I was recently reflecting on the story of Peter and marveled at how closely he walked with Jesus. At how personal and strong his relationship with the Savior was, how much he dedicated his life to serving him. Yet when a situation arose that would seemingly put his back against the wall and test Peter’s loyalty to the Savior, he would fail miserably!!
I know often times we don’t consider or even begin to imagine ourselves going through such situations. I have heard many people, including myself, say I would never deny Christ, not after all he has done for me. But do we really understand what we are saying? Do we even realize the subtle tests that we go through to prove that very declaration of loyalty? We may not have a Peter denying experience, but we are faced with tests of loyalty everyday, especially around this time of year!!!
Recently I had such a situation arise at work, a test that would call to light my loyalty to My Savior. It was winding down to the end of our day, everyone was in a festive spirit, singing Christmas songs, sharing past holiday family stories and just enjoying each others company. When everyone began saying happy holidays. One by one people went down the lines, coming out of their cubicles wishing a happy holiday, when the “wishing line” finally arrived at me and I wished everyone a Merry Christmas!! Well you would’ve thought I had walked into the room with a shotgun and killed someone.
The office fell eerily silent, then all at once everyone started shouting you can’t say that at work, it is no longer politically correct to wish everyone Merry Christmas, because everyone doesn’t believe in Christ. They all continued in their beratement of my statement, and demanded I say Happy Holidays.
On and on they went about respecting everyone’s believes. As I sat their and listened I thought, how ironic is it that they are telling me I have to respect the believes of others, yet in order to do so I had to deny my own!!! Right then I was faced with well, what do I do? Do I retract my statement or stick to my belief if and still wish everyone a Merry Christmas? I looked at the same people who an hour early were so enthusiastic about all of their Christmas plans, shopping, festivities, who were using the Christmas holiday as a reason to come to work late and leave early, as a reason to be off on the 25th, now tell me I had no right to say Merry Christmas.
It was then that I realized I was having my own test of loyalty. As I sat their and thought, I realized that although I like my co-workers, and I like my job, none of them or it died on a cross for me. The higher-ups that have decided to try and change the meaning of Christmas by commercializing it could never change me from the old-wretched sinner I once was, destined for hell, into a believer of the Most High God destined for an eternal life with My Father!!!
So I rolled back out of my cubicle and declared, I am not here to be politically correct, I am not here to satisfy everyone else’s beliefs, just as I don’t’ condemn anyone for not sharing the same beliefs as I. But I believe what I believe and will not be bullied into anything else. I shared with those that would listen, that Jesus Christ is the reason for this holiday and for everything, and that without him I would be nothing.
I shared that even though society has removed, prayer from the schools, removed Christian programming from television, restricted where we can and cannot read our bibles, they can never remove him from my heart and lips!
Then I rolled back to my desk and wished that everyone would have a VERY MERRY, BLESED AND SAFE CHRISTMAS!!!!
I say to all of my Christian brothers and sisters, don’t allow anyone to force you into a “politically correct mentality” just because society deems it safer that way. Stand for our Lord and Savior this CHRISTmas!!! For unto us a child was born, born with the purpose of dying, for you and I. Who was tortured, buried, crucified and risen, and is now sitting at the right hand of GOD!!!!
Be Blessed and have a MERRY CHRISTmas!!!!
Min. T
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Battles of the Righteous!!!
As Christians living in a negatively consuming society, faced with many trials, temptations and situations, we all tend to use different scriptures as “spiritual mantras” that help us get through. One such scripture is James 5:16 (the latter portion). Confess your trespasses[a] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much..
Believers hold tight to this one line of scripture as we thank and praise God for healing, deliverance, stability, love and patience. It gives us the hope to hold on in trying times, and comfort in times of despair, knowing that if we are faithful, obedient and perseverant, that our all sufficient, kind and loving God will hear our prayers, and come to our rescue.
Recently I’ve found myself holding tight to this, as I struggle through various battles in my life, waiting and looking for relief from the frustration, confusion and pain of these battles. Wondering when My Father would rescue me. Then during my recent private time with the Lord, I presented him with the question; Lord I’ve been faithful and obedient, and your words say the effective and fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much, but it seems like the more I’m faithful and obedient, the less victory seems at hand, and the more battles I am faced with. Why, Lord, Why?
