"The Evidence of the Spirit"

Scripture: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” –Joel 2:28, NIV

Growing up as a 80’s kid and a 90’s teenager, one of the best shows to come on TV was a court series called Matlock. My mama glued herself to the TV every Tuesday night at 8 pm to watch the star of the show, Andy Griffith, as Ben Matlock, defend his clients in a Fulton County Courthouse. Nine times out of ten, Matlock would win his cases. However, he had private investigators working for him in order to get the evidence he needed to win. If truth were told, many of us love our family members, our friends, and co-workers, but there are times where you would like to see evidence of that love. Evidence of that love including a phone call to see how you are doing, a card for Christmas, a call on the significant days like your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc, and other things. Spiritually, we also look for evidence as well among our brothers and sisters. We often look at them and watch the words they say and the things they do to see if their life is evident of a God that loves them! I am encouraged today because today’s scripture provides us an example of what spiritual evidence looks like.

Today’s message is birthed from the book of Joel, one of the 12 Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Within the Old Testament, you have Major Prophets and Minor Prophets and what differentiates them is the amount of information written within their respective books. Written between 835 and 800 B.C., Joel is set in Judah, where it has been destroyed by locusts. Scholars state that Joel uses this metaphor of locusts as an army to destroy Judah as punishment for their sins and disobedience to God. Within this particular chapter, Joel is describing the outpouring of the Spirit and through this outpouring is where we will gain the evidence of what the Spirit looks like and can do.

First part of the text tells us that “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people”. In other words, I here is our Heavenly Father. Since He is the I, He tells us that He is going to pour out His Spirit on all people (King James says all flesh). If you cut the grass short enough and get past the sins of people, there’s some Spirit of God that resides in them! There’s some Spirit of God that tells them what’s right and tells them what’s wrong! There’s some Spirit of God in there that tells them how to make it from day-to-day and other things. Just know that, within your family, friends, and even enemies, there’s a level of the Spirit of God within them!

Here’s the evidence of the Spirit: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions”. As we live in this world today, how evident has this been within your life? How evident has this part of the scripture been within your family’s life? Though I have been around going on 31 years, I have heard the visions God has given His men for the development of a shopping area, for the development of a renewed church, for the development of a business, for the development of a multipurpose center and other things. I have seen sons and daughters of God minister to others and myself through prophecy to see the prophecy come to past. I have seen where old men have dreamed dreams and they have come to past. Is it just me or is the Spirit of God in play in this time and juncture? Irrefutably, yes it is! It’s in full effect and if you have not hung around the types who have prophesied into your life or other’s lives, old men dreaming dreams, and young men seeing visions, keep on living life because you will see it!

In closing, Ben Matlock was a great lawyer and he won the majority of the time because he had the proper evidence to support his case. As men and women of God, we often look for evidence of His Spirit within His people. On today, Joel painted the picture of what happens when God pours out His Spirit onto His people. Continue to be the man/woman God has called you to be and watch out for the evidence of the Spirit in your life!

"When the Spirit of the Lord Hits You"

Scripture: “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. …” –Judges 14:6, NIV

As I have grown over the past ten plus years, I have learned a lot of myself. One of the things that I have learned about myself is that when I am good and ticked off, I like to make the naysayers shut up. There was an instance where I did not think I was going to finish my PhD in four and a half years, but when I became good and ticked off, it fueled me to do it and do it in a manner where my committee members respected me more than they did previously. If truth were told, we all have “something” that causes us to go into another gear and get things done. That “something” might be fear of failure, self-motivation, reputation, etc. In the spiritual realm, that “something” should be the Holy Spirit. That’s the something that should make you love right, talk right, and other things. Today’s scripture provides another example of what can happen when the Spirit of the Lord hits you.

Today’s focus shifts to the book of Judges. This historical book talks about the twelve judges who served Israel after the period of kings within the land. Within Judges, you see a recurring cycle within each judge: Obedience, Disobedience, Forgiveness, Deliverance. Today’s focus chapter, Chapter 14, takes us to a man of great strength (physically) and one who was born for greatness. This man/judge was Samson. He was a Nazrite, which means his hair could not be cut because he would lose his strength and he could not partake of wine or other liquors. Samson, like most men, had an eye for women, in this case, a Philistine woman. His eye was so strong for her that he convinced his parents to go to Timnah and request her hand in marriage for him. If you read the first few verses of Chapter 14, we learn that this was a God-driven ploy to confront the Philistines. As Samson and his parents were in Timnah, a lion attacks him, which brings us to today’s scripture.

The text says, “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat”. What an awesome power from an awesome Spirit of God! The Spirit infused Samson with that kind of power to destroy the lion that was trying to attack him with his bare hands! Just like Samson, when the Spirit of God hits you, you can also destroy the lions that try to attack you! You can destroy the lion of depression! You can destroy the lion of low self-esteem! You can destroy the lion of “woe is me”! You can destroy the lion of financial instability! You can destroy the lion of health instability! You can destroy the lion of mental instability! You can destroy the lion of occupational instability! You can destroy the lion of spiritual instability! Jesus told His disciples that they had the power to walk over serpent’s heads! Just like He gave them that power, He infused you with that power as well and that power is driven by His Spirit!

In closing, there’s something that drives us to do bigger and better things. Well today, we have learned about what can happen when the Spirit of God hits us! We learned that through Samson’s example, as he tore the lion apart with his bare hands, we can tear apart our lions with our bare hands as well, through prayer, reading God’s Word, standing on His Word, and being doers of His Word and not hearers only! What are you going to do when the Spirit of the Lord hits you? Sit like a bump on a log or tear the head off of your enemies? You be the judge!

