Pride/Humility

Sunday's sermon was one that was probably as hard to give as it was to listen to...if one listened with the heart.

The topic was pride and humility.

At lunch we were discussing the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah and the fact that "everyone" thinks God destroyed them because of homosexuality. Yet Ezekiel 16:49, 50 says, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but yet she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore, I removed them when I saw it."

My son said, "Well, isn't pride the ultimate cause of all sin?"

I have been thinking about the sins I commit...and I think he's right.

Prov. 16:5-7 - "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; assuredly he will not be unpunished. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Oh, Lord, help me to humble myself before you. Examine my heart and try my thoughts and show me if there is any wicked way in me caused by pride. Grant me a heart of godly sorrow that will lead me to true repentance, forgive me in Jesus' name and fill me with your Spirit that I might not sin against you.

Submission to God

I will not submit to Islam.

I will not be intimidated.

And I will not be silent.

My life belongs to God and God alone.

He is just and the judge of all.

I submit fully to Him.

New Life

I was a "dead person walking" when I walked into that little church the morning of October 6, 1974. The Lord spoke to me that morning, drawing me to Himself. I responded to His call…and died. Oh, I didn't realize it just then but that's what happened.

I confessed my sin and trusted God when He said the blood of Jesus, His death on the cross, paid for my sin. I received Christ as my Savior that morning. I was born again, made a new person, a new creation in Christ, one that had never existed before. He was faithful and just and all my sin was forgiven, I was white as snow.

You know what God did that very morning? He put me in Christ, so that when Christ died on the cross, I died. When He was buried, I was buried. When He was raised from the dead, I was raised to newness of life. The old me had died and a brand new creation in Christ was born…the new me. The old me, the "dead person walking", the one in whom sin reigned, the one who was a slave to sin, the one whose acts were acts of unrighteousness, was dead. I was brand new…dead to sin and alive to righteousness…created in the image of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth…created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

He took me out of the kingdom of darkness and put me into the kingdom of His beloved Son; He adopted me and gave me the right to be called His child, the right to come boldly before His throne of grace and receive mercy and to pray in Jesus' name; He reconciled me to Himself and made me an ambassador of Christ with the ministry of reconciliation; He made me a priest unto our God.

Oh, and I was sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit whom God had promised.

I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I lived, yet not I but Christ lived in me and the life I now lived as I walked out into that beautiful sunshine I lived by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Imagine! For me!What joy! Unspeakable and full of glory!

I walked out to begin working out my own salvation…with fear and trembling…to learn that it is God Who is at work in me both willing and doing His good pleasure. And I learned that from others who had gone before me, teaching me the reality of God's word both by their words and deeds and by the way they were merciful to me as I grew in the true knowledge of God.They taught me that He is faithful and true, that I can trust Him with all that I am because all that I am not, He is…and that all that He is, He is for me and in me and through me.

They taught me that everything good in me is Christ in me, my hope of glory.They taught me that God made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him.They taught me that because I had peace with God I have the peace of God that enables me to be still and know that He is God when everything in me, that is , in my flesh, wants to tremble with anxiety and fear.Because of these things, and because they also taught me that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, that He is faithful and just to forgive, that He grows us up into the image of Christ, I've never had to be afraid to see myself in the mirror of His word, never had to argue with Him, never had to hide.

Just as they taught me, I can be like Joseph. Without being frightened by any fear, without self-pity or murmuring, I can, instead, walk in quiet and joyful submission to all that He is.

They taught me to love the Lord with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul and with all my strength and to love my neighbor as myself, whether they are brethren or the lost. They taught me to love my enemies. They taught me to love my brethren in Christ as the Lord has loved me.They taught me to love God's word more than my necessary food.

In the way they dealt with my loved one's battle with alcohol they taught me that mercy triumphs over judgment.The time I spent learning from them was short, less than 2 years, but it was the most important, the most influential time of my life. Those months grounded me, established me, and planted my heart firmly in the word of God. They set a solid foundation in my life and I've never forgotten what they taught me in word and by example. Thank you!

Our Father continues to lavish His extravagant grace upon me, continues to conform me to the image of His Son, continues to fill me with an ever-deepening joy and continues to lead me in triumph in Christ. Thank you!

I am their joy, their crown of exultation in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming. Thank you!

Rejoicing in their life of service to/for Him, with deeply felt thanksgiving, I thank our God and Father upon every remembrance of them.

Ralph M. Licciardi Memorial 2006

RALPH M. LICCIARDI

7/29/1971 - 9/11/2001

Husband

Father

Son

Brother

Co-Worker

American

Italian

Catholic

Electrician

Drummer

Pizza Man

Knicks and Jets Fan

Exceptional Handball Player

Doritos

Diet Pepsi

Big Macs

Chicken McNuggets

Spaghettios

Dumb and Dumber

Trusted to Troubleshoot Car/Computer

Ralph Licciardi was an innocent victim and, though not a perfect man,was an every day kind of hero. The kind of hero who worked hard every day to see that his dreams came true. The kind who went to work every day to support his wife, Jennifer, and sons, Ralph and Michael. He was the kind of hero who played with his boys when he got home from work; who said "I love you" to his wife on a regular and frequent basis. The kind of hero who maintained a loving relationship with his parents, his brother and his sister and their families; spending every Sunday together "feasting" at his parent's home. He was the kind of hero who was a trusted and faithful friend. Ralph Licciardi was the kind of every day hero whose compassion for others could always be counted on to move him to make this earth a better place for his having been here.

"He was a handsome son-of-a-gun...and very much a family oriented person."

"We weren't just brothers, we were best friends."

"Like most brothers, we laughed a lot...fought a lot. But in the end, we were always there for each other."

"He was simple, sincere, truthful and kind."

"I admired his childlike simplicity, his integrity and most of all his kind and forgiving temper."

"He lived a life that was outwardly simple but inwardly rich."

"Anyone who ever worked with Ralph will attest to how kind, generous and unpretentious he was."

"Always smiling and joking, a real pleasure to be in his company."

"A talented hard worker."

"Questions? Ask Ralph!"

"Ralph's memory will be with us forever, and forever will he make us smile."