August 15, 1999
Ricky Blackmon. Ricky "grew up in the church" as we say. The members of his
immediate family are currently members of the Southside church of Christ in Mt. Pleasant,
Texas. Ricky fell into sin and didn't stop until he was put on death row at the Texas
State Prison in Huntsville, Texas.
After eleven years on death row, Ricky was executed this past Wednesday night [Aug. 4,
srf] in Huntsville. He wrote an open letter about his rebellion and subsequent repentance.
Here is the letter Ricky wrote. - Warren Berkley
There was an interesting article about Blackmon and his execution in the Houston
Chronicle, August 5, Section A, page 40. If you do not have it, you can read it in the
Houston Chronicle Archives: http://www.chron.com/content/archive/index.html.
- srf
- by Ricky Don Blackmon
Dear brothers and sisters,
I hope I may have a moment of your time. I am writing to you from prison, yes prison. In a
way I hope to reach out in the way that Paul did while he was in prison, by letters. But I
have a different reason for my letter, yet it is for the same purpose that Paul had, to
help you live according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
First, stop and think what it is that may or may not cause one of us to end up in prison.
It is the same thing that can cause us to end up in HELL. What is that? SIN !!!
And one of the sins I want to speak about here today is: "REBELLION"
Rebellion is what most of us don't think about very much. Like not listening to our
parents when they tell us something. Like not listening to God when He tells us something.
Like not listening to Governing authorities. And one of the greatest and easiest things
that cause this rebellion is your friends. Yes, your friends will try to get you to do
something, and if you say "no', often they will say; "come on, are you
scared?", or they'll call you "chicken". Then most people will jump right
in and do whatever it is, for most people don't like to be looked at like that by their
friends. Or, you may only be running around with a crowd, and they do things that are not
right. But consider this, if people see what they are like, and know that you run around
with them, whether you partake of the things they do or not, people will think you are
just as bad as they are. some say; "birds of a feather flock together". If you
don't pick your friends, like some pick tomatoes, you may pick a bad one. And take if from
me, someone who has been there, that can cost you more than I think you are willing to
pay. I know what I am talking about, for all I have said so far, landed me on death row.
ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME ?????
Wild women, drugs, and fast living, was the road I took and look where it got me. Don't
think it cannot happen to you, for if you find yourself on any of these roads, you will
sooner or later run into a situation that may hurt not only you, but your loved ones as
well. And when you say, "Oh, I know what I am doing," believe me, I said the
very same thing, and see where I am.
I obeyed the gospel many many years ago and fell away, and now I have come home to the
Lord again. I feel the Lord allowed me to end up here to wake me up from the sinful life I
was living, for who knows, had I not ended up in here, I might still be living that fast
life. When I obeyed the gospel I was told through God's word what to do, and I fell away.
Jonah was told what to do also, but he didn't do it, and ended up in the belly of a whale.
If you have heard or read the story you know that he repented and God had the whale spit
him out on the beach. Now, I am not saying I will be spit out of this cement whale I call
it, or that I will be digested in it, or will I live out my life to old age in here. But,
PLEASE HEAR ME, clean up your life if you are in the wrong way of life. In the back of
your mind you know who you are and the life you live. And if you say to yourself, like I
said many times; "I know what I am doing", the TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL
JUSTICE, better known as TDC; has a number for you. Mine is 000893. I am only one of 340
some odd people on death row here in Texas. And if you run with the wrong people YOU could
get the death penalty. For example; say you are riding around with a friend, and you pull
into a gas station. Your friend goes in to pay for the gas, and robs and kills the gas
station attendant. You are only sitting in the car, but under Texas Law, a District
Attorney can get a jury to give YOU a death sentence as well as the guy that did the
killing. And Texas will execute people like that as if they were the one who did the
crime. There is a man down here who was hitchhiking and got into the car with a guy that
had just killed someone and stole their car. When he was caught, the hitchhiker was not
only arrested, but got the death penalty also, because the killer did not tell them he was
only a hitchhiker. So he may die for something he did not do. Do you think you can say;
"I know what I am doing" NOW ???
