Renewed Passion

Here is something I have come to understand: in this day and age, you need not to wait until your birthday, New Year’s Day, or any other day to renew a passion or a resolution that you may have started, thought that you wanted to start, or maybe even just thought of. I believe that the word of God declares that “NOW is the acceptable time”. In other words, there is no time like the present. Charles Buxton once said, “You will never find time. If you want time, you must make it.”

That quote is truest in this era. We have become so busy that people often say they need more than 24 hours to accomplish all that they need in a day. Technology has become so advanced that we are able to program DVR’s from our phones……we can keep up with the latest news, gossip, etc. via Facebook, Twitter, and other applications. However, we somehow have lost touch with the outside world. Vacations are used to catch up on business, the Xbox, Playstation, and the Wii has taken the place of going to the beach and local amusement parks. Family time consists of instant messaging and playing games on cell phones at the dinner table.

Where has the time gone? I challenge you to make the time to do what you have set out to do. If you want to lose weight, commit at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Doctors conclude that devoting at least that much time a day, 3-4 days a week will steer you in the right path. So many other things have taken a back seat due to the excuse that there is not enough time. Stop complaining about you not having time. If you want to do something you set out to do, and I mean really set your heart and mind to it, you will do like Charles Buxton said and “make time”.

It's Alright ... It's OK

Mistakes happen……point blank. Name me one person who has never made a mistake!? There is only one man, and his name is Jesus. I will never understand for the life of me how one can justly “cast stones” at someone when they themselves have their own closets that are full of only God knows what!

What gets me most is that these people are the so called “people of God”. They are quick to throw the line of, “I am not judging, but I am just saying…..”. If I am not mistaken, as soon as you utter the word “but”, do you not erase everything that you previously stated? So not only are you passing judgment, but you are assuming a position that is only designed for God himself. Then wonder why no one can notice the change in your walk, your talk, your relationship with Christ. You wonder why you are seemingly going around and around in circles…..you yourself are walking around in judgment because best believe that the same measure that you are judging with is the same measure that you are being judged with.

When will we fully learn to live what we preach…..forgiveness. There is a quote that declares, “To err is human, but to forgive is divine”. We say we want to be like Christ, but we don’t want to do what He has instructed. Can we really tell our brother…..our sister that it is alright…..it’s ok? You messed up, but the grace of God is sufficient unto thee?

Where Is Your Head?

Looking at the present world as it is today, I cannot help but to ask this question to some people today……where exactly is your head? In other words, can you tell me exactly what it is that you are thinking? For those who may not understand what I am talking about, let me explain.

There isn’t one day that goes by, and I am sure that you witness the same thing, that I do not see a young man with his pants below the allotted waist line, a young lady with clothes so tight that you can see every organ and vein in her body performing its function through her outfit. I see tricked-out and “pimped out” rides, but if I go ask the brother where he lives; he says his mom’s house. I see young mothers whose hair is “popped”, but her children are still in their pajamas. Or a young man bragging about how many women he has slept with, but has no idea how many kids he may have.

So again I ask, and allow me to rephrase the question: What is most important to you? Can it be the famed money, power, and respect? To earn the three, you must give them as well. You must spend money to make money, and I am not just talking about investment. It takes money to get gas in the car to go fill out the application of the job you want to get. It takes money to buy the groceries to cook the food that people eat, and then say you need to start your own catering business. To earn power, you must learn to be subjected to it…..in other words, if someone has authority over you, you must learn to give away your pride, your selfishness, your own personal views and submit until you are put in a position that power can be entrusted to you. I am reminded of a line from a movie that declared that “with great power comes great responsibility”. Power doesn’t make you great……WIELDING that power is what makes you great. Lastly, to get respect you MUST give it. There is no way you can take respect. It must be given, and it must be earned. If you cannot respect one of the most important people in life, that person being YOU, you will never receive the respect that you seek.

Yon Can't Be Serious

You cannot be serious…..


There was a recent event that I heard of that has left me speechless, hence the title of this particular blog. I have a very good friend of mine who was a member of a great church for 3 years. The pastor is a very good friend of his that has proven to be an outstanding preacher and a sort of big brother/father figure since the passing of his birth father 6 years ago. My friend was an associate minister for the church and was also the church musician. They have long history together and share a wonderful friendship.

