Deacon Spotlight: Willie Ronshausen

Guest Blog: Robert Newman

Willie Ronshausen and his wife Janet came to Baptist Temple in 1996, where he has served in many capacities including Deacon, Sunday School teacher, greeter, building and grounds, administration and more. He as been preaching at the San Antonio Rescue Mission for eight years.

Born on June 22, 1942 and baptized at the age of 10 in a Baptist church, Willie began Assemblies of God from age 12 until he came to Baptist Temple. It was as at Highlands Assembly of God where Willie first served as a deacon in 1987.

What Willie likes most about Baptist Temple is the friendliness and support of the members. This was something that he and Janet felt from their very first visit.

Willie is a cancer survivor and remains cancer-free by God's grace but the greatest miracle in his life came when he was run over by his own truck. He was working under the truck when it began to roll down hill and across his body. He suffered six broken ribs and his collarbone was broken in 3 places but no organs were damaged.

People rarely survive that type of accident but Willie says Jesus was with him then and through the process of healing. He guesses that God had more work for him to do.

Willie and Janet have been married for 41 years. He retired from the Army and civil service in 2002. He enjoys serving the Lord and helping people as well as hunting and fishing.

God is faithful to His Word and promises

Guest blog by Raquel Delagarza

We lived in the Victoria Courts from the time I was in first grade until shortly after I graduated from high school. I was blessed with a mother who lived her faith and gave glory and thanks to God in front of us, so we knew who our God and Provider was. She always reminded us that God would never leave us or forsake us.

Sometimes it may seem that God is far away or not listening when we are experiencing hard times. But He has never seemed more real to me than when I lean on Him for strength, comfort, mercy and grace.

I have had several health scares in my lifetime; through each the Lord has been with me.

When I was nine years old, my appendix ruptured. Through the night, I was draped in towels rinsed in ice water, and then ice was placed on top of the towels to get my fever down for the surgery. Throughout the night, my mom sat by my bed and together we recited the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm.

My most recent health scare was breast cancer in 2016. God gave me peace to trust Him so I was able to get through two months of tests before the diagnosis and treatment were firm. He spoke to me through His Word and Christian songs.

While going through the various tests, I clung to Psalm 112:7, "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them."
 
Once I received the cancer diagnosis, Isaiah 43:2 gave me strength, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you"

And Philippians 4:6-7 reminded me to take my petitions to the Lord and leave them with him, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The chorus of one of the Christian songs I kept singing was,

In the eye of the storm, you remain in control.
In the middle of the war, you guard my soul.
You alone are my anchor, when my sails are torn.
Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm."

My prayer is that my moments of weakness or fear would not cause someone to doubt and wonder, "where is the God she said she believes in?"

God is faithful to His Word and promises because He is God.

Jesus heals body and soul

A sudden burst of sunlight interrupted the master's teaching. Everyone looked up to see a man being lowered through a hole in the roof. We learn in Luke's Gospel (5:17-26) that the man is paralyzed. His friends wanted to bring him to Jesus; his only hope.

They'd heard Jesus was in town and teaching in a nearby house. These men knew that if they could get their friend to Jesus, his life would be changed. Upon arrival, they were disappointed to find the house full. It was standing room only. People were peeking in and those who couldn't see were listening outside the walls.

The friends of the paralyzed man would not be deterred from their mission. They climbed up on the roof, carrying their friend, and dug a hole in it so they can place their friend in front of Jesus.

Imagine the shock of the crowd at the audacity of these invaders. All eyes turn back to Jesus when he says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20)

“Wait! What?”

It was so quiet you could almost hear the thoughts of the people. The Bible says that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21)

What about the healing? It seems odd that Jesus forgave the paralyzed man before healing him but Jesus used this moment to show that he had the authority to forgive sins by healing the man.

Jesus' healing reaches beyond our bodily ailments to the salvation of our eternal souls; even, beyond death. It is holistic healing. A woman, who had a blood flow for 12 years, touched the hem of Jesus' clothes and her bleeding stopped immediately. What Jesus then told her reaches beyond cure to the deeper need of the whole person: “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)

God is not just interested in saving our souls. Salvation is healing for the whole person: body, mind and spirit. God has promised the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body to life everlasting. The Gospels record 40 healings that were signs pointing ahead to our ultimate healing.

