Sunday 2/22/2009 – Rick open quoting Psalms 139.3 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” asking his audience to realize that our heavenly Father knows our secret thoughts and wants, not only to clean up our outer life, but more importantly our inner life.  Two young men, Mikeithian and Jalen have completed the Pegasus program and were heading for home.  C.J. prayed the blood of Jesus Christ over them.

 Michael, a Pegasus resident, read his favorite Psalm, A prayer of David, Psalm 86:

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.
 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God.
 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.
 4 Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.
 5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
 6 Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry.
 7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.

8 No pagan god is like you, O Lord.  None can do what you do!
 9 All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name.
 10 For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.

11 Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.
 12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,
 13 for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.

14 O God, insolent people rise up against me; a violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them.
 15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
 16 Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant;  save me, the son of your servant.
 17 Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

 Wade, one of the Pegasus young men, encouraged the boys to know that God loves each of them.

Lyndee told the boys that it was no mistake they were at Pegasus.  It was God’s plan for them.  She read Mat. 13.44-46

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

 45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

And then encouraged each one to seek the Kingdom of God with all their heart and all their mind.

The Pegasus Boy’s Choir led by Wade led us in singing praises with Ben playing.  We sang “When I Think about the Lord”, “Amazing Grace” and “I can Only Imagine”.

Ben was anointed to overflowing and his music was definitely an outward sign of that anointing.  He started out slowly with “To God be the Glory”, “Glory and Honor to Him” and “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”.  Then he said we are going to have a little church.  Whatever He wants I am going to do and took off with a fast tempo singing; “Jesus is My Rock”, “My God is Real” and “Bless that Wonderful Name”, The boys loved it.  I loved it!

C.J., the Lockhart Pegasus Ministry leader, was our speaker. Using the story of Cain and Abel as his background he began to tell of how rejection had plagued his early years.  His audience listened intently as he expressed the pain that rejection had caused him and the results of it.  He remarked how over and over he tried to change, but always fell short, until he came to realize that only God could make that change come about. 

He then turned his personal story in the direction of each of the boys telling them that sin is always at the door trying to get into our lives and it is each of us that can open that door or call upon the Lord to keep it locked.  Watching the over 100 young men listening to his message was heart breaking.  You could see the hurt in their faces as they related C.J.’s pain to their own.

C.J. in a loud voice said; “Some of you won’t listen and as a result will end up in prison”.  I know that is true but it does not have to be that way.  He quoted Luke 19.10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”  He went on to help his audience understand that Jesus not only came to save but was seeking those that are lost.  There very presence and his message meant they were found and now the choice was theirs.  They may reject Jesus Christ but He will never reject them.

Of all the men and women who speak at Pegasus in my humble opinion, none relate like C.J. and the boys respond to him like no others.  His messages are a combination of street talk and spiritual insights woven together in such a way that stirs the emotions of his audience.  It is difficult to write a summary of his message.  It must be heard to be fully appreciated.