It is my prayer that you will stop and think about your life, young and old, for we are
all under a law, God's law. If we obey the Lord, then we can have eternal life, even if
life on earth throws us a curve, like it did me. But I was able to repent of my sins, but
I also could have been dead before I had a chance to repent, and I know without a doubt,
had I done so I would be bound for Hell. But I did repent, and have the chance to meet you
in Heaven come Judgment Day. So please, let's work for the goal together, OK?
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Ricky Don Blackmon
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News of Interest
Linda Ottersbach had to be taken to Kingwood Hospital about 2 a.m. last
Monday morning with severe abdominal pains. A number of tests were conducted and several
procedures she was able to go home Friday . . . Genia Rice was taken to Herman
hospital last week with chest pains. The tests indicated the cause was pleurisy, not heart
trouble as was feared, and she was able to return home . . . Dusti Ruddell was able
to return home from the hospital last Friday. . . Last Sunday Clint and Gina Palermo
expressed their desire to work with the church in Humble. If you haven't met them, be sure
and do and to welcome them! Their children are Emily and Joshua. Address:
5807 Timber Oaks Ridge, Humble, TX, 77346. Phone: (281) 812-1102. Gina's father, who has
terminal cancer, was taken to the hospital (in Clear Lake) last week. She expresses
appreciation for the many calls she has received . . . Vincente Ramirez' July
report is available in the foyer.
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Elders' Lessons
If you have missed any of the lessons on elders, we encourage you to obtain a copy
from John Whitehead. It is important that qualified men be selected to serve in
this vital role.
Accepting Responsibility (July 18, am) - Encouraging men and women (potential
elders wives) to accept the responsibility to serve if qualified, either now or in the
future.
Role of Elders (July 25, am) - The root of "elders" is in O.T. history.
The role "elders" served in national Israel and a brief look at their role as
indicated in the terms used to describe them in the N.T.
Then Let Them Serve (Aug. 1, am) - It is the congregation's responsibility to
select its representatives. This lesson discusses guidelines for fair and honorable
selection of qualified men.
Character Qualifications (Aug. 8, pm) - A brief overview of the character
qualifications in 1 Tim. 3 and Tit. 1.
Character Qualifications II (Aug. 15, pm) - "Faithful children" and
"elder" (if time permits)
Work Qualifications (Aug. 22, pm) - Men must be qualified not only in character,
but ability and willingness to do the work.
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Transportation for Zelma Bobbitt
-- August --
Sun., 15, am - Fontenot pm - B. Simpson
Wed., 18, pm - Rocky Rodriguez
Sun., 22, am - Larry Legg pm -
Wed., 25, pm - Jim Crain
Sun., 29, am - pm - Rice
-- September --
Wed., 1, pm - Michael Gove
Sun., 5, am - pm -
Wed., 8, pm - Schindler
Sun., 12, am - pm -
Wed., 15, pm -
Sun., 19, am - pm -
Wed., 22, pm -
Sun., 26, am - pm -
Wed., 29, pm -
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SCHEDULED TO SERVE
Wednesday, Aug. 18
Song Leader: Boyd Hurst
Sunday AM, Aug. 22
Announcements: Bill Faulkner
Song Leader: Dwight Osteen
First Prayer: David Osteen
Lord's Table:
Bread: Gary Tuttle
Fruit of the Vine: Craig Ottersbach
Contribution: Ennis Osteen
Assistant: Arthur Wilborn
Closing Prayer: Rocky Rodriguez
Sunday PM, Aug. 22
Song Leader: David Osteen
First Prayer: Wallace Ottersbach
Lord's Table:
Bread: Dwight Osteen
Fruit of the Vine: Tod Aldridge
Contribution: Fred Ferguson
Closing Prayer: Billy Lovell
RE: Ricky Blackmon - by W.R. Jones (The Messenger, Decker Prairie Church of Christ, Aug. 8,
1999)
There is nothing good that can be said about this atrocious crime which was a working of
Satan in his heart. Now, let us hear the rest of the story. I have made the journey from
my home in Conroe, Texas to Huntsville's Ellis #1 unit a good many times to visit Ricky
Don and study the Word of God with him. He constantly studied the Bible and was always
thrilled to see me that we might pray and study the Word together for about two hours.
