Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Stop Throwing The "A" Word Around"

I was taught from the scriptures about the 'anointing' when I was a young person in the church about a couple years ago, and when it was spoken you could sense all the reverence the word invoked in people; from those who both said it and those who were privileged to hear it as well.

When we spoke about someone being anointed it was far more than just speaking constructively about the individuals ability to do what they were doing at the time. We understood back then, and yes I said back then because it isn't the same today, that the anointing wasn't only upon those who sang or preached the word of God. We understood it is the very Spirit of God who empowers us to do His will, and to bring a change into the lives of others.

Unfortunately, however, this isn't the case any longer when we talk about the anointing in any of our conversations anymore. Now, I know there are those of us who know when to use the word and when not to use it. We hear a singer on the radio and they sound really good and come to find out they may have several Grammy Awards for that very song we heard, and we say today; 'Ooh, they're so anointed'. Really? The song was about everything under the sun except the Gospel of Jesus, and we say they are anointed.

The scriptures say this: 'And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder,and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.' Isaiah 10:27

Saints let's be a little more diligent and recognize when the anointing is flowing, and if you aren't sure then a clear sign to look for is the burdens and yokes being destroyed in the lives of those you know were bound.

This is the Anointing.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

"E-knee, Me-knee, My-knee, Moe"

I know I'm not the only one who remembers how we use to choose the persons to 1. be on our team or 2. who was going to be 'it' first; as in a game of hide and seek or something along those lines. I remember the goal for me was to be sure I performed at the top of my game every time we did play one the many games we played as children, because it would assure me a spot on a good team the next time we played.

However, the very opposite was the case when, for some odd reason and, of course, strange twist of fate, I didn't do as well as in times past. Which for me was like saying the sky was falling, because I was such an awesome gamer no matter what we were playing. (smile) The opposite being, I was't picked by the best players as in times past, and all because of the one bad game I may have had. The really bad part was you had to perform at the top of your game 'consistently' for a minimum of three games after the one bad game in order for the top players to reconsider bringing you back to the top. It was almost like being dropped to Triple-A ball from the Major Leagues, and you had to prove you were worth being recalled.

The sad part of this post is: we see this being done to someone almost every single day and we say nothing because secretly this is how we feel. We pick and we choose who we want to be a part of our ministries and we try our very best to get only the well polished of persons, or those who have a decent amount, if not, a whole lot of money. However, those who are marginal and who don't have a considerable amounts of money or resources to offer we don't want them really to be a part of the ministry.

I read an article about a man who committed a very horrible crime and was convicted of it, and spent a lot of years in prison for the crime. Once he was released a pastor stepped forwarded after having had a conversation with the man in question and offered for him to live at his home for a few months until he was on his feet. The people in the same town as the pastor; which some I'm sure were perhaps members of his church, didn't want the man in 'their' town.

When did God give us permission to pick and to choose who we are to minister to or to try to help in our lives? I understand the need for caution and all of that, but when do we really start living the life He has called us to live for Him? The scriptures tell us that He has given us the ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor 5:18-19; so when are we going to start with reconciling? Or are we satisfied with the way we do things now?

Reconcile: To cause to be friendly again; to conciliate anew; to restore to friendship; to bring back to harmony; to cause to be no longer at variance....

'E-knee, Me-knee, My-knee, Mo'....

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

"Do We Have It Now or Will We Get It Later?"

There are a lot of answers concerning the next set of questions I want pose to all of you today, and I have to thank my friend Papa Frank for actually prompting these with a comment he made on an earlier post.

There are those who believe once they have accepted what the Lord Jesus did for them on the cross of Calvary that they are Saved and now have Eternal Life and Victory in Him, and don't have to 'Work' to get to heaven.

Then there are others who believe after you have accepted; then one must continuously 'Work' the rest of their lives in order for them to make it into heaven.

This is the question that came from Papa Franks comment: If we have Victory in Jesus now; then why are we to ''run that we May obtain''? 1Cor 9:24

Do we have it now or will we get it later?

I only asked that you utilize the scriptures as much as possible, and know that we can all learn something from one another. Just try and keep on subject.

Monday, March 23, 2009

"You Ain't The Only One"

I know for myself it seems as though I'm the only one trying to do what is asked of me by the Lord, and because of this I encounter all these different obstacles and trials. I would be the first to argue that this is all a part of being a servant of the Lord, and I would be correct in saying this because the scriptures tell us that those who will live godly shall suffer persecution.