"He Gives You Understanding"

Scripture: “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” –Job 32:8, NIV

One of my toughest subjects in school, from elementary school through my doctoral studies, was English. English forced me to verbalize myself that was not mathematic and not scientific. It forced me to pay close attention to detail in a story in order to receive its gist or understanding. When those times came where I did not understand, I am grateful for such superb high school teachers who painted the picture clearly for me. There’s nothing like receiving understanding or getting something you have been trying to get. If truth were told, we have all needed someone to explain something to us, whether if it was Biblical, in Math, in English, in Social Studies, or any subject. I am encouraged today that there’s someone who wants to give you understanding, who wants to give you clarity on your life’s matters, who wants to illuminate your vision to see what is in store for you. Journey along with me as we look at today’s main scripture.

Our main scripture for today is found in the Poetic book of Job. Job was described as a man who feared God, upright, blameless, and eschewed (shun/hated) evil. He was the ideal family man. He had ten children and as his children partied and enjoyed the good life, he covered them in prayer and sacrificed on their behalf. As parents, godparents, grandparents, or anything else, we ought to sacrifice for our little ones because down the road, when you are in a pinch, you would expect them to sacrifice for you. As the good times roll, here came the enemy. If you look at this thing, God gave the enemy permission to mess with Job, but gave the enemy the restriction of not touching Job’s soul. Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to these troubles of life, know that God gave the enemy permission to mess with you because He knows what He has placed in you and though it might try to kill you, it won’t! As the story goes, Job loses everything! He lost his family! He lost his riches! He lost his home! He lost it all! Throughout the 42 chapters of Job, we find out how Job withstood life’s pains and circumstances. Within this particular chapter, we are introduced to a conversation had between Job and Elihu. Elihu was a special man within Job because of the fact that he was very unhappy with the discussion Job had with his three “friends” and in addition, he was disappointed in Job for justifying himself rather than God. Through this dialogue, we learn about who wants to give you understanding.

Elihu stated for today’s main scripture by saying, “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding”. It’s the Spirit of God that resides in you that provides you, my brother, and you, my sister clarity and understanding. When you are a little puzzled about financial situations, tap into the Spirit of God that resides in you to receive understanding. When you are a little puzzled about emotional situations, tap into the Spirit of God that resides in you to receive understanding. When you are puzzled about spiritual situations, tap into the Spirit of God that resides in you to receive understanding. Whatever you need understanding about, tap into the Spirit of God and know that His Spirit resides in you and allow that to guide you correctly. Jesus told His disciples that when He would leave, He would leave them the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in all things! Just as He left them the Holy Spirit, He left us this same Spirit to help us!

In closing, I was glad to make it through English through receiving understanding from my teachers. Just like me, we have all had to have someone help us with things. On today, God wants you to know that His Spirit will give you understanding in the things you deal with. Aren’t you glad knowing that God cares for you and that He is willing to provide you clarity/understanding? If you are, then take a moment to talk to Him about your life’s situations and I promise you, He’ll provide understanding!

"Even When You Do Wrong, God Still Loves You"

Scripture: “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;” –Daniel 9:9, NIV

As a young man growing up and even as a man on today, one of the biggest pains I would feel is when I disappointed my Mama. There were several instances during my childhood where I heard the words “I’m disappointed in you” because of something I did wrong. Because of that, I would wear a frown on my face until I apologized or did what I could to make it up to her. After the “smoke cleared”, Mama would come wherever I was and let me know that though I did wrong and disappointed her, she still loved me. If truth were told, we can all identify with this type of story, whether if it was with your Mama, your daddy, your Big Mama, or Papa. No matter how bad you done wrong, they forgave you and reminded you how much they love you. Within this life we live as Christians, we do disappoint God regularly, but guess what? Despite our disappointing God, He still loves you and He still loves me! This message is conveyed within today’s text.

Today’s focal book is the book of Daniel. Daniel serves as the final book within the Major Prophets portion of the Old Testament. This book encapsulates the life of the prophet Daniel and his service to the various kings that included Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. Daniel also includes the journey of three of his boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as they had their test in the fiery furnace because of their choice to serve God and not the idol god created (Daniel 3). Within this ninth chapter, Daniel is praying, petitioning, and fasting to God. The rationale being is because Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be desolate for seventy years (verses 1-2) and that time was coming to an end. Within this chapter, we learn how God loves us despite when we do wrong.

Daniel lets us know that God loves us despite our wrong when he says, “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him”. If we “cut the grass short enough”, we have all rebelled against God in one form or another (Romans 3:23). Whether if you did not follow the orders of your pastor, that’s rebellion! Whether you decided to go one direction and God told you to go another direction, that’s rebellion! Whether you were supposed to tithe, but decided to give God half of the tithe (Malachi 3:8-10), that’s rebellion! At the end of the day, aren’t you glad this morning to serve a God that is merciful and forgiving even when we fall? Aren’t you glad to serve a God that recognizes you even when you are trying to hide from Him? Aren’t you glad that there’s a God who loves you beyond your sins and yourself? Aren’t you glad to know that He sent His Son Jesus to wash your sins away as white as snow? Aren’t you glad that He keeps you even when you don’t want to be kept? Aren’t you glad that He is God and not you? If you are happy about the God that loves you despite your wrongs towards Him, you ought to praise Him and thank Him wherever you are!

In closing, we do not like to disappoint our loved ones, whether if it is your mother, grandmother, father, grandfather, wife, children, etc. At the end of the day and despite life’s disappointments, they still loved you and God still loves you! Daniel showed us that today when he said that our God is merciful and forgiving even when we rebel. Make it your business on today to serve God continuously with excellence and remember that though you may slip, He’s right there to catch you, wipe away your tears, and prop you back up!