If God is interested in both our physical and spiritual health, then so should the church. As a global body the church has done well in this area. We have established public schools, universities, hospitals, orphanages, rescue missions and all manner of relief and development ministries; all in an effort to minister to body and soul. William Carey, the father of modern missions, established schools and clinics in an effort to reach the people of India with the gospel.

Local churches are the hands and feet of Jesus, ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors. This is especially true in an under-resourced, inner-city area. Working with agencies that provide human services can bring new life into a congregation facing declining numbers and finances while saddled with a large building. Sharing the building will help cover utilities and deferred maintenance and bring new people into the building. This type of cooperation provides the type of relationship building that wins souls and heals bodies and emotions.

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV)

We Need More Faith

Mark 9:14-29

Faith (even weak faith) helps us with life's trials--if it is right faith.

Jesus returned to the Apostles after a brief separation (see: From the Mountain to the Valley) and walked into a commotion. The Apostles were surrounded by a crowd and arguing with teachers of the law.

A man from the crowd explained that the Apostles were unable to cast a demon out of his son. Their power failure fueled the fire for these teachers of the law. They had a chance to to turn the crowd against Christ's followers.

The Apostles were baffled. Jesus had recently given them the power and authority over demons when he sent them out into the towns and villages. They successfully drove out demons from people. They had the power but they could not drive the demon from this boy.

Jesus declared them to be a faithless generation. The Apostles had some faith but they did not fully understand the true nature of Jesus' and his power. Like some church goers their faith was limited by an incomplete understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

The Apostles (and some church-goers today) had a self-centered faith. They liked to be around Jesus and hear him teach. They liked the miracles and the possibility of becoming important but the idea of servant hood and sacrifice were not on their agenda.

The boy's father had a faltering faith. He believed in what Jesus was able to do, but struggled with doubt. Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Faith is an active force in the accomplishment of miracles. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

The father's faith was mixed with doubt. "I do believe; help me in my unbelief," he said.

Jesus' response to this man's imperfect faith was to cast the demon out of his son. It is encouraging that our faith does not need to be perfect. On the other hand, our reliance on God must be complete.

Unbelief has no power. It can block miracles: “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58)

Unbelief can bring discouragement among God’s people: “But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, 'We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!' So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites.” (Numbers 13:31-32)

Power comes to the people of God when there is faith. Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood, “Your faith has made you whole.”

“...all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Do You Want To Get Well?

Offering help is complicated. Jesus once encountered a paralytic by the pool at Bethesda (John 5:1-15). He had been in this condition for 38 years but no one would take him into the healing waters. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

Is this an insensitive question to ask this poor man? It may have addressed some other questions people had but would not voice.
“Why doesn’t he crawl?”
“Why didn’t his friends help him?”
“Where is his family?”

Jesus’ question cut to the very center of the man’s heart and exposed the motives that lay deep within. He had relied upon others to make his way in life. He would no longer have an excuse for the condition of his life. Healing would mean he would need to work and assume responsibilities.

Questions bring clarity and help us to understand the real need. Jesus asked many questions.
“Who do you say that I am?”
“Why do you call me good?”
"Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
“Do you want to get well?”

Jesus often involved the person in the process of healing. He told a blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam (JN 9:7) and ten lepers to go the priest (LK 17:11-19). It seems to me that an individual seeking help needs to work harder than those who are offering help. Otherwise, wouldn’t our “help” actually be enabling. Jesus the told this man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Another wrinkle is added when Jesus tells the man, “See, you are well. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

Jesus is reminding us that crisis situations tend to have a spiritual dimension. To another paralytic Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” before healing him (MT 9:6).

A person seeking help has opened up a door for ministry. The church, both gathered and scattered, is a source of blessing to everyone who is in need. We must be good stewards not just of the resources provided to us by God through His people but, also, of the opportunity to have a life-changing impact on a person’s life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Offering help is complicated but asking questions, empowering the person to help themselves, and being mindful of the person’s spiritual condition can lead to a blessed outcome.