So, why do we find ourselves falling victim to a version of a pity party from time to time? Are we or do we somehow try to psych ourselves into thinking we shouldn't have to go through some things because we are following the Lord's will? I think we do sometimes, but I've learned and am learning that even though we think we are the only one trying to live right, we aren't.

We are to follow the plan and the path the Lord has mapped out for us as individuals and one day when our course has come to a conclusion; then we will be given the task of training and relaying to someone else the responsibility to continue on the road the Lord has set us on so long ago.

Trust me when I say, "You ain't the only one". Read Read

Thursday, March 19, 2009

"New and Improved God"

You just when you thought you had found the perfect product to use; they come out with the New and Improved version of it. The advertisers tell us we need to stop using the product they got us to use 6 months ago and start using the better version of the product. We then go along with their claims of the product being 'again' the best thing since sliced bread and we start buying and using the New and Improved version; which has less product but a higher price tag. Hmmm?

When did new and improved mean less for more? I started thinking about how we have done some of the similar things within the confines of the church. The church has now become a major commercial entity attempting to attract 'customers' to their sanctuaries. They put out slogans which demonize the way your grandmother did church, and say it's a new contemporary style of churchin' without the tradition of old church. I've even seen where they say, ' come to where we do church right', what? These places are pitching a 'New and Improved God' and what people are getting in return is 'Less God' at a 'Higher Cost' to the individual.

I remember when they changed Coke's formula after what was it 100 years, and said the new Coke would be the stuff. The people drank the new Coke and didn't really care for it; so they brought back the Old Coke and called it Coke Classic. The original Coke worked and wasn't anything wrong, and when they attempted to change what work the people went against it. The same I believe is happening in churches everywhere; the people aren't getting the Word of God the way 'Grandma' got it and the people want it.

So, let's stop with all the cliches and what not, and get back to preaching and teaching the Gospel the way the Lord intended it to be done. The last time I checked; we couldn't improve on God anyway no matter how hard we try.

Read

Monday, March 16, 2009

"Are You Slow Or Just Dumb?"

I have asked myself this questions so many times, that if I was given a dollar, no, a penny for the times I have asked myself this I probably would be able to retire a very satisfied person. I know some of you may be wondering to yourselves, where is he going with this, and there are some of you who are saying to yourselves, if your honest, yeah, I've been there too many times to count myself.

Let me put it out there this way: As most of you know from reading my blogs that I have two American Pitbull Terriers, and I love my dogs. I have always been a super duper dog lover from way back, and the one thing I loved doing was training my dogs to be obedient and follow my commands. Now, I have had a variety of different breeds of dog; German Shepard, Rottweiler, Doberman mix and the Pitbulls.

The one thing about the animals I have and had was they all knew once I strongly corrected them on a thing; they wouldn't repeat the behaviour again. They would always look to do whatever they thought would please me at all times and they never would walk away from me when I was working with them, because I had their trust.

Me, on the other hand, well, I have listened to the instructions and I have followed them as I should, but there were times when I knew what I had said or done wasn't in line with the instructions I was given which resulted in serious correction. This has happened as I have said many times in the past and I had to ask myself, "are you retarded or just dumb".

One day it finally sunk in my head; that I wasn't retarded or dumb. I was just unwilling to fully trust the instructions I was receiving from the Lord through His word and once I realized the problem I was able to correct what was needed on my part.

Honestly, we all have been there and someone of us are still there but understand you don't have stay in that place asking yourself that same question over and over, nor do you have to ever go back to that place. We all just need to realize the problem is and has always been about one thing when it comes to God's people, which is TRUST.

Read Proverbs 3:5-8

Friday, March 13, 2009

"...Pray For Me...I'll Pray For You?"

This is probably one of the most used phrases in almost every conversation a person has who is a part of a church group or organization.


congregant: Oh, that was a wonderful sermon.


preacher: Oh, bless you, pray for me.


woman1: Girl, where you been it's been a while since I've seen you?


woman2: Oh, I know; pray for me girl.


Now, don't get me wrong; I think prayer is very essential to the life of every believer who calls themselves Christian. However, I have found it to be somewhat hypocritical and deceptive to a degree when that phrase is spoken by some. If we would stop and be honest for a moment, I'd like to pose a very important question: How many times have you really prayed for the person you ran into at the grocery store earlier that day? Also, when we say to some people, "pray for me" are we really wanting them to pray for us or are we just trying to avoid a lengthy conversation with them?


Of course, we all know the scriptures teach us to always pray and also to pray for one another; so why do we find praying on the spot such an awkward experience? Could the reason be the fact we don't pray as much as we lead people to believe we do? I have a challenge for all of us to take part in starting from today.