"God Possesses a Long-Term Memory"

Scripture: “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”-Hebrews 6:10, NIV

Have you ever been a part of a family gathering and someone begins to talk about a past incident/experience? Next thing you know, there’s one/two individual(s) who remember the incident as if it was yesterday. They could tell you what day it was, when during the day, who was a part of the incident, how the incident occurred, what happened after the incident, and other things. As you listen to people talk like that, you become amazed that they would remember what happened. You say to them, “Man, you have a memory like an elephant”. Just as certain family members possess long-term memory about certain incidents and accidents, so does your Heavenly Father. How can we make such a bold statement? Let’s examine today’s text to receive clarity here.

Today’s main scripture is located in the book of Hebrews. Scholars consider this epistle as one of exhortation for those persecuted believers to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. If truth were told, throughout our respective Christian journeys, whether they have been long or short, we have all been persecuted because we believe in the Almighty God. I thank Him on today knowing that through my faith and belief in God, He has my back! He will never leave me, nor forsake me! He will be with me, even until the end of the world! I pray that I am not the only one glad about this on today. I pray you are too! Within this sixth chapter, the author makes us aware of God’s long-term memory when it comes to His children, along with providing discussion on the certainty of God’s promise (verses 13 – 20).

One of the first things the author points out to us about God is that “God is not unjust”. Isn’t it a blessing to know that God has spared us of the things we actually and honestly deserved? Doesn’t it minister to your soul when you think about how God through His Son Jesus Christ, pleaded your case on Calvary and because of His blood, has made you not guilty? Doesn’t it bless you to know that God is not like man where man will judge you wrong? Thank God that He is a just God and not an unjust one!

Inclusive with His justness, we now see how God has a long-term memory. The author continues on and says, “He will not forget your work”. Now that statement right there ought to make someone give Him praise! Throughout this walk, we have ALL been a part of something where we have given our 110% and by haps and circumstances, we were, in our minds, not recognized properly, not appreciated properly, not thanked properly, but today, God wants you to know, my brother and my sister, that though man may not pay homage or respect you for your work, God has not forgot your work! When God does not forget your work, there are blessings with your name on it!

The author completes the message here as he also says that God will remember “the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them”. As we walk this Earth every day, God is watching everything that you and I do! He’s watching how we minister on Sunday morning at 7am and then talk about someone at 9 am. He’s watching how we received a Rhema Word on Sunday morning at 11 am and in turn, speak negative at 2 pm. God is watching how you and I interact with our brothers on a daily basis. He possesses a long-term memory for when you don’t love your brother and when you do love your brother! Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that when you have done things unto the least of these brothers, you have done it unto me! God remembers when you fed the hungry! God remembers when you visited someone in the hospital! God remembers when you went to an elderly member’s home and cleaned up their house! God remembers when you spoke encouragement into the life of one of His children! He is going to steadily remember when you continue to serve His people! He is going to remember how you love His people! If you don’t remember anything else, God has a long-term memory and He is going to remember everything you do!

In closing, it’s a beautiful to reminisce about what happened back in the days. It’s even more beautiful when you have someone who remembers the event and its details. Just like that, God is documenting the love you show His people daily! He is documenting the work you have done! He is also wanting you to remember that He is a just God! Aren’t you glad that someone recognizes your work though man does not all the time? If you do, continue to serve God and His people in excellence and leave the recognition behind!

"I’m Feeling You!"

Scripture: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” –Romans 12:15, NIV

Throughout my adult life, God has allowed me to feel the pain of my brothers and sisters in Christ. There have been seasons where I could be at my workplace and step into a mode of prayer. When I was in that mode, I found out it was because one of my sisters in Christ was going through. There have been seasons where I have felt the stress and hurting of the hearts of pastors. When I felt that pain, I would encourage them through prayer and let them know that God has your battles fought for you. There have been seasons where I even felt the pain of my family and friends. As a child of the King, I would intercede on their behalf for God to step in and rectify the situation. As I think about how God allows me to feel the pain of others and even feel happiness for others, He wants you to do the same! He wants you to tell your family member, your co-worker, and/or your friend, that “Hey, I am feeling you”. Today’s text provides how one should feel for the other.

Today’s message brings us to an epistle written by Paul to the church at Rome. Romans and 1 Corinthians are the longest Pauline Epistles (or letters written by Paul to the churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey and Italy)) with 16 chapters. Romans, according to scholars, is a book that talks about God, who He is, and what He has done. As Paul was penning this twelfth chapter, he dealt with two critical areas: living sacrifices (verses 1-8) and love (verses 9 – 21). Within the discussion of love is where we find Paul’s thought on how we should feel or be there for one another.

Paul begins ministering this portion of the text by saying, “Rejoice with those who rejoice”. One of the things that grieves me about people, in this particular season, is that they are only concerned about one person and that’s themselves. Doesn’t it grieve you as well? Doesn’t it strike a nerve with you when God has elevated within your workplace and all of a sudden, others are saying how they cannot wait to get theirs? Doesn’t it grieve you when God blesses you with the vehicle your heart desires and others do not participate in the celebration? Well, Paul is encouraging us to feel our brothers and sisters when their seasons of celebration are in effect! When a sister/brother is getting married to the “right one”, rejoice with them! When a brother/sister receives that promotion, you ought to rejoice with them! When a brother/sister joins the body of Christ, you ought to rejoice with them! When God blesses someone to watch their child graduate from high school, an university, a community college, or any kind of college, you ought to rejoice with them! We ought to feel happiness and rejoice with our brother/sister and not have the crab syndrome of bringing down to our levels of misery!

