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My journey this week takes me to Lockhart for a return visit with an old friend Mark George, who I knew from my days at the Baptist Academy.
He has volunteered in ministry for years at Pegasus, a residential detention center in Lockhart. It is licensed by the Department of Family and Protective Services of Texas to care for 175 boys, ages 7-17. He recently preached the following sermon:
“In my ministry I meet many people who have made the wrong decisions in their life, which have resulted in catastrophic consequences. Because of their actions, they are facing either state or federal prison time. At best it will be a short stay, only to come back over and over," George said. "Many of these individuals are very similar in how they see themselves. Here are a few stories from my experience.
"The first story is about a woman who, when she was very young, was told repeatedly that she was stupid. The verbal abuse continued throughout her young life. Then a family member began assaulting her and telling her she was a slut. As she grew older, she gained weight and was then called fat and ugly. When she got into adulthood, she believed that she was stupid, fat and ugly," George said.
"The second story is about a man who, when he was very young, was told repeatedly that he was good looking. In school he was told that he was smart and a great athlete. He spent his early years with many women and went to college. He jumped from woman to woman, using them. Even though he had a college degree, he couldn’t hold a job or save money because of drugs and the party lifestyle. He found himself in jail multiple times, finally facing a 10-year federal prison sentence. He has a child who doesn’t know him. He doesn’t have a home, a car, or anything to show for being on this earth for 61 years," George said.
"These are two very different stories. They couldn’t be any more opposite, but they also have something in common: They both became what they believed of themselves and the outcome was the same," he said.
"The first is one who was put down at every turn in life and had a total negative view of herself. The second is of a man who was built up in every way and used it for what he thought was his pleasure. He looked at himself as the greatest thing since sliced bread. ‘All this and a bag of chips,'" George said.
There is no substitute to knowing who we are in Christ. After all Christ is the creator. We are made in his image. He is the one who delivers us from our sins. He will never leave nor forsake us. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He has gone before us to prepare a place for us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to protect us and bring us unto him. He died so that through him we may have eternal life. He left us the word and intercedes on our behalf
Unfortunately, Satan is at work and will use his followers to convince us that we are not who God says we are. Satan begins when we are children. He never lets up. That is why we must draw close to God, and he will draw close to us. We have a responsibility to protect those that are weaker and to bring all to an understanding of the love of Christ.
We need not listen to a source that is out to destroy us. We are to listen to the one who loves us so much that he gave up everything and came to earth to die for our sins. Of course, that is Jesus.
Mark’s life verse is:
“I knew what I was ordained to do.” Psalms 139:16