Saints, when someone asks you to pray for them let's stop and take a moment with them right then and there. I'm not asking us to go into a long descriptive dissertation on the omnipotence of God, but just a quick concise prayer concerning the issues or situation in which the person may find themselves being a part of at the moment.


I promise if we make an effort to accomplish this we will not only become closer to one another in the Body of Christ, but we will also draw others and ourselves closer to the one in whom gives us life eternal, Jesus.


Read

Thursday, March 12, 2009

"Evil Still Exists...And?"

Just in the past couple of days there have been two horrific stories of two men; who went and decided for whatever reason to take the lives of other individuals. The one was in the state of Alabama and the other was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in the country of Germany. The first things we normally hear are questions about why did they do it, and what were the signs, if any, they exhibited before going on this rampage? It's very likely we will never really know why these two individuals committed this horrible act, however there will be those who will speculate on some possible motives.

The harsh reality is my friends; Evil still exists. So, if evil still exists, do we cease from our God given mandate to go into all the world and preach the Gospel? Are we to gather our family and close friends together and collectively hide our heads in the proverbial sand? Do we, in order not to become the victim we in turn become what it is they have become as a means to ward them off; hoping that they will see we are just like them and we should get a pass?

No, a thousand times No. We are now more than ever to keep watch and to sound the alarm to all who will take heed, that this is the fulfilling of the scriptures we hold so dear. We have to continue to speak to one another the entirety of the Word and not just the 'Pie In The Sky' parts which make us feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Take heart in knowing even in the midst of all which has taken place, and all the future evil which will take place; the scriptures comfort us with these words: 'Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Psa 37:1-2

Watch and Pray.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"Quitting in the Church"

I have some blogger friends that have posted on their blogs about 'quitting' in some form , one being Z and the other being Matt. And, as much as I care for Z's blogs; it's Matt's post that caught my attention and prompted me to do some writing along the subject line he covered.

First, I think it's a true statement to say, 'almost everyone has quit something in their life time' for one reason or another. I think it's built into our programming as human beings, but along with this I believe there's also a sub-program, a default program if you will allow me to say, which helps to designate what should be transferred to the 'quit file' and what shouldn't. However, this sub-program without the proper software is liable to be just as flawed.

We fool ourselves on so many different levels when it comes to thinking we know exactly what the best plan or path to take, as it relates to our choices. I'm convinced now more than I ever have, that after several decades of being on this planet we call earth, we honestly don't have a clue.

Certainly, there are things we should quit as it relates to our health and so forth, but most importantly their are things I believe in my heart we should quit when it comes to the church. Now, I know the first thing most of us think is the double lifestyle kind of stuff, but I'm not referring to those types of things at all.

Sadly, I believe there are individuals in the church holding ministry positions who need to just quit and allow someone else who will be more effective in that position to do it. The problem in most ministries I see as being the problem is the pride and the feeling of superiority one tends to get once they are 'positioned'. Do we need to hear from the Lord when it's time step down? Of course we do, but will we is the bigger question.

Yes, I believe there is quitting in the church; which is more than necessary in order for the body of believers to thrive the way the Lord intended for them. I believe there are only two questions which should be asked honestly of every believer and responded to in the same manner; which are: 1. Are you being fruitful/productive? 2. Have you gone as far as you believe the Lord has allowed you to go with this?

Is the Lord telling you to quit? Yes, He did.
Have you quit? Yes, I have.
And, why? I had gone as far as I could, and it was now time to move it another area.

What about you?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

" Religion or Relationship"

Religion: something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience:

Relationship: a connection, association, or involvement.

I'm sure this may be a loaded question, but I'm going to ask anyway and I'm asking for some honesty on your part.

How many of you thought they were the same things?

When did you transition from Religion to Relationship? Or have you?

What was or is the biggest obstacle you've experienced?

I just don't believe the Lord's plan was to make us drones or robotic in our service. He wants relationship, and this is summed up in this one scripture, read.

Monday, March 9, 2009

"Playing the Gold-Digger"

A 'Gold-Digger' is a person who is attracted to an individual purely for what the person can give them and all the things they can do for them. There is never any real emotional attraction the 'gold-digger' feels toward the other person, only for the stuff they provide. Suffice it to say, if the the stuff and the things are withheld or taken away; then the 'gold-digger's' affections like wise would vanish as well.



Read Psalm 37:4



All too often I've seen church persons use this passage of scripture to manipulate material things from the Lord as if He were some type of modern day Santa Clause. They come into the church, with mentality of the 'gold-digger', and they learn all the catch phrases and generic prayers with the ultimate goal of reaping the material benefits of a supposed relationship.



