WALTER
MY GREAT FRIEND
"SWEETNESS"
THEY CALL HIM
HE IS "HOME" NOW
BUT
NOT SO FAR
FROM ALL OF YOU

HE
STILL
RUNS AND RUNS AND RUNS
NOT
FOR TOUCHDOWNS
BUT FOR
SHEER
INCOMPREHENSIBLE JOY
THE
JOY
THAT IS FOUND HERE
IN THE HEAVENS

HE WORE
A BADGE OF COURAGE
IN LIFE
HE STRIVED
FOR THE BEST
TO BE THE BEST
TO CREATE THE BEST
AND
HE WAS
THE BEST
AT WHAT HE DID

HE WAS
STRENGTH BEYOND STRENGTH
HE WAS
OBNOXIOUS STRENGTH
IF
YOU WERE SENT
TO BLOCK HIM
HE WAS
POWER BEYOND
LIFTING WEIGHTS AND WORKING OUT
HE WAS
A NATURAL
IN THE
SPORTS WORLD
BUT ALSO
A PERSON TO COPY
IN ALL ASPECTS
OF HIS LIFE
HE RAN
AND
PLAYED
AND
TEASED
AND
LOVED
AND
HUGGED
AND
BECAME
ALL
THAT
THOSE AROUND HIM
NEEDED AT THE MOMENT

HE
LOVED CHILDREN
AND NEVER
SENT THEM AWAY
BUT
WOULD GIVE HIS BEST
SO THAT THEY
WOULD HAVE
ONE GREAT MEMORY

HE WAS
A MAN'S MAN
HE WAS
TOUGH AND YET
SO TENDER
HE WAS
THE TYPE
THAT WOULD NEVER TAKE
THE "EASY ROAD"

IF
YOU WERE SENT
TO TACKLE HIM
ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD
YOU'D BETTER PRAY
TO
ME
FOR HELP
HE WOULDN'T RUN OUT
OF BOUNDS
WHEN THE DEFENDER CAME
HE WANTED PEOPLE
TO FEEL
HIS IMPACT

AND
THE WORLD DID
NOT JUST
IN FOOTBALL
BUT
ALL OF LIFE
HIS IMPACT LEFT THE PEOPLE
IN TEARS
HE LEFT THEM
WITH CHANGED HEARTS
HE LEFT THEM
WITH A HERO TO REMEMBER
HE LEFT THEM
LOOKING UP AND WANTING
JUST ONE MORE MINUTE
WITH HIM

HE LEFT
BUT HE REMAINS IN THOSE
WHO HE TOUCHED
HIS SMILE
IS NEVER FAR AWAY
THEY WILL
ALWAYS
BE REMINDED
TO GIVE 100%
TO EVERY EFFORT

WALTER
IS AN
INDIVIDUAL
THAT NEVER FAILED
ON EARTH
AND YET
A DISEASE TOOK HIS LIFE
IN A GREAT FIGHT
HE FOUGHT
AND
HE PLAYED
AND
HE LIVED
IN
GREAT STRENGTH
BUT
WHEN THE FINAL HOURS
CAME
I
WAS
HIS
STRENGTH
MANY, MANY, MANY
PEOPLE PRAYED
FOR WALTER TO RECOVER
BUT
IT WAS TIME
FOR HIM
TO RUN UNHINDERED
ON NEW GROUND

MY HAND OF STRENGTH
TOOK HOLD
OF HIM
AND
I
BROUGHT HIM
"HOME"
HE
NEVER FEARED
BECAUSE HE KNEW
ME
WELL
HE TRUSTED
ME
COMPLETELY
AND
HE KNEW THAT
I
WOULD DO
WHAT WAS
BEST

A
FRIEND
FOUND HIM
AT THE AIRPORT
DANCING
BESIDE HIS CAR
WITH THE MUSIC
BLARING
AFTER HE KNEW THERE WAS
LITTLE TIME LEFT
WHY?

HE
TOLD THE FRIEND
THAT HE WAS JUST SPENDING
SOME TIME WITH
ME
AND FELT LIKE
DANCING

WALTER
LIVED FULLY ON EARTH
AND
NOW LIVES FULLY
WITH
ME
OH, HE STILL RUNS
AND RUNS
AND RUNS

IF ONLY
YOU COULD SEE HIM
BUT
KNOW THAT IT TOOK
MY STRENGTH
TO BRING HIM
HERE

HE
DID NOT
WANT TO LET GO
THERE WAS SO MUCH
THAT HE WAS LEAVING
BEHIND
SO MANY THAT HE LOVED
AND WANTED
TO CARE FOR
BUT
IT WAS
MY TIMING

HE
WENT FROM
STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
THROUGHOUT
HIS WHOLE LIFE

I
BECAME
THAT LAST TOUCH
OF
STRENGTH
TO
BRING HIM
SAFELY HOME

PEOPLE
YOU
DON'T
NEED TO FEAR DEATH
IF
YOU BELONG
TO
ME

YOU
DON'T
NEED TO FEAR
WHERE YOU WILL LIVE
AND HOW
YOU WILL LIVE

I
HAVE MADE
ALL
THE ARRANGEMENTS
BUT
THAT LAST MOMENT
THOSE LAST FEW SECONDS
ON EARTH
WHERE
WILL YOU GAIN
THE STRENGTH
TO LET GO
IN HONOR
AS
WALTER PAYTON
DID?