Just recently, my friend decided that, along with his wife, it was time for them to leave the ministry as they felt they were being led of God. My friend drafted a letter and sent it to the pastor of the church expressing his feelings about various issues, none demeaning or destructive in any way. He expressed how much he loves and appreciates the pastor and his wife, and that they have taught them so much throughout their time there. He reiterated the order of life as taught by the pastor: God, then family, then the church. He wrote that he must do what is in the best interest of his family, meaning his wife. This was done not to appease his wife, but was done out of agreement between the two of them that this move was not only led of God, but best for the both of them.

Not even a few hours after he sent the letter to the Pastor, he was on Facebook and found that one of his the people on his friends’ list drafted a mock letter and put it on the Pastor’s wall. In the letter, he accused my friend of stabbing the pastor in the back, wanting to be “babied”, and a few other disturbing sentences. What made it even sadder was that he included direct phrases contained in the letter that was sent to the pastor, using them as if importance was not an issue. The icing on the cake!? The individual who drafted the mock letter is also an associate minister of the same congregation, and a spiritual son of the pastor. Is this how we really respond to saints trying to fulfill the will of God? Is this how we support the elect in finishing the race? Why was this letter even in the presence of this individual!!!! And we wonder why some churches have “revolving” doors and “join this week and leave the next” saints!

Is It Possible

The famous Clark Sisters, in the song titled “I’m looking for a Miracle, wrote the song lyric, “The sky is the limit to what I can have”. Now do not mistake this for artistic criticism, because it is not. The Clark sisters are masters of their gift, and they have rendered a countless number of gospel hits throughout the course of their collective and individual careers. I just believe that the sky is not the limit to what I or you can have, but is merely another ceiling for us to bust through. For so long we have limited ourselves to what I like to call basic faith. Basic faith is the faith that says, ‘I believe that God hears prayer and maybe He heard mine. If He answers, fine. If He doesn’t, then obviously it wasn’t my place to pray for that”.

We now must transition from basic to what I call “beyond” faith. What I mean by that is we must begin to believe beyond what the limits may have placed, because God is not bound by time, space, or power. He is called the great “I AM”, not the once great I was. What you think is impossible, God has already made possible. You must simply declare to yourself that it is possible.

Let's Get It Together ..... PLEASE !

With all the hype surrounding LeBron James' exodus to Miami, it was easy to lose focus on what is seemingly most important. People are out of work, struggling to make ends meet, wondering where their next meal is going to come from, and we are wondering where one man is going to play basketball for the next couple of years. Can we seriously refocus our energy and attention PLEASE ! LeBron doesn't know 99.9 percent of the people who are burning jerseys, memorabilia, etc. How about we get that hyped up about GOD ….. Let's get it together.

Fight

Most people throw in the towel even before they step foot in the ring, because the appearance of the opposition has caused their mind to convince them that there is no way that they can possibly win. So that even before they begin to battle their enemy, they have defeated themselves outside the place of battle. Their mind has placed in their heart a sense of defeat, and my brother this cannot be. We have not been given a spirit of fear but one of power, love, and a sound mind. Defeat is not an option to the believer, but a weapon of the enemy that he uses subtly, yet effectively. We have been given the authority to tread upon the serpent, so let us use it, openly and effectively.

Faith Without Work Is .......

There are a lot of people who fear the future simply because the present for them does not look promising. The economy is failing, bills are piling faster than the bank account, and it seems like everything has gone up in pricing, from the gas pump to the grocery store. However, we as the saints have to understand that this is the time where our faith is our strongest. God said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. In other words, God will provide. We merely have to exercise our faith, for faith without works is dead.

Release It

There was an article recently released that a professional football team released one its star players. The player in turn said that he had anticipated his release from the team, but has no hard feelings for them. He then said that he feels that he still has a few years left that he can play all-star type football. There are many of us who have been let go because it was perceived that our best has been given, and that we have no more to offer. I declare that not to be true. The best is yet to come, for God has not given up on you. Go ahead and release that hurt, that anger, that resentment that has kept you in bondage. Remember the Word of God declares that He whom the Son has set free, is truly free indeed.

Go Hard

I once heard a great preacher deliver a message entitled "Go Hard". In the message, he encouraged the saints to continue to press through everything, for those things which are behind you should no longer concern you. So allow me to do the same thing, in that no matter what is going on, keep going. Jesus continued to the end, and so should we.

