Glad I Got Jesus Down in My Heart

(A tribute to Jr....my friend and partner in ministry)

The last 96 hours in the life of our Church family has been altered forever…and I do mean forever.  What has happened you ask?  Well...late Saturday afternoon, a prominent member of our congregation passed away in his sleep at the age of 25…25 mind you.

Now I know that many of you have never darkened the doors of our Church Worship Center nor have you personally had the pleasure of meeting the young man that I’m talking about.  To you this may seem like something that is just a “natural” part of life (you know, the whole life and death thing). However, I don't believe there is anything "natural" about a young person heading into eternity at the beginning of his or her adult life.

Right now, I'm emotionally overwhelmed, a little confused, and very sad.  For whatever reason, I feel as though I am a spectator in this quarter of the game called life...just watching horrible scenes unfold before me.  It's been somewhat difficult to function or focus on even the little non-thinking things like watching TV or carrying on a conversation without crying.  My attention span varies from sharp and on point to sporadic and non conclusive. I'm mentally exhausted. However, I have an inner peace that comes from deep within. I'm not a mindless zombie or a restless wanderer.  I'm secure in my faith, and solid in my belief system.  For I know that one day, I will see my friend again for both of us were members of the family of God!

It's not uncommon for me as a minister of the Gospel to develop deep solid relationships with those to whom I minister or to whom I minister alongside of.  Jr. (that's what I called him) held the position of junior trustee and pastoral armor bearer in our Church.  He was a solid rock who did what needed to be done within the confines of a worship setting…no questions asked.  You know, I remember one Sunday  morning, I walked into the foyer – OK...I wasn't walking, 'cuz I was running late – with the specific purpose of attempting to quickly set up for my time of ministry.  Jr. was already there: mopping the floor (and this was after he had cleaned the bathrooms, taken out the trash, and washed the facility double glass entrance doors - WTW). Jr. and I were responsible for counting the service offering; which required us to do so in the back office.  This is the place where our relationship developed...our very special unique bonding place.  You know...you can learn a lot about a person while counting money:  their like's, dislikes, dreams, fears, and private thoughts.  But you know what I think I'll miss the most about Jr.?  His uncanny ability to testify of the goodness of God in his life and family.  Service after service he would stand up and give glory to God for protecting his family and taking care of them throughout the night…then, at the end of his testimony, he would close out with a song:  "I’m glad I got Jesus down in my heart…"

Jr. knew God.  Jr. knew Jesus, Christ the Son…and Jr. knew how to live by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  That’s what he instilled in each one of the members of our congregation, time after time…Sunday after Sunday.  He wasn't a radical preacher or a master musician.  He was a man of God...one who unashamedly lifted his voice and told others of the security and peace he had found in the Savior.  In simple terms, he simply reminded us, the members of his spiritual family, to remain in the presence of God and to make sure that we have taken care of our eternal business with Jesus by asking Him to dwell within.

Our Church family is gonna miss Jr.  We’ll miss his laugh, his smile, and his presence. However, the one thing I hope we all remember is his servant heart and testimony of faith; for it will serve as a constant reminder for us to keep Jesus in our heart!

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To learn more about the message of salvation and or how to ask Jesus into your heart, double click on the following link: The SALVATION Message