I
CAN GIVE YOU
ALL
THE STRENGTH
THAT YOU NEED
TO LIVE
ON THIS EARTH
IN
GREAT
SUPERNATURAL FASHION
BUT
I AM
ALSO THERE
WHEN IT IS TIME
TO GO
"HOME"
TO
GIVE YOU
STRENGTH
TO
LET GO

COME AND DISCOVER
MY STRENGTH
IT IS
FAR MORE
THAN
YOU WOULD EVER
EXPECT

IT IS
GREATER
THAN
YOU COULD EVER
PRODUCE
ON YOUR OWN

IT IS
FROM
MY BEING
AND
AVAILABLE
TO
ALL
WHO BELONG
TO
ME

COME
BE
STRENGTHENED

(Walter Payton's story is told in the book
"Never Die Easy"
written by Walter Payton and Don Yaeger)

***

JOE

LET
ME
TELL YOU
ABOUT A BOY
NAMED "JOE"
WHO IS JUST A BOY
BUT
REALLY
A MAN ON THE INSIDE

HE TAKES ON
ALL
THAT
I
GIVE HIM TO DO

HE LISTENS TO
MY VOICE
AND OBEYS

HE STRUGGLES
WITH SATAN
AS
I
TEST HIS STRENGTH

I
SHOW HIM
THAT HE
DOES NOT
HAVE
ENOUGH STRENGTH
TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL
WHERE
I
HAVE CALLED HIM
TO GO
AND HE HAS LEARNED
TO QUICKLY ASK
FOR
MY STRENGTH

HE IS JUST
11 YEARS OLD
BUT
A MODEL OF WHAT
I
WANT THE MEN
TO BE
BUT
THE MEN FALL SO SHORT
OF THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY
AND
THEIR HUNGER
FOR
ME

EVERYTHING
AND
EVERYBODY
DISTRACTS THEM
THEY GO
HERE AND THERE
PROFESSING
TO KNOW
ME
BUT
SO FEW
HEAR
MY VOICE
AND THEN
THERE IS
JOE --- MY JOE
HE SITS AND LISTENS
TO
ME
AND OBEYS
MY
EVERY WORD

WHO
WILL
I
BLESS?

WHO
WILL
I
BESTOW
HONOR
AND
POWER
AND
COURAGE
UPON?

WELL . . . WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

I
WILL RAISE UP
MANY
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
JUST LIKE JOE
THEY WILL HEAR
MY VOICE
AND DO
ALL
THAT
I
SAY
AND
I
WILL SURELY ALLOW
THE GENERATIONS
BEFORE THEM
WHO PROFESS
TO KNOW
ME
BUT
KNOW
ME
NOT
TO FALL
BY THE SWORD

THESE ARE
NOT
EASY TIMES
AND ALL THAT
YOU MAY HAVE LEARNED
IN CHURCH
OR
BIBLE STUDY
OR
SPENDING GREAT AMOUNTS
OF MONEY
ON CHRISTIAN BOOKS
OR
WATCHING
CHRISTIAN TELEVISION
OR
EVEN ATTENDING SEMINARY
WILL NOT
SAVE YOU
WILL NOT
GRANT YOU
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
TO CONQUER
THE
EVIL SET
AGAINST YOU

BE LIKE JOE
LISTEN
TO
MY VOICE
AND
OBEY

AND
YOUNG JOE
I
SPEAK TO YOU
THIS DAY
YOU DREAM OF HEAVEN
AND LONG FOR TRANSLATIONS
TO A PLACE
WHICH YOU KNOW
TO BE
"HOME"

YOU HOPE THAT
I
WILL BRING YOU
"HOME"
OFTEN
FOR
YOU KNOW
THE PLACE
YOU KNOW
THE PEACE
YOU KNOW
THE KING
OF THE LAND

YOU ARE
SAFE THERE
AND
LOVED
AND
FULL OF STRENGTH
BUT
YOUNG MAN
LITTLE MAN
YOU MUST
SHOW THE PEOPLE
HOW
TO ATTAIN THE RICHES
OF
THE KINGDOM
WHILE STILL ON EARTH
YOUR HEART
WILL ALWAYS YEARN
FOR THE
CLOSENESS YOU FIND
AT
"HOME"
BUT
I
HAVE A JOB
FOR YOU TO DO
YOU ARE ALREADY
DOING IT
AS
I
SPEAK IT TO YOU
YOU WILL
NEVER
LOSE THE CLOSENESS
THE INTIMACY
THAT
WE SHARE
FATHER
AND SON
WE ARE A TEAM

LET'S SHOW
THE WORLD
WHAT THEY HAVE
TO LOOK FORWARD TO

LET'S SHOW
THEM HOW
TRUE PEOPLE
OF THE KINGDOM
LIVE AND BREATHE

LET'S SHOW
THEM
MY POWER
AND
LOVE
AND
TRUTH

WE'LL
DO IT
TOGETHER
OK?

I AM
SO
VERY, VERY PROUD
OF YOU

LOVE YOU, SON

DAD

NOW
PEOPLE
WHEN YOU THINK
OF THE NAME
"JOE"
THINK OF
MY CLOSE FRIEND
AND
ASK ME
TO MAKE YOU
A
TRUE CHILD
OF
THE FATHER
AS JOE IS

THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL

BELL # 17