As I stayed there and waited, and cried, and prayed and cried some more; The Lord whispered ever so softly to me: Because the Battles of the Righteous Availeth much!!!!
Initially I was baffled, shocked and confused all at the same time, because in my natural mind, this just did not make any sense to me!! But as the day progressed and I asked the Lord to help me understand, He did just that.
He helped me to understand that he uses our various battles, whether with self, the enemy or others, to prune and mold us into what he has designed and desires for us. It’s through these situations that he has our total attention, and can mold and shape our character, increase our strengths, develop our integrity, tear down our weaknesses, change our focus, and give us humbleness of spirit!!!
While we should continually be grateful and praise God for the victory and change that occurs because of, and through our prayers; we should equally be grateful and praise HIM for the victory and change that occurs through our battles..
Be Blessed..
Romans 5:1-4 (New King James Version)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Time to Make History
On My Way to let my voice be heard!!!! BARACK OBAMA 08!!!! ITMS TIME FOR CHANGE!!!!
A Rich and Embattled history
It's hard to beleive that in 2008, many African-Americans still feel its not that important for them to vote.. Many people have forgotten our history, and the battle our ancestors, grandparents, and our parents had to endure for us to even have this auspicious opportunity.
Let's not forget that it's only been 142 years that the 14th amendment was passed, changing the status of African-Americans from being counted as 3/5 of a person to a whole person.
1869 marked the beginning of "Black Codes," or state laws that restricted the freedoms of African Americans. Among the freedoms restricted was the freedom to exercise the right to vote. Literacy tests, poll taxes, hiding the locations of the polls, economic pressures, threats of physical violence, and other strategies to suppress the African American vote were either found in the Black Codes or flowed from them.
Then finally in 1965, only 43 years ago , the Voting Rights Act was passed to finally give us full voting rights, in the country we helped built.
It's sad to see that in 2008, we have allowed ourselves to forget the struggle we as a people endured to get the right to vote, and now that we have it, we take it for granted.
Whether you vote Democrat or Republican, if you are an African-American you need to get out and vote!!!
Let's not forget that it's only been 142 years that the 14th amendment was passed, changing the status of African-Americans from being counted as 3/5 of a person to a whole person.
1869 marked the beginning of "Black Codes," or state laws that restricted the freedoms of African Americans. Among the freedoms restricted was the freedom to exercise the right to vote. Literacy tests, poll taxes, hiding the locations of the polls, economic pressures, threats of physical violence, and other strategies to suppress the African American vote were either found in the Black Codes or flowed from them.
Then finally in 1965, only 43 years ago , the Voting Rights Act was passed to finally give us full voting rights, in the country we helped built.
It's sad to see that in 2008, we have allowed ourselves to forget the struggle we as a people endured to get the right to vote, and now that we have it, we take it for granted.
Whether you vote Democrat or Republican, if you are an African-American you need to get out and vote!!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fulfilling Your God Given Dreams
Growing up as children we all have different dreams, and aspirations as to what we want to be when we grow up. Often times those dreams are nothing more than glamorized wishes or fantasies, but sometimes unbeknownst to us, God gives us glimpses into our future.
Sadly by the time we reach early adulthood, many of those dreams are shattered due to life’s circumstances, trials and heartaches. We lose sight to those things that once gave us hope and inspiration, and get caught up in the downward spiral of life complacencies and routines. As we grow older, we become more and more disheartened as we are sure our opportunity has passed.
But I’m glad to report that this is not so, all is not lost. There is hope and restoration for all that God has promised to you.
One of the best examples of this truth, is the story of Joseph (Genesis Chapter 37 to 45). God had given him a divine dream, which he would reign over his brothers; in his excitement he shared this with his brothers, who became hateful and jealous. This exchange would be the first of many trials Joseph would face. . His brothers plotted to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery, his master’s wife tried to seduce him and when he refused she lied and he was thrown into jail. He helped exonerate a wrongly imprisoned butler, who later forgot the promise he made to Joseph to help him to be freed. It wasn’t until 2 years after the butler was freed, that he remembered Joseph. Pharaoh needed an interpretation of a dream he was given, and the butler finally remembered there was Joseph; after all it was Joseph’s interpretation of a dream that freed him. When Pharaohs deemed Joseph’s interpretation as acceptable and wise, he began to finalize, what God had already put in motion years before. It was almost 10 years, between the time God gave Joseph the dream, and the dream was actually fulfilled.
