Continue the good work you’re doing by staying clean and reaching back to help somebody else who might be struggling with drugs like you were as you continue to take one day at a time.
“Don’t Use God...”
The letters won’t stop
Bishop:
My mother made me read your Bishop Speaks column in regards to the guy who lied in court and I first want to thank you. I told my mom how I was glad she made me read the article.
I went to see my probation officer a couple of days ago and I knew I had been using drugs. But, since he had not drug tested me in a few months because I was showing up on time and not missing my dates to see him, he told me and three others on probation that we were going to be drug tested. An unexpected surprise to me. He asked up front what would the drug test show and the two said they had not done drugs in a while. I didn’t say anything. After speaking to them, one at a time and now talking to me, I thought about your article and told my probation officer I had been smoking weed. He made me sit in the room with the other two guys while they were waiting on their test results and come to find out both of them had drugs in their system. They got locked up and, before they went to jail awaiting court, he told them only thing they had to do was be honest with him and he would had given them another chance to get it right. Bishop, he let me go and told me I better not fail the next drug test in two months when I will have it taken again.
Bishop, I learned my lesson. No matter what, it’s just best to tell the truth and take responsibility for your actions. I told the truth and got another chance to make right a wrong. As my mother said, you planted the seed and I took it from there and not behind bars, waiting to see the judge on a probation violation.
Bishop, I just wanted to say thanks.
Signed,
Just Tell the Truth
Dear Just Tell the Truth:
First, once again, thank your mother and give her a hug for making you read Bishop Speaks. Also, thank God for the prayers of mothers always praying for their children. Next, I’m so happy you told the truth and got the favor from God through the mercy of your probation officer. Believe me, he could have locked you up with the other two individuals yet he wanted you to be an example to them of you telling the truth and not telling a lie. You became a MAN because you took responsibility for your actions of smoking weed. You were willing to face whatever your probation officer was going to do.
Now, don’t turn your blessing (meaning your favor from the probation officer) into a curse and fail the drug text in two months. You have enough time to get your system clean. Remember people, places and things can lift you up or pull you down.
If you get tempted to use drugs, go to your Bible and read Proverbs 8:5. In case you may not have a Bible close by, it reads, “Are you immature? Learn to be mature. Are you foolish? Learn to have some sense.” Oh, let me give you one more Bible verse. Look at Proverbs 20:30, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.”
Hopefully you won’t have to go to jail for you to change your ways.
Bishop:
After reading your Bishop Speaks column on the young man who lied about working at the church and attending your church, I just wanted to write you.
I’m thirty five years old and have been off drugs now for eight years. Bishop, it was not until the people who meant the most to me stop dealing with me that I started to face the fact that I had a drug problem. When I was on probation, I knew when I was going to be drug tested and I was always ahead and had someone else’s urine to use and I always talked my way out other times from being tested. All my games ran out when people, including the judge who gave me chance after chance to get my act together, started holding me accountable. When my baby girl asked me, why you always smoking that stuff – which she heard her mother say – I felt uneasy. But going to prison for probation violation for three years was my rock bottom. Bishop, even in prison an inmate can get drugs but that was it for me. Drugs caused me to get locked up and I was not going to let drugs in prison keep me from getting out if I got caught which has happened to other inmates.
I’m just saying, nobody wants to see anybody go to prison but for some people – like me – that was my wake up call. The young man straight out lied like I used to and the judge should send his butt to prison. That might be his wake-up call and being help accountable is part of treatment to get off drugs, liquor or any substance control.
I didn’t have a question, just wanted to share this with you.
Signed,
My Wake Up Call
Dear My Wake Up Call:
Thanks for sharing this with me as I’ll share it with the many readers of Bishop Speaks.
There are many individuals doing the right things and it’s good to share this success story for others to be encouraged.
You’re right, nobody wants to see anybody go to prison but, nowadays with so much crime, killings, drugs and the list is endless, it is a fact that some people need to be in prison and never get out from the crime they have committed. I often try and share wisdom with many of the youth of today and, often, I have to remind myself of what the Word of God says in Proverbs 23:9, “Don’t try and talk sense to a fool; he can’t appreciate it.” Many don’t want to hear wisdom until they are standing in front of a judge in court or sitting at a funeral of one of their friends killed through senseless violence hearing a preacher try and talk sense in his sermon.
Continue the good work you’re doing by staying clean and reaching back to help somebody else who might be struggling with drugs like you were as you continue to take one day at a time.
You can e-mail the bishop at bishopspeaks@aol.com. Check him out on facebook under Bishop Prince J. Moultry or the church website at www.intouchforchrist.com. Join the bishop each Sunday at the 11a.m. Worship Service or each Wednesday night 6pm till 7:30pm for midweek Bible Study. The church located at 969 E. 140th St. Cleveland, Ohio 44110. You can call the church at (216) 761-7100.
