Subject: (GROH) Green River Open House - Faith & Community Day

 

     On Saturday, August the 29th, a thriving group from the surrounding Green Creek, Polk and Rutherford areas gathered for river play and summer fun. We came as a community of various groups, backgrounds - even countries of origin. We finished our day with the astonishing testimony of Robert Robbs, a man whose story was powerfully reborn – while in prison.

     In his 20’s, Rob had a life some might say was, “on top of the world.” Living as a drug-lord, flushed with cash, flexing serious power and becoming as a dangerous man. Rob had the toys he wanted. People knew him. A unique fame followed him. Yet, as Rob shared – his footprint was built on ruined lives.

      Rob’s reckless journey took a major turn after he was caught and corrected by federal, state and local authorities. Rob went from flying high – to landing in a high security prison. Over his head hung the horrible prospect of being sentenced to prison for multiple lifetimes.

     This man who had wielded outsized power as his own free agent – was suddenly being told when to eat, when to sleep, and when he could see his family. As Rob shared, instead of being addressed by the name his mother gave him, he was

given a number as his new identity. Rob's name went from famous to a random number in a faceless system of punishment. Rob was sentenced to this hopeless, nameless, empty future, year after year.

     Yet, Rob’s deliverance began as he reached for his Bible – the only hopeful thing in his cell. As he consumed it, as he said, "from front to back and back to front” – Rob’s new life was beginning. A new story was forming as he began to encounter God in His word.

     Another massive shift in Rob’s story came as God revealed Rob’s need to accept the full responsibility of his own decisions. Initially, Rob had recognized that he’d only destroyed a few lives. Yet, the Holy Spirit shone His loving light on the heavier weight of Rob’s wrongs against humanity. He’d recognized and repented of his sin for those few men he’d sent to the grave. But what about the others? Men, women and powerless children caught up in the utter collapse of drugs he had trafficked. These were now bound in dark graves of hopelessness caused by addictive cycles. God’s light mercifully showed Rob the devastation for which he’d been responsible.


 

     Going after our own sin is often like digging for a deeply lodged splinter. Splinters which are not fully removed result in infections which cause even more damage. Lovingly, the Holy Spirit took Rob beyond into the deeper results of his sin -- the bigger splinter of his responsibility. Like Jesus' restoration of Peter, it was the kindness of God which took Rob as deep as he needed to go in confession and repentance. Because of this, Rob was able to embrace the Heaven-sized power of God’s grace and forgiveness. Because God showed Rob the truth of his horrible choices – God’s overpowering grace was empowered to fully bear the weight of Rob’s sin. This is how, while in prison, God was setting Rob’s heart completely FREE.

     Today, Rob lives and breathes to spread the hope of the breakthrough he discovered in Jesus. Due to the overflowing freedom inside him, Rob now willingly returns to the place of his former bondage! He’s on a mission to set other captives free – hoping to lead them to repentance, forgiveness, and true freedom.

     Rob uses his amazing story to wake men up to this: It is NOT walls keeping them in

bondage. Rather, it is personal brokenness that lands them and keeps them in prison. But, Jesus has all the power needed to heal their brokenness.

     Rob’s story reminds us that freedom is a condition beginning on the inside and working outward. Even if a man could freely roam 100 acres of land – if he’s bound on the inside – he’s not free. Rob is a living, breathing, walking testimony of a man who, by God’s grace, attained the greatest freedom he’d ever known – while locked away in prison.

     Freedom is huge. Freedom is not free. Rob discovered that choosing God’s offer for freedom is rooted in seeing our own sin and repenting of it. The Hero at the center of Rob’s powerful story is a Savior much bigger than our mess. He’s able to handle all our junk - for all space, time and eternity.

     We’re all Robert Robbs. Our sins are no less deadly than Rob’s sin. Our only path home is the same path. Like Rob, we all need the Holy Spirit to help us see our own hopelessness. It takes the same amount of Jesus’ blood to make each of us right with God, for eternity.


Thank God for Rob’s story.

     Looking ahead, we hope to have more G.R.O.H. (Green River Open House) weekends. This weekend was brought about by joyful, gifted, anointed, local spiritual leaders like David Staley, Ismael Valesquez, Chaplain William Logan, Jose Ornelas, Rob Robbs, Neill Rogers, Juan Molina, Dawn Jordan, Leon Staley and many more who came alongside the TRM, (The River Ministries), Team to bring it about.


     The mission of our G.R.O.H. weekends is building bridges and bonds of love within the huge treasure we have in our shared of community of faith. Thank you to the leaders who brought friends, family and church groups. Thank you and “WELL DONE!!” to those who offered time, talents and treasures as gifts to make the first annual Fall G.R.O.H weekend a "mission accomplished." By God’s grace, together, as a people led by the love and Spirit of God, we’ll deliver more unity and authenticity to our community in the near future.


More good is yet to come.

With thanks and love,


-Tom Calton of The River Ministries

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The River Ministries , 325 Sycamore Lane, Rutherfordton, NC 28139, United States

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