What am I saying? Don’t allow hope to be stripped from your heart and mind!! Moving forward in life, after a painful past, is at best a difficult task. Letting go of years of pain, suffering, accusations, rejection and betrayal can sometimes seem impossible, but when you place your life in the Hands of the Lord of the Universe, he can make what seems lost and forgotten, a bright reality.
In the journey to recovering your God-given dreams there are four things you will actively need to do, to see them accomplished:
1.) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding ( Proverbs 3:5) For if the dreams you posses are truly GOD-Inspired, then only GOD can bring them to pass. Trying to fulfill them on your own will waste your God given, talents, times, tissues, treasures and tongues. .
2.) Don’t focus on the amount of time that has passed until your dreams materialize. Instead focus on what God has allowed you to accomplish, while you wait for your dreams to materialize. Often times God is trying to prepare us for what he has in store for us. But we get caught up in why so much time has passed and questioning why we had to experience so many negative situations, that we overlook what he is and has accomplished in us.
3.) Don’t complain, Don’t worry, Don’t fret, Don’t give up, and don’t allow your situations and circumstances to dictate to you the outcome of your life. God has complete control and dominion over the things of this world, and He alone has the final authority of your life!!!
For dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. (Psalms 22:28)
4.) Worship God- The more you keep your mind, heart, spirit and soul focused on worshipping God, the less your circumstances will be in view!!!
Be Blessed…
Sadly by the time we reach early adulthood, many of those dreams are shattered due to life’s circumstances, trials and heartaches. We lose sight to those things that once gave us hope and inspiration, and get caught up in the downward spiral of life complacencies and routines. As we grow older, we become more and more disheartened as we are sure our opportunity has passed.
But I’m glad to report that this is not so, all is not lost. There is hope and restoration for all that God has promised to you.
One of the best examples of this truth, is the story of Joseph (Genesis Chapter 37 to 45). God had given him a divine dream, which he would reign over his brothers; in his excitement he shared this with his brothers, who became hateful and jealous. This exchange would be the first of many trials Joseph would face. . His brothers plotted to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery, his master’s wife tried to seduce him and when he refused she lied and he was thrown into jail. He helped exonerate a wrongly imprisoned butler, who later forgot the promise he made to Joseph to help him to be freed. It wasn’t until 2 years after the butler was freed, that he remembered Joseph. Pharaoh needed an interpretation of a dream he was given, and the butler finally remembered there was Joseph; after all it was Joseph’s interpretation of a dream that freed him. When Pharaohs deemed Joseph’s interpretation as acceptable and wise, he began to finalize, what God had already put in motion years before. It was almost 10 years, between the time God gave Joseph the dream, and the dream was actually fulfilled.
What am I saying? Don’t allow hope to be stripped from your heart and mind!! Moving forward in life, after a painful past, is at best a difficult task. Letting go of years of pain, suffering, accusations, rejection and betrayal can sometimes seem impossible, but when you place your life in the Hands of the Lord of the Universe, he can make what seems lost and forgotten, a bright reality.
In the journey to recovering your God-given dreams there are four things you will actively need to do, to see them accomplished:
1.) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding ( Proverbs 3:5) For if the dreams you posses are truly GOD-Inspired, then only GOD can bring them to pass. Trying to fulfill them on your own will waste your God given, talents, times, tissues, treasures and tongues. .
2.) Don’t focus on the amount of time that has passed until your dreams materialize. Instead focus on what God has allowed you to accomplish, while you wait for your dreams to materialize. Often times God is trying to prepare us for what he has in store for us. But we get caught up in why so much time has passed and questioning why we had to experience so many negative situations, that we overlook what he is and has accomplished in us.
3.) Don’t complain, Don’t worry, Don’t fret, Don’t give up, and don’t allow your situations and circumstances to dictate to you the outcome of your life. God has complete control and dominion over the things of this world, and He alone has the final authority of your life!!!
For dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. (Psalms 22:28)
4.) Worship God- The more you keep your mind, heart, spirit and soul focused on worshipping God, the less your circumstances will be in view!!!
Be Blessed…
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