. Tony had sent it earlier this month, while Ronnie was still in the hospital, but he sent it to the wrong address.
I delivered it to Ronnie this afternoon. I told him I will be glad to send his reply to Tony.
I hope he will read it.
I hope it will lead to a change in his life.
I hope.

***** ***** *****

May 13

Hello Ronnie.

I must say that I was shocked to read the words that Tina wrote to me on May 7. Wow. I hope that you are doing much better today. And of course i truly hope that you know this same type of incident will occur again if you continue to drink. Please stay alive. I really want to see you again. Not a tombstone or grave marker.

Ronnie, by God's grace i haven't had a drink, drug, or cigarette since June 29th, 2007. The day of my arrest. It's not because of a lack of availability either. In prison all of those things are being used everyday, everywhere, easily accessible.

The reason that i haven't used any of these things is because God (not me) has taken away the desire for them. He can & will do the same for you. Ask Him to.

I'm sure that you would call me a "Very Religious" man. The reality, though, is that i now desire to be obedient to the only One who is worthy to rule over me. The reason is because He has revealed Himself to me countless times. His mercy and His grace have absolutely no bounds, no limits. Jaw dropping, eyes popping, awe inspiring, greatness!

Even for a wretch like me.

I do not want to bore you. I love you. God is the only One who could ever save me from myself & He did.

Surely all i can give you is what has been given to me. My help, my peace, my health, my hope, and whatever else that i may think i have, have all come from outside of me. My inspiration and motivation, my strength and diligence all began with and remain in God's Word. He is awesome - we are not.

I'm sure you do not want to continue reading all religious stuff. It's all i have for you. Let me share something with you that happened while i was still in the Chatham County Detention Center. I was reading my bible, John, chapter 8. I will never forget how this upcoming verse gave me such revelation to how blind i had been to the truth of my real condition. The man who i thought i was, really was already in bondage.

John 8:34 'Jesus said "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

This short little verse was an eyeopener. The word of God here teaches that a human who continually practices sinfulness does so because those sinful things rule over them.

When i saw that the drinking that i was doing everyday was my master, i hated it more.

When i saw that the cigarettes that i continually bought and smoked were my master, i just shook my head.

When i realized that i even let the Cash 3 lottery own me, i realized how simple i am and how easily controlled i am as well. Here i was a 39 year old man, working daily to spend that same money on things i thought i had to have when i did not need any of them. I had been completely fooled, and easily manipulated, by an enemy.

You may think "why would i include Cash 3"? Because i literally had to be at a lottery store before 6:45 to make sure that i played my evening numbers.

I'm sure that you can relate to counting up change, as in all the money you have, period, to afford either alcohol or cigarettes. If you've done that then you have let some thing worthless rule over you. If you've ever stolen anything for something else - that something else is your 'order giving master' and you have been an obedient 'servant'. If you've ever been hospitalized because of your inability to say no, well you finish the sentence yourself, in your heart, truthfully.

Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Trust Him, brother. He's truly your only hope.

Romans 5:6
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:7
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

And finally.

Romans 6:16
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to dark, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Ronnie, my prayers and thoughts are with you. Perhaps i'm wrong, but somehow i feel that you're punishing yourself for some part of your past. Whatever it is that's troubling you, or, if anything's even troubling you at all, know this. I love you and want the very best for you. Hospitals, institutions, and cemeteries, you do not belong in.

Peace be with you, God bless you, in Jesus' name.

your brother,
Tony