Bob Pulliam who preaches for the Woodland Hills church in Conroe, made these journeys with
me. While I studied with Ricky Don, Bob taught another death row inmate. Ricky was a
handsome man with a very clean and neat appearance. He was usually upbeat in spite of the
circumstances. At the end of our sessions I would ask the guard to let me buy him a soft
drink which was handed to him through a very small door. I never shook his hand. The
nearest we came to contact was to place our hands apposite on the heavy steel wire that
separated us. I had the opportunity to meet his parents while preaching a meeting at the
84th Street church in Oklahoma City. They drove quite a distance to attend two nights of
the meeting. Not too long after that brother Blackmon, a gospel preacher, passed suddenly
from this life. Of course, Ricky Don could not attend the funeral. They were godly people
and according to Ricky they did what they could to bring him up in the right way. Parents
should not be blamed for ungodly children when they have done their best to rear them in
God's way. Leon Goff baptized Ricky "into Christ" when he was a young man. After
the execution his body was taken to Mt. Pleasant, Texas where Leon Goff and Larry Bilbo
spoke at his funeral. A number of preachers and other Christians visited with him on
various occasions. David Banning, who once preached at Huntsville and became friends with
Ricky Don had been asked to witness the execution. Arnold Cochran, the present preacher at
Huntsville, and David spent some time with him on Tuesday and on Wednesday before the
execution time.
Ricky Don told me that when he was 17 years of age he rebelled against the Lord and his
parents and refused to listen to their advice. He said, "don't blame my
parents." "Don't blame the prosecuting attorney, he was just doing the job he
was elected to do, nor the jury which simply acted on the evidence they heard."
"I alone have sinned." Certainly, there were other wicked factors that helped
provoke this crime, but he did the deed and he has paid the price of earthly punishment.
He did not try to hide his sins. He is the only prisoner I have dealt with who
fully and completely acknowledged his wrong. Most inmates, to hear them tell it, were
framed, mistakenly identified, just happened to be in the wrong place, or were abused as a
child. Not so with Ricky, who said, "I am guilty, I deserved to be punished."
He was penitent over his sins. If his language was true, and I believe it was, he
was as sorry what he did as the apostle Paul was for persecuting and killing Christians
before his conversion. Ricky constantly apologized and prayed that God would forgive him
for his terrible deed.
He was constantly trying to teach others. I sent
him the Messenger every week. He read every word and passed it around to others as much as
possible. I sent him articles, and others did also, which he used to teach those around
him. Sometimes he was discouraged because others would not listen the Truth, but he kept
on trying. He wrote many letters to warn young people where he made his mistake. If I knew
of a young person who was getting on the wrong track I would send him their address and he
would send them a letter with some of he best advice one could read. I have read of his
letters to young people in various places and they were astonished. God alone knows how
many young people may have been saved from ruin from his letters. Ricky has departed this
life by reason of civil punishment. At the execution hour I could only think of Martin
Luther King's words; "Free last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at
last."
Young friends, there are three mistakes Ricky made when he was a young man. I urge you to
beware of these three snares.
He decided to leave God out of his life. Of course, God has been back in his life
for a decade, for which we are grateful, but there was a time when God was not in the
picture. It isn't that he has not repented and that he cannot be saved, but just look at
the price he has paid. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap. "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh
reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8) Some of this reaping can take place in this life;
what a price to pay. My young friends, don't make this mistake.
He decided that he would not listen to his parents. Children are not qualified to
run their own lives, they need the guidance of good parents. Here is the reason why;
(Proverbs 22:15) "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of
correction shall drive it far from him." (Proverbs 6:20) "My son, keep thy
father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother My young friends, don't
make this mistake.
He chose to run with the wild crowd. The wild crowd will promise you great things,
but they always bring you to a bitter end. (Proverbs 1:10-19) "My son, if sinners
entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let
us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave;
and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we
shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My
son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet
run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight
of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the
owners thereof." My young friends, don't make this mistake.
Let us profit from Ricky Don's mistakes. Let us learn and profit by the way he turned his
life around. He is gone but his lessons remain. Our sympathy to his mother and brothers
and sisters.