The text concludes by Paul ministering this thought, “Mourn with those who mourn”. During the seasons of death and bereavement, we often learn who our true friends are. We learn about those who genuinely care. We learn about those who say the Word of prayer on our behalf and legitimately means it. One lesson that our pastor engrains within our minds is to pay respects to those within your church body that has lost a loved one because you never know when death will come knocking on your family’s door. Also, there are times and seasons where the people of God need to know that you are sensitive to their needs. I recall a couple of years ago when my aunt passed, it was truly a hurting time for my father and in turn, a hurting time for myself as well. One thing I kept in the back of my mind is that I needed to be strong for my family during this time and yet, show my side of mourning. If we can allow people to see that we are feeling them through their times of pain, hurt, disappointment, despair, and any other hurt, then they would see that we are following God’s Word and want to strive to be more Christ-like!

In closing, my encouragement to you on today is that God will open up your heart, even the more. I pray that He opens your heart in such a way where you can feel the pains/happiness of your brothers and sisters in Christ. When those feelings kick in, then you are doing what Paul was ministering about here: being able to rejoice with the rejoicers and being able to mourn with the mourners. He needs that versatility from you and so does your brothers and sisters!

"Our Knight in Shining Armor"

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” –Colossians 1:13, NIV

As I write today’s message, my thoughts shift towards the ladies. I make this statement because if you hung around a woman long enough, you would hear that they are looking for their “knight in shining armor”. If I was to perform a poll on what their “knight in shining armor” had to have, they would probably say the following set of things: strong, caring, protective, a good listener, one that could cater to my needs and wants, one who has a good job, one whose credit isn’t too bad, and one who loves his mother to name a few things. If truth were told, there’s nothing wrong with the characteristics that a woman desires in their “knights in shining armor”. If we hit the switch on this thing spiritually, we find out that there’s someone who meets these characteristics for a woman. We find someone who will go to battle on your behalf with the quickness! We find someone who will minister to you in your aching moments. This person, this entity, this Anointed One I am making reference to, is our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This message is conveyed through the Apostle Paul in today’s text.

Today’s message brings us to an epistle written by Paul to the church at Colosse. Scholars refer to the book of Colossians as a mini ethics course where it addresses every area of Christian life. The theme of this book is that the sufficiency of Jesus Christ can meet every need within our respective lives. Within its introductory chapter, Paul gives opening remarks to the church, talks about thanksgiving and prayer, the supremacy of Jesus Christ, and the labor Paul has given to the church. Our main scripture for today comes from Paul’s discussion about thanksgiving and prayer. There, we learn about how God is our knight in shining armor.

The text begins with this thought, “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness”. If you have watched any medieval-themed movies, you find out that the ladies were captured by the enemy and in turn, placed in jail, placed on a guillotine ready to kill her if the hero does not surrender, and other potential situations. When you think of stuff like that, you really look at those as “dark” situations. Usually, the hero or the knight in shining armor comes through, saves the damsel in distress, and defeats the enemy with his sword and other weaponry. In this same light, God has rescued us from the darkness of financial struggles! He has rescued us from the darkness of emotional hurts! He has rescued us from the darkness of spiritual hurts! He used His Sword (His Word) to defeat the enemy on our behalf! You remember when Jesus faced off against the enemy in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights and as the enemy tried to tempt Him, Christ defeated him with the Word! As He used the Sword, God wants you to use the Sword and cut off the head of the enemy! Aren’t you glad that He is your knight in shining armor that has taken you away from your respective places of darkness?

As our knight in shining armor, God has done this according to Paul, “brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves”. In other words, He has brought you from your pit into your palace! He has brought you from your valley to the peak of the mountain! He has brought you from rainy days to sunshiny days! Aren’t you glad to know that God came and rescued you? Aren’t you glad that He has brought you out of darkness and into His marvelous light? Aren’t you glad He has given you an opportunity to leave the past alone and focus on your future? Aren’t you glad that He has given you a second chance to make your life worthwhile? Aren’t you glad that it was God that was knight in shining armor and not man? Aren’t you glad He brought you from a place of hate to a place of love? I don’t know about you, but I bless God that He is the knight in shining armor!

In closing, my hope and my prayer is that the ladies who will read this message will get a man that fits your attributes, but more importantly, be the man that you need! I pray that God will send you your earthly knight in shining armor! On the spiritual side, it’s already handled because God is our knight in shining armor! He has saved us from the dominion of darkness and He has brought us into His Kingdom where Jesus Christ, His Beloved Son, loves us and cares for us! The next time you watch a movie with a medieval theme, remember that you have a knight in shining armor!

"The Christian’s Gas Station"

Scripture: “ … strength and glory are in his sanctuary.” –Psalms 96:6b, NIV

My brothers and my sisters, we have ALL reached a point during our driving where a sound or detector goes off in our car to say you need gas. There are times where we misjudge a distance and think we have enough gas to make it. When the sound/light/detector goes off, we are looking for the next available gas station. If we are fortunate, a gas station is not too far from where we are driving. On the other hand, there are times where we drive and drive and drive until we are blessed to find one and just made it in the nick of time. Once we reach the gas station and put gas in our cars, we are ready to roll. In the spiritual sense, there are times and seasons within our lives where we need a “gas station”. There are times where you will get tapped out from the cares of this world. There are times where you will get emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained from the workplace, the home, marriage, relationships, and other things. I am encouraged today because God has a place where we can go and fill up on His gas! Let’s take a look at today’s text to find out the location of our gas station.

