Brotha Magazine's Best Book of 2011

Brotha Magazine is proud to announce that Patrick Shaffer's book "Love Again A Spirtual Memoir" has been chosen as its BEST BOOK OF 2011.

"Love Again dares to express what most men feel, but fear to say-and what every women longs to hear. This book challengens preconceived notions about the depth of masculine emotion whil paving a pathway to self-recovery and healing."

Charles Clark, Brotha Magazine's Publisher/Editor says ....

"Whether you are single, dating, married, separated, or divorced Patrick's book is a must read. His transparency will help you uncover what you have tried to bury and help you to know that you will LOVE AGAIN"

For more information about "Love Again" visit: www.patrickdshaffer.com/

For info on the Brotha Magazine please visit Brotha Magazine @ www.brothaonline.com or email us at info@brothaonline.com. A press release will be available shortly.

Jeremiah

The words of Jeremiah...to whom the word of the LORD came... Jeremiah 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Of all the books of prophecy in the Bible, Jeremiah's is the most personal. Large sections of Jeremiah are descriptive of what was happening in this prophet's heart as he follows through with the task that God had called him to...and it was one of the most difficult tasks the Lord had ever assigned to someone.

From the start, God told Jeremiah his audience wouldn't receive him, and his ministry wouldn't appear successful to outward eyes (Jeremiah 1:18). That didn't matter, however. Jeremiah was to speak for the Lord, no matter how unreceptive the people were. And he did. He faithfully carried out his duties as a prophet of the Lord for more than forty years.

But as hard as Jeremiah's ministry was, he had a secret weapon. He had something that always overcame the adversity he faced. He had an uninhibited connection with God. Over and over again, the Book of Jeremiah gives us snapshots of the back-and-forth between the prophet and the Lord. And what we see is a man who was real with God when he was truly suffering. Here's just a small sampling:

"Let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously...woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me...Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?" Jeremiah 12:1, 15:10, 18 (NKJV)

Do you see how real and raw Jeremiah is with the Lord? He doesn't approach God in a detached or cold way but speaks to Him like a real person...because He is.

Sadly, a lot of people don't have that kind of connection with the Lord. Even many Christians never feel the freedom to be this honest when they pray to Him.

Don't let that be true of you. Be respectful and reverent towards God, but at the same time be as real with Him as Jeremiah was.

Think About It…

Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div., C.P.E.

God Doesn't Bail

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. 2 Timothy 4:17 (NKJV)

Chronologically, the Book of 2 Timothy is the last letter written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It's an interesting and invaluable letter because it gives us a snapshot of what things were like for him towards the tail end of his prolific ministry

.Now, here is what may come as a surprise to many of us: While Paul impacted countless lives over the course of his missionary journeys, and although he had a healthy following of helpers and supporters throughout most of his life, many (if not most) had turned against him as his ministry came to a close.

That's hard for us to fathom. But Paul is the one who tells us that aside from Luke, all of the closest companions who had been by his side had forsaken him (2 Timothy 4:10-16). Process that for a second. After all the blood, sweat, and tears, Paul found himself with several knives in his back, courtesy of those he had trusted and invested in most.

Undoubtedly, Paul shed more than his share of tears, but he didn't crumple under the weight of this heartbreak. He had something stronger that supported him through it. Man had done the unthinkable to him, but there was a greater reality at work in the Apostle's life. Despite being forsaken by his closest earthly companions, the Lord stood by his side and didn't go anywhere.

God doesn't bail on us even when everybody else does. Regardless of how many turn their backs on us, the Lord never will. Every friend may abandon and betray us. Yet even if that should happen, we'll still be able to say as Paul did, "But the Lord."

For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)

Think About It...

Answai White

The Message

Has the church failed in teaching the saints true doctrine? Has the church migrated away from what has been taught to us down throughout the years? I ask this because one night as I was flipping through the religious programming channels, the message that was being preached was that of prosperity, sowing and reaping, tithing to receive the financial blessing of God, so on and so forth.

Now, do not mistake what I am saying. I am all for the teaching and educating the saints on how obedience leads to positive repercussions. However, have we now traded in holiness for membership? Have we come to the point that we will sacrifice living right for numbers on Sunday morning? Holiness is indeed a lifestyle that not only has rewards but consequences. How many churches still teach the fundamental heaven and hell are indeed real message, and I mean not just in New Membership class? We are living in an age where even the very elect of God are being deceived, thinking that they can live any kind of way and still go to heaven! The saints are clubbing throughout the week, singing and laying hands on Sunday morning. Any and everything just about is going on within the walls of the Temple, and no one wants to step up and speak against for fear of being out of place because of a lack of a title in front of their name.

