A Heartfelt Plea to Our Neighbors: Make the Right Choice

Gunman kills three at Ross Township meeting

Three people died Monday night when a gunman opened fire on a Ross Township municipal meeting, indiscriminately shooting into the building, authorities said.
www.poconorecord.com

When you speak to people, going about your daily business, you never know who you will meet, never know whether what you do or say will have an impact. But, you certainly do hope for those, to whom you speak, to repent and trust in Jesus for their sin’s payment, to trust in Jesus as LORD of their lives. So, when you find out someone you have witnessed to mere weeks before, has committed such a heinous crime, you can get dismayed; you can start to ask some pretty tough questions…

Did I say the wrong thing?
Did I not spend enough time with him?

Was I not sensitive enough to God’s Leading to speak words that would have prevented such an act of sheer selfishness?

The doubt can become overwhelming, but we mourn with our neighbors today

Rockne Newell is the suspect in a shooting at the Ross Township Municipal Building Monday night that killed three people near where we live. And I had witnessed to him only three weeks ago.

We met Rockne when I had spotted an odd looking bumper sticker in the parking lot of Giant, a grocery store chain on route 611 in Pennsylvania. We were just down the road from Tannersville, where our church is (www.CalvaryChapelStroudsburg.com) when we turned into the store to pick up some groceries after Sunday service.

I like bumper stickers and keep on the look-out for them. So as I was looking at the strange saying on the car, Rockne remarked on it as well and we began to converse.
The guy gave me the creeps as soon as he opened his mouth.

Danger, danger!

Christians have a Spiritual radar that helps them navigate evil in their lives, called the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, God Himself, the third member of the Trinity, indwells every living soul that have surrendered their lives to Christ’s Lordship, when they have repented of their sins and trust in Jesus to save them. The Spirit was Promised by Jesus to all those who are Christ’s, to be our Comforter, Teacher and Protector. And as you study the Bible, you see clearly how you are to listen for when Jesus speaks. As always we check what you hear against the Scriptures to be sure you have heard rightly.

And the spirit should warn you when you are in danger…

I’ve been ministering for 13 years now, looking for chances to tell the lost how they can be rescued from what we all so Justly deserve. Our sins against a Just and Holy God deserve His Anger. And, most Saturdays, you can find me at the DMV in Snydersville, PA. Most Saturday mornings I’m available to anyone who wants to hear of God’s great mercy. I am there every Saturday so I can tell, those waiting for the DMV to open, about the One and Only God who loves us SO much His own SON died to rescue us from His Own Justice!

The DMV opens at 8:30 am so don’t be late or you’ll miss me.

But, what I am reminded of, thinking of this evil Rockne has committed, this “indiscriminatingly shooting” three people, I am reminded there is evil, real evil, in the world. What Rockne did can only be classified as evil. Yes, I realize Rockne Newell will probably be labelled insane and put away for a long time. Judging from his age he likely will die in prison. And no, I am not too sure I will visit him in prison. But I will pray, do pray, for the families of his victims, and yes, even for him.

But did I say the wrong thing to Rockne?
Could I have reached him in time?

Well, a wise old man once told me, and his words ring with stark reality today:

YOU are NOT the Holy Spirit!

When you, Christian, speak to an impenitent sinner, you speak the Truth; the Holy Spirit does the work of saving them. YES, we ARE to use what we should to make the message as clear as we can, like using the Law of God to explain what sin is. We use God’s Own Law, the Ten Commandments, to explain why Our Creator is Angry at you for your sin. We are to teach you why you deserve Hell for your sins, using the Law, to shut your mouth of self-righteousness long enough so you can hear God’s Plan of Salvation. Yes, Christian, you are to learn how to “hear” and “see” when a sinner is ready to hear the Gospel; You should learn how to know a lost person is ready to hear about God’s Gracious Mercy in the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and when he is not! You should just leave someone like Rockne alone, considering the doom you’ve just explained he is facing, considering the crimes you’ve clearly explained he has committed against God Himself- or – you give him a tract that does all of that clearly.

But then your responsibility is done!

When I spoke to Rockne I left him with the Law, what little I was able to discuss with him. He did take our Gospel tract, but I had to cut the conversation short when he got weird.
The Spirit said, “Go”, when he started to rant at me, so I did… and quickly! And I’m glad I did.

So, now three men are dead…
Could the City representatives have been more reasonable with him? I don’t know.
But I DO KNOW THIS:

Rockne is the one responsible and no one else.

God HAS TRIED to reach him through the hands of a 50 year old former reprobate, now a man of God, before Newell murdered those three men. I’m not perfect, I’m no one’s Angel. But I KNOW who has saved me from this body of death and Hell Eternal, and did try to tell Rockne Newell, but he did not listen then. I sure hope his victims were saved, but only God knows.

But how about you? Are you ready to face death, and the Judgement after?

Who can rescue you from your sin’s payment; the lies you know you’ve told? Who can make you free of the guilt of your crimes, like lust? Who will rescue you from your depraved mind, as God says we all are? If Rockne HAD listened he would have not murdered three men last Monday, THIS I KNOW for sure.

Are YOU right with God today?

Rockne Newell, you are in prison and will answer for your crimes of indiscriminant evil. You killed people who you didn’t even KNOW, three men who certainly did not deserve such a death from YOU. Those men gave their lives to protect others from YOU Rockne. You committed crimes against your fellow US Citizens, your neighbors and God Himself, and Hell awaits your arrival… but God. Yet, even in your jumbled, twisted mind, in your your consummately selfish thoughts, you CAN know God’s Peace, even as you pay for your crimes here. You can be forgiven, Rockne Newell, by the same God that can forgive the still living victims of your crimes, if you come to Him repentant and trust in Jesus to save you from Hell. After all, God tells us in His Bible there is no one good.

All men are judged guilty before God’s Judgment Seat, so ALL may receive God’s Forgiveness found ONLY in Jesus Christ, no matter WHAT their crimes.
But they have to do something first…

You, reader, right now YOU have a choice, just as all of us do, who have been touched by this crime. You can judge Rockne and condemn him to Hell. Or, as God wills, you can look in the Mirror of God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, and see your SELF. You can see what YOU look like to God right now, and judge you.
The civil law, that are from God’s laws, will judge Newell for his crimes. I don’t know if he will be justly served in this life. But he will later, just as you will. One day you and Rockne will be justly sentenced by Jesus, God’s own Son. How will you do then? How will YOU escape God’s ALL KNOWING  Judgement then? The answer is that you must judge yourself, HONESTLY and NOW, HERE, while you still can.

So, here is the test… the choice is yours Rockne, the choice is yours reader, the choice is yours, our dear neighbors, the living victims of this crime. As always, the choice is yours whether you will judge yourself with honest judgment.

So here is God’s Test, if you will take it…
ARE you good enough to go to Heaven?

www.HowWillYOUDo.org (click here to take the private test)

If you are a victim of this crime, or you just need to talk, give me a call…
I’m always available: 570-620-7586

But whatever you do, neighbor, get right with God… NOW.
You have NO promise of tomorrow, each day is a gift of God. PLEASE don’t squander another moment… http://HowWillYouDo.org

Patrick J. Burwell
www.OnlyJesussaves.com
Your Monroe County neighbor and Saylorsburg resident