I know, those of us with a real relationship with the Lord understand this to be a form of godliness and that it doesn't represent the true church of the Lord Jesus, but it pains me to say not enough of us in the Body are speaking out against such nonsense and buffoonery. I come to think it's because the actual number of those who think this way some times far out number those who think correctly and to speak and preach against it would undoubtedly dwindle the size of a lot of our congregations and of course we can't have that now can we?



Although you may not be 'playing the gold-digger', but if you aren't speaking against that style of behavior; then you are just as guilty

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

"Give Me Liberty or I'm Leaving The Church"

Liberty: The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing.

Today, we have this new wave flowing through the churches like the wave at a professional sporting event where one person jumps up out of their seat throwing their hands into the air and this is then repeated by persons to their right or left until the movement is taken completely around the stadium.

Read Galatians 5:1-13

Liberty without a doubt is a wonderful concept when looked and addressed in the proper context with which it was intended. Unfortunately, I believe we have taken liberty to mean a lot more than even the scriptures themselves give. There were certain rituals which had been taking place for many years under the Jewish laws and customs, mainly circumcision, and Paul had spoken to the Galatians concerning this. Now, I have only touched on this to move into my point so don't get stuck here, Yehudi.

Liberty in Christ was intended to move us from trying to work our way into heaven and eternal life to believing by faith and walking and living our lives through the Holy Spirit. We moved from the lifestyle we had in the world to a separated life in Christ Jesus, and not falling victim to the desires of the flesh. However, somewhere between 1981 to present I have seen the things I left in the world come creeping into the church. When I accepted the Lord as my Savior, I no longer went to the clubs to party, because it wasn't edifying to my relationship with Christ, but now we have 'Christian Clubs' we can go to.

I stopped wearing the earrings I had because it didn't represent the Christ I was now telling people about, instead it represented the streets He saved me from. Now, we have Christians going out getting tattooed and pierced all over their bodies, and it's all in the name of Liberty in Christ Jesus. I'm sorry, I just don't think the Liberty we have been given was meant to allow us to stay in the same realm of lifestyle we were in before accepting the Lord.

Liberty in Christ was and is the vehicle for us to ride in faith with a pure heart toward our Lord and Savior without having to succumb to the traditions and legalities of working for ones salvation. Liberty was not intended for us to be able to maintain our wayward and worldly ways with the weak mantra of 'the Lord knows my heart'.

The scriptures tell us: 'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, and the old things are past away and all things now become new'. We have to stopped with all the compromising and get back to the basics of teaching and preaching the unadulterated Gospel. The Lord is holding all of us so-called leaders responsible with not speaking out against the things which do not promote nor edify the Body of Christ.

Give Liberty or I'm Leaving The Church! Our response to this is: ADIOS! We don't need members that bad!

Monday, March 2, 2009

"Don't Claim That... Where's Your Faith"

I wouldn't say I rank up in the top ten of 'Faith Hall of Fame', but I would say I have faith to believe everything God has spoken in His word. Hebrews 11 gives us great insight on the faith all the individuals had when it came to believing what the lord had promised.

I'm now just wondering how we have gotten so far fetched with this whole Faith talk stuff. Now, as I have said I have faith and it stands to reason if I didn't have faith then I wouldn't be doing this blog in the first place. Which is ultimately designed to cast a light on the one person who is able to manage the lives of every person in the world at one time, and this would be Jesus the Son of God. And, it takes faith to believe and accept what He has done for all of us on the cross of Calvary.

So, now faith has made this metamorphic type change over the years since I have come to believe. Of course it's always been taught us the Lord could and yet heals the body of an individual and also does miraculous things in the area of finances as well. Which is all good with me because I believe the Lord can do anything.

But, when did it become Faithless to admit to having a cold? Did we somehow become impervious to the germs of this world when we accepted the Lord Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior? I have heard far too many people to even attempt to count; who have said in form or another...you aren't operating in faith if you say you have or are getting a cold or flu, What?

My throat is a little scratchy and my chest feels somewhat congested and I think my body temperature has raised a few degrees from the normal 98.6 degrees. I think the doctors classify this as cold and flu like symptoms, so I think I'll say the same thing.

We have to understand our Faith isn't any more or any less than someone else when we have different challenges which affect our bodies and we acknowledge them. Our Faith comes into question only when we balk at our belief in the One who made the body.

So, all you Super Non-Claiming Faith Walkers, pray the Lord helps me through these cold and flu like symptoms I'm experiencing today.