Let's Move

This is now March. February has come and is now gone. It was full of its trials and tribulations, and yes even its heartaches. Nevertheless we must move. Time indeed waits for no man, so just as it moves so must we. Moving allows us to remain mobile, loose. We remain open to opportunities to better ourselves, our situations, our lives.

Let's Move

This is now March. February has come and is now gone. It was full of its trials and tribulations, and yes even its heartaches. Nevertheless we must move. Time indeed waits for no man, so just as it moves so must we. Moving allows us to remain mobile, loose. We remain open to opportunities to better ourselves, our situations, our lives.

Let It Flow

One thing that I have come to understand concerning water: it is much more effective when it is free flowing. When water is interrupted, it splashes and makes a huge mess that eventually will need cleaning up. I believe this is part of the reason why Jesus said that “out of our bellies would FLOW rivers of living water”. An uninterrupted flow proves to be much more dangerous to the enemy because it doesn’t allow him any chance to taint the water. So, my brothers (and sisters), be not afraid to let God flow in whatever direction He deems. It is meant for you to flow in the grace of God, and not make a mess that will need cleaning up.

It's All Good

One thing that has perplexed the saints of God is the process of going through a test. We tend to think that we have entered into a trial because we have done something deserving of punishment. The first thing that we do is try to justify our every decision with logic, and on top of that we surmount it with scripture after Holy Scripture. Did it ever occur that God may just be testing the level of faith that we proclaim to have? Romans 8:28 declares that everything is working for our good, so we really have no need to worry. Test and trials will come, but we have the power to send them on their way by declaring what thus saith the Lord. So in the end, it’s all good anyways.

The Saints WIn

For those of us who watched the NFL Super Bowl on Sunday evening, we are well aware that the New Orleans Saints came out victorious. This team plays for a city that has gone through the storm, literally Hurricane Katrina, and has survived. Amongst other things, they have witnessed and lived through events that some people would have given up hope. So even though you do not play for the NFL professional team, the Saints, remember that you still are a Saint of the most High, and there is no obstacle that you cannot overcome. Every person in the Bible had to overcome something, but the key is that they did overcome, and so will you.

This is only the Beginning

Some people believe that where we are right now is most likely the place where we will be. We have been told that there is nothing out there better than what is right now. Nothing defeats that line than moving past the expected. If it is expected to happen and to then supercede it confuses the hater beyond recognition. So where you are NOW is not to determine where you will BE. This is only the beginning.

Can You Hear Me Now ?

I remember once being told that “closed mouths do not get fed”. That could not be any truer today than it was when it was first told to me. One of the biggest problems Christians face today, in my opinion, is that for fear of being labeled we do not speak what is truly in our hearts. We want change in the church, but we don’t want to address what is wrong. We merely “dress” the issue, wanting to cover it up and convince ourselves and others that there really isn’t anything wrong. We have been given Holy Ghost boldness concerning the things of God. If we are allowed to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, how much more boldness do we need to speak concerning the oracles of God? Speak people of God. That is how it was done in the Bible days, and that is how it should be done today.

Just a Thought .......

A good friend of mine went to see the highly speculated movie titled “The Book of Eli” and found it to be most compelling to him. He declared that though the movie did not have as much action as he had anticipated, the message delivered in the end was exactly what Christians need to hear. The message was that no matter what trials, tests and tribulations you face along the way, the fulfillment of God’s will is all that matters and that you never know who you may affect or possibly infect (positively) along the way. To others, your lifestyle may be the only version of the Bible some people may see. Though many people can quote the Holy Scriptures, how many of those same people are actually living by them? I am praying that we as a people who proclaim that we love God show exactly that in our everyday living.

The Return

With this being the first blog of 2010, I wanted to talk about the resolutions that we have made, some being made at the end of 2009. Some of us have resolved to diet and exercise more. Some of us have resolved to cut a few people loose that somehow found their way into our lives. Some of us have even resolved to be better with our finances. We will attempt to save more, spend less, and maybe even invest in some things. But how many of us have resolved to return to He who has never moved? The Bible declares that we should “be still, and know that He is God”. Some of us cannot feel God because while He yet remains the same, we have moved away from His presence. So as I end this blog, allow me to encourage you to return to your first love. Yes we have all made mistakes, but God is the one person that will never leave nor forsake you. He awaits your return. God bless you all, and may heaven smile upon you in your new year.