Romans 3:23 declares it plainly, that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Galatians 3:22 declares that the Scripture has confined ALL under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. No single person is excluded from sin, as the above scriptures can confirm. But those of us who were once sinners have obtained the promise of Jesus Christ by having faith that He has forgiven us of our sin. This is the fundamental teaching that the church must never forsake, for before Jesus ever began to reveal the mysteries of heaven and taught that good measure pressed down and shaken together would men give into our bosom, he preached these words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).

To Live is Christ .....

There was a status on Facebook that I once read that said this: to know Christ is to know what life is about. To not know Christ is to wonder what life is all about. It brought to my attention the scripture that reads that “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain..” (Phil1:21)

In my opinion, one of the better benefits of living the life of a saint of God is that in dying, I actually am closer to living the life I was created to live. I know that was kind of heavy, but that is why it is written that Christ goes to prepare a place for us. Quite frankly, this is not our home. We simply are strangers passing through a barren land. But we have to understand that we are not to become INFECTED with the things of this world, but to AFFECT those people that are in the world. We quote Matthew 6:33 all of the time, have epiphanies, revelations and assumptions about it and STILL miss the fundamental point that it is the business of God to care for His people if they set their affections on the things that have nothing to do with this perishing planet.

Christ came for a people who would carry out the purpose of God, the will of God. He came for those who were lost in their way, and revealed that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He extended to us the invitation to live the life that He lives with his father. It is funny how there are efforts to extend life, clone humans, and look younger. Here is a simple solution: accept Christ, and live forever! Ultimately, to live life as the world is to live unto death, but to live life unto Christ is to invest in a hope and a future that includes a mansion, rest, heavenly treasures, but most of all, basking in the presence of the almighty God!

Ask for the Rain

Here is something that I am beginning to understand: anything that wants to grow is going to need two things: water and dirt. Dirt so that it could take in the nutrients from the ground, and water to provide moisture to the nutrients so that in due season, it will sprout into its intended shape. Here is what else I am beginning to understand: people do not want to go through anything. If a situation arises, we feel that it is because we have done something terribly wrong and we are being punished for it. Forget Hebrews 10:32-35 which talks about remembering that in the days of you struggling, you were illuminated.......and to not cast off your reward of confidence.

We know that with the economy the way it is now, that struggling is inevitable. Unless you were taught in the ways of finance, born into a wealthy family, or stumbled upon a prosperous idea, you are going to struggle at one point or another. Now it is one thing to be the victim of decision, but a totally different thing to ask to be put in a precarious situation. It takes having the mindset of a gardner to fully grasp the concept of taking a seed, planting it in good soil......then covering it in dirt and then watering it FREQUENTLY........knowing that the outcome of the seed will be good and that it will not only grow, but produce fruit after its own kind. Everything that has ever grown has gone through the process of being in dirt, water, and being assisted by the other elements that are not only essential for growth, but survival.

So don't be afraid to ask for the rain, and when you ask for it, leave the umbrella at home. It is the rain......not necessarily the sunshine........that is the most important element of growth.

A Mind to Work

As I sit and ponder about life’s dealings, I am reminded for one reason or another about the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall. One particular scripture sticks in my mind, and it is the one that declares that the people “had a mind to work”. Now we speak of the state of the mind all the time. We are quick to declare that one must not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Now the question becomes what will the state of the mind be after it is renewed? One of the tricks of the enemy is to remind us that though we may have a new mind, we are still in the same world, that our location has not changed, and he tries to convince us that it is a mere feeling and not an actual event. Paul’s encounter AND conversion happened in one place, at the same time.

The state of the mind is critical to the salvation of the saint. If the saint does not develop the attitude of a worker, then the life that they profess to live will be vain. Remember that salvation is not just the act of baptism, but the decision in the mind that this life is not the life that the price was paid for. Remember what we said in the beginning of this blog, that the people had a mind to work. What that says is that the decision was made that no matter what the cost, the sacrifice, there was work to be done and only a COLLECTIVE effort would ensure success. The mind wills the body to do so many things, to endure challenges, to defy the odds. Why? Because it was in the mind that the limitations were set, so what better place to destroy that which was established than the source of its existence? Once the mind is convinced that it can accomplish the task, the body has no choice but to follow the commands and instincts of the mind. The state of your mind depends on how bad you want to survive, and having the mind to work can only increase your chances of doing just that.