Today’s message brings us to the longest book in the Bible, Psalms. Within its 96^th chapter or division of Psalms, we find the author discussing two big things. The first thing he discusses is a call to all people to praise the Lord (verses 1 – 9). The other thing the author discusses is God’s government and judgment (verses 10 – 13). Within the author’s discussion of the call to all people to praise the Lord is where we find out the location of our “gas station”.

As we journey into our main scripture, we find the kind of “gas” we can get from our “gas station”. The author mentions that at our “gas station” is strength. How many times do we as men and women of God get tired? How many times have we lost our zeal and energy because of this world and the people the enemy uses to deflate us? Aren’t you glad to know that God is there to provide you strength! Aren’t you glad to know that the joy of the Lord is your strength! Aren’t you glad to know that through Christ that strengthens you, you can do all things! As He strengthens you, He provides emotional strength! He provides financial strength! He provides spiritual strength! You’ll never know what kind of strength He can provide unless you make it to your “gas station”! The text reveals also that at this “gas station”, you will find His glory!! When you have the Glory of God going on, His blessings rain all over the place! His love rains all over the place! His mercy rains all over the place! His anointing rains all over the place! Don’t you want to be where the Glory of God is? Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, freedom, happiness, joy, and all of those other things! Don’t you want to feel it?

The author concludes this scripture by letting us know where our “gas station” is located. He tells us that the strength of God and the glory of God are in “His sanctuary”. Brothers and sisters, we often find people who have accepted Christ in the free pardon of their sins and said that they do not need to be a part of the church. However, I am convinced today that just as sure as we need to be in God’s sanctuary, so do they! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find unity amongst your brothers and sisters (Psalms 133)! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find solace for your soul! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find clarity to the matters of this life! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you receive revelation through the preached Word of God! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you receive healing from your soul’s diseases! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you can come there and re-fuel in order to make it through the weeks and the days! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you can get the “unleaded”, “mid-grade”, or “premium” gas and these gases depend on how much praise you give God! If you just want the norm, then give God a normal praise! If you want the mid-grade level, then give God a mid-grade praise! However, if you want the premium level, you ought to give God a “premium” praise! When you are in God’s sanctuary, your mind ought to sing this: When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah, I thank God for saving me! Aren’t you glad that He saved you? Aren’t you glad that He has provided a place where you can receive gas for the cars known as your spiritual beings? If you glad, give Him a praise!

In closing, I am thankful for gas stations. They are pretty much everywhere and anywhere you go and yet, they provide you with the gas to sustain your vehicles. In the same light, I am truly thankful for God’s sanctuary, God’s house, God’s church, where I can receive strength (gas) and share in His Glory! If you have not made a trip to the “gas station”, I suggest you make time to go and get fueled up because if not, you are going to run on E!

"This Is How You Can Help One Another Out"

Scripture: “Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” –Ephesians 6:18, The Message

Throughout my five years and almost eight months of marriage, there have been times where I received this one question from my wife: How can I help you? She may ask this question because I was struggling with putting something together, trying to remedy an issue, thinking about what I am wearing for work, etc. More times than naught, I usually say that I am okay and I will figure out. On the other hand, there have been times where I have inquired her opinion and received the help I needed to accomplish a task. If truth were told, we have all either said I don’t need help when it comes to something or can you help me with something. Then, there are times like the death of a loved one, overcoming a financial obligation where your money cannot be of help and other instances where you cannot help a person in the way you desire. However, God through His Apostle Paul, has provided us all with a way we can help one another out. Let’s journey to today’s scriptural text.

Within today’s focal book, the book of Ephesians, we find Paul just ministering to the church at Ephesus about putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 – 17). After laying down this foundation, he goes on and ministers to them and us on today on how we can help one another out. He tells us through the Message Bible this: “Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters”. Oftentimes, ladies and gentlemen, we may not have the financial solution for someone’s financial issues. We may not have the emotional solution for someone’s emotional issues. We may not have the mental solution for someone’s mental issues. However, God provides us with a way where we can help them indirectly, but directly and that’s through prayer. Paul tells us to pray hard and pray long. There are times where “breath prayers” are good to get your morning right or when you are driving to work or riding the Metro, but then there are times where you need to tarry on behalf of your brother/sister or towards a situation you are dealing with. With that being said, you have to pray hard and pray long! He lets us know that as we pray hard and long, we ought to pray for our brothers and sisters! One thing I do know is that there is strength in numbers! There is strength when you have believers coming together, touching and agreeing that things will occur (Matthew 18)! There’s power when you link up with your brother and link up with your sister! There’s power when you intercede for one another! When you intercede for others, God will open up Heaven’s doors for them and eventually, for you (Job 42)!

Paul did not just stop there as far as us helping one another out. He finishes the text by saying, “Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out”. One of the greatest lessons I have learned in life through my college advisor is to “not lose sight”. My colleagues and I use to laugh when he said that, but the point he made was relevant. There are times where we get frustrated with life’s issues and because of that, we tend to lose focus or do something else. What Paul is ministering to you and to me on today is to maintain our alertness. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us “to be sober and vigilant because the Devil is out seeking whom he may devour”. If you lose sight for a split second, he’s ready to pounce on you. Jesus reminds us to “watch as well as pray”. It’s on us to maintain focus and not lose our grip! How can we make sure that we do not lose our grip?

The text concludes with Paul saying, “Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out”. After reading this scripture on today, I have a newfound respect for people who are more times than naught the “Jokey Smurfs” of the world. Eight times out of ten, you see these types at your workplace, your place of worship, and even at home, and you wonder why they always jovial and making light of stuff. When you have a jovial spirit or a loving spirit, the intent is to keep people laughing and thinking about good things, not negative things. Paul encourages us in helping one another out to keep our brother’s spirits up and our sister’s spirits up because when we do that, we stay in line together and we do not lose anyone. I want to let each of you know whose reading how much I appreciate your sentiments, encouragement, laughs, and anything else you have provided me because it has kept my spirits up and has encouraged me to keep writing. In closing, encourage someone you care about and/or love and let them know how much you appreciate them for their laughs or love because they are helping you out! They are keeping your spirits up so you will not fall! Let’s keep one another up in prayer and thank God for the friendships/relationships we have with our family and friends!

"How Do I Become Successful?"

Scripture: “Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” –Proverbs 22:4, NIV

One of the things we desire most in this life is to be successful. If you play sports, then success is usually defined as winning a championship, being recognized as the best in your conference, league, etc., or being revered as a good player. In the realm of broadcasting and news, success is usually defined by winning an Emmy or by being revered by your peers. As normal people, we consider success as having a nice paying job, a nice home, a beautiful family, a nice car/set of cars, etc. As each of us are striving towards being “successful”, many books have been written to teach us how to become successful. If truth were told, we have a book that guides us on how to become successful! We have a book that’s been out for over 2,000 years and it’s the all-time best seller with its various versions! We have a book that is 1188 chapters long and it contains messages that talks about people becoming successful! This book, my brothers, and my sisters, is the Bible, the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Within the Holy Word, God ministered to the wisest king of all-time, Solomon, on how to become successful. Let’s examine, through Solomon’s eyes, how do you become successful.

Within the Old Testament, God allowed Solomon to pen three Poetic books: Song of Solomon (Solomon’s love songs to God using metaphors to connect with the human mind), Ecclesiastes, and today’s focal book, Proverbs. Within Proverbs and today’s main scripture, Solomon gives us the two keys within his mindset that will make you and me successful. He starts the text by making mention of the first key: humility. God has blessed us to be smart or blessed within certain aspects of life. Some of us, He has blessed to be good negotiators. Some of us, He has blessed to be bookworms. Some of us, He has blessed to be good cooks. Some of us, He has blessed to be good hairstylists. Understand that it is fine and good to possess these skills, but you have to keep a level head and don’t think of yourself as something higher than what you are! God allows us to know that if we humble ourselves before Him, He will exalt us! If you maintain a humble heart, your name has exaltation written all over it! If you are reading today and God has not opened up the door of the ideal job, then stay humble! If He hasn’t opened the door for the right man/woman to come into your life, stay humble! If He hasn’t opened the door where you can establish your business, stay humble, because in due time, He will open the door you desire!

The other key to becoming successful in Solomon’s eyes is to possess “the fear of the LORD”. As we often hear the term “fear of the Lord”, some think this means fear God like you fear a gun being shot at you or fear a tornado or something hitting your home. In all actuality, this type of fear is meant for you and for me to revere our Heavenly Father and adore Him for who He is. When you revere someone, you do not disrespect them! When you revere someone, you take into account their feelings and their thoughts! When you revere someone, you often listen to them for guidance! If we love God like we say we do, then our actions in our everyday lives should not disrespect him. Our actions should consider God and what He would think! Our actions should make us take a moment and receive guidance from the Lord. Solomon told us in Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge! In becoming successful, as you fear God, He will provide you the necessary knowledge and the necessary life’s experiences (wisdom) to make it!

When you use two keys to crank up the engine of God, then the “car of success” can get moving! When the “car of success” is moving, you have brought into existence wealth, honor, and life. In closing on today, the books on success are wonderful. We receive real-life examples from real people who have worked to become successful. Just remember that you have a book in the Word of God that provides us examples of men/women who were successful as well. Today, God allowed us to see from Solomon’s eyes that if we humble ourselves to Him and fear/reverence/adore Him, then we can become successful! Aren’t you glad that you can be successful in the name of Jesus Christ? If you are ready to be successful and/or desire continued success, go out there and get it!

"It Was His Mercy That Set Us Free!"

Scripture: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. …”-Titus 3:3-5, NIV

Within this day and age, one of the busiest places on a daily basis is the courtroom. Judges, throughout this land, deal with various cases from killings to moving violations. They have the undaunting task of deciding the fates of these people. They decide whether a person gets life in prison, “the chair”, jail time period, probation, fines, and other things. In some cases, the one who done wrong receives the harshest of penalties. Then, there are some cases where the one who has done wrong receives a “slap on the wrist”. When the person receives the slap on the wrist, it lets us know that the judge had mercy on the person to set them free or serve a shorter sentence than the norm. If we switch this thing spiritually, there’s been someone whose mercy has pleaded not just my case, but your case as well! It’s our Heavenly Father whose mercy has set us free! Just in case you never experienced this, today’s text will illuminate why we can make such a statement.

Today’s main scripture is located in the book of Titus. This book, along with 1 and 2 Timothy, are considered Paul’s Pastoral Epistles. Titus was written around 66 A.D. This epistle served as an epistle of encouragement to Titus as he is receiving advice on how to select the leaders for the church at Crete (modern-day Greece). Paul also provided Titus warnings about the reputations of the people who reside in Crete. Within Chapter 3 of Titus, Paul concludes his letter with Titus and he provides a discussion on doing what is good. Within the discussion on doing what is good is where we find out that it was God’s mercy that set us free.

Paul begins the text with this thought, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another”. If we cut the grass short enough, this has been you or at a certain point, still you. Paul told the church at Rome that we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). He also told the church at Galatia that when a man think of himself is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6:3). No matter who you are, you have done some foolish things! We have been disobedient to the will of God! We have been deceived by what is shown on TV! We have been deceived by what is written in the news! We have been deceived by what is shown on movie screens throughout the country! We have been enslaved because of the color of our skin! We have been enslaved because of our financial demographics! We have been enslaved by having the biggest homes! We have been enslaved by having the nicest cars! We have been enslaved by having the nicest suits! We have envied someone, we have hated someone, we have had people hate us! At one point or another, we have all been trapped by the enemy’s vises!

The ending of today’s text provides me joy on the inside and in turn, it should do the same. The text concludes with Paul writing, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Though we were bound by the chains of being rich, God had mercy on us! Though we were bound by the vises of the TV, God had mercy on us! Through the hating of your brothers and sisters, God had mercy on us! Through people hating on us, God had mercy on us! Through every dangerous toils and snares, God had mercy on us! Through our foolish decisions, God had mercy on us! Through our disobedient acts, God had mercy on us! No matter what you have been big and bad enough to do, God’s love, God’s kindness, and most importantly, His mercy pleaded your case, my case, and has allowed us to be set free! When the Son has set you free, you are free indeed!

In closing, being a judge in today’s judicial system is tough. Nevertheless, if judges do not decide on people’s cases, then they would not have a paycheck. One thing about judges, they are people and some are kindhearted and some are not kindhearted. Aren’t you glad about the God who was loving, kind, and merciful to plead your case through our life’s foolishness and craziness? If so, you ought to give Him a praise wherever you are and thank Him for being your lawyer that’s NEVER lost a case!

"I Talked to God about You!"

Scripture: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” –Ephesians 1:17, NIV

In May of 2005, I accepted my calling into the Ministry at the New Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC. After I made the proclamation known to my church family, family, and friends, my Mama and I engaged in a conversation. Within this conversation, she shared with me how she use to talk to God about yours truly preaching His Word. As I heard this conversation, it allowed me to understand another level of depth to my Mama’s relationship with God. It allowed me to understand how she had conversations with the Father on my behalf. If truth were told, most of the mothers who are readers can attest to the same thing, when it comes down to talking to God about their children. Some have talked to God because the daughter has lost her mind and done crazy things. Some have talked to God because the son is strung out on drugs. Some have talked to God because their child is headed to court and they do not want the worst for them. Aren’t you glad that mothers talk to God about you? Aren’t you glad that fathers talk to God about you? Aren’t you glad that your children talk to God about you? Aren’t you glad that loved ones, family, and friends talk to God about you? Within today’s text, we find that the Apostle Paul talked to God about the church at Ephesus. Let’s see what Paul was saying here.

The Apostle Paul begins the book of Ephesians with opening salutations, a discussion about the spiritual blessings in Christ, and a discussion on thanksgiving and prayer where our main scripture lies on today. As I sit and think about how good God has been to us all, thanksgiving and prayer should be at the forefront of our minds and thoughts. They ought to be the first set of things we do in the morning, it ought to be set of things we do during the day, and it ought to be the final set of things we do at night! As we move on here in the text, we find Paul praying or talking to God about the church at Ephesus.

What Paul is praying/asking about is this: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better”. Wow! What a prayer/conversation Paul had with God! If you digest this text for a moment, isn’t this something similar mothers ask God to do for their children? We are in the day and age where Big Mama’s religion cannot get you into Heaven! Heck, your Mama’s religion cannot get you into Heaven! Only the relationship you have with the Father can get you into Heaven! Paul understood that the church at Ephesus loved God, but needed to commune with Him on a more intimate level. That’s why he asked God to bless them with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. When you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, you know when people you hang around are/are not of God. When you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, you know what situations are/are not of God. When you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, you hear God speaking to you about financial situations. When you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, you hear God speaking to you about emotional trauma. When you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, God is right there and all He desires is that you listen to Him! He wants to get to know you better, don’t you want to get to know Him better?

In closing on today, I am thankful to God that Mama spoke to Him about me, Ministry, and my life as a whole. Through her prayers, love, and support, I know God on a deeper level, which propels me to minister to each of you! If your mother or mother figure is still around on today, take time to tell her Thank You for talking to God about you! Paul wanted the Ephesians to obtain the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that they may know God better! God wants you to have this same wisdom and revelation because He desires a relationship with you! Will you make a date with God and become more intimate with Him? Whenever you do, just know that you will never be the same!

"What are the Keys to Get into God’s Presence?"

Scripture: “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” –Ephesians 3:12, NLT

Many of the games we watch on TV, whether it be football, basketball, baseball, hockey, or soccer, usually has commentary done by at least one to two people. As this commentary is done, they usually provide keys to victory before the game and after the game. For example, if you are watching a football game with the Dallas Cowboys, the keys to beating the Cowboys would include stopping the run, attack the secondary with long bombs, and consistently blitz Tony Romo. Within the Playoffs this year, the Minnesota Vikings executed this plan and beat the Boys pretty bad! On the spiritual side, we also have keys to victory over the enemy and over our life’s circumstances. Today’s message deals with the keys to get into God’s presence. Paul ministered to us these keys within our main scripture.

Within this chapter, Chapter 3, the New Living Translation indicates from verses 1 – 13 that Paul was revealing God’s mysterious plans to the church at Ephesus. As previously stated in the introduction, he mentions to them and in turn, us, the keys necessary to enter into God’s presence. He begins the text with the answers. He lets us know that “Because of Christ and our faith in Him”, we have entrance into God’s presence. Doesn’t having Christ sacrifice His life and shedding His blood for your sins and mine much better than you or me going out hunting in order to receive forgiveness for sins? Doesn’t feel good to know that through Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection that the veil in the Temple rent in two that we may have access to God for ourselves? If these things feel good to you, you ought to give God a praise for Jesus! Not only because of Christ we have entrance into God’s presence, we also must exercise faith in Him! Brothers and sisters, it’s one thing to get into the face of God about stuff, but it’s another thing to get into His face and not be certain that He is going to answer your prayer! I was sharing with a brother of mine in Ministry how God would work on his behalf if he stopped focusing on his fatigue. If you do not get weary in well doing, God has a blessing with your name on it (Galatians 6:9)! You have to put your faith into action, in concert with works! You cannot be faithful and not do works and in turn, you cannot be full of works and not have faith! You must work your work and exercise your faith!

Once you recognize that Christ and your faith in Christ are the keys, then Paul finishes the text by saying, “we can now come boldly and confidently in God’s presence”. Isn’t it a blessing to know that not only you get into God’s presence, but you can come BOLDLY and CONFIDENTLY! In other words, God wants you to dialogue with Him like He was one of your friends. He wants you to make your requests known unto Him (Philippians 4). He wants you to stop being shy and run your mouth with confidence to Him! Many of us get afraid when it comes to talking to God, but if you have faith in Jesus and know that Jesus stepped up for you, you are free to talk to God, you are free to allow your feelings to be felt to God, and you are free to be in His presence! When you are in the presence of God, oh my Father! There’s liberty! There’s power! There’s anointing! There’s restoration! There’s overflow! There’s love! There’s everything you desire and everything you need in the presence of God!

In closing on today, we all have keys that will ignite our success(es) in life! We all have seen games where we say if a team does x or y, then they can win the game! If you want to get into God’s presence, the keys are simple: 1) Jesus (already done, already lived, still lives today) and 2) Your faith in Him! With those keys, you have free reign to feast on God and get ready for the days of your lives!

"What Does God Want to Impart in You?"

Scripture: “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being” –Ephesians 3:16, NIV

As children, either our mother or our father did what they could to take care of the house and the bills. They did what they could to provide you the toys and things that were heart’s desires. They also did what they could to instill you what is right and what is wrong when it comes to living on this pretty but crazy place known as Earth. Most importantly, if you hung around your parents or grandparents or anyone of age long enough, they have a way of imparting wisdom and knowledge into you. If you think about it on today, many of the decisions we make are based on the things that were imparted into us by our mothers, our fathers, our grandparents, and others of age and wisdom. As they imparted wisdom into your life, someone else wants to impart into you as well. This someone is our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ and the blessed Holy Spirit. Within today’s text, Paul explains what God wants to impart into you.

Within this third chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul does two things: 1) He introduces himself as the preacher to the Gentiles (people that are not Jews) and 2) a prayer he has for the church at Ephesus. Within the second thing of his prayer for the church at Ephesus, we find what God would like to impart into you. Paul begins the text by saying, “I pray that out of His glorious riches”. In other words, what God wants to impart into you comes from His soul and it comes with potency! Isn’t it a blessing to know that as God blesses you, He wants to bless you in a potent way? He just does not want to give you a shallow blessing, He wants to give you an awesome blessing!

As Paul continues this prayer, he finishes it out like this, “He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being”. What God wants to impart into you, my brother and my sister, is His power! He does not want to impart into you the world’s power, but His power! He wants to impart into you His power that it may reach your inner man! He wants to impart this power that will make you check yourself in life’s decisions! He wants to impart this power that will make you love even when hurt is inside of you! He wants to impart this power that will make love those who despitefully use you! He wants to import this power that will make you more financial savvy! He wants to impart this power into you that you may cast out demons in His name! He wants to impart this power that will make you be the best employee, the best employer, the best leader, the best lover, the best husband, the best wife, the best son, the best daughter, and the best of everything!

In closing, I am thankful for being surrounded and surrounding myself with elder people and parents. From them, they imparted into me a lot of wisdom and knowledge. Many of you probably have the same testimony on today. There’s one impartation that beats them all and that’s the impartation of God’s power into your inner being and my inner being! Aren’t you glad about God wanting to impart His power into you? As He does it, make the best use of it possible!

"What Do We Have In Him?"

Scripture: “In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,” –Ephesians 1:7, Amplified Bible

As we are deep into the NBA Playoffs and the Conference Semifinals, coaches often look to see what they have in their players. If you are the “run and gun” type like the Phoenix Suns, you are looking for high energy players who can run up and down the floor in less than seven seconds to score relentlessly. If you are the gritty veteran type like the San Antonio Spurs, you are looking for players who have a good basketball IQ and know how to draw fouls. If you are the championship contender type like the Lakers or the Cavaliers, you are looking for those players who can put you over the top in various crucial game situations. If these coaches can find these types of players within their teams, then look out! The Playoffs will be even greater than what they have been thus far. If we switch this thing spiritually, do we know what we have in Him? Do we know what we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Well today, the Apostle Paul wants you to know what kind of Savior you have in Jesus.

He begins today’s text by saying, “In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood”. It amazes me how we as human beings hold things over people from their past. We hold over people’s heads that they were whoremongers. We hold over their heads that they were backbiters. We hold over their heads that they were snitches. We hold over their heads that they hurt our feelings. Aren’t you glad that Jesus holds NOTHING against you? Aren’t you glad to know that in Jesus, you have redemption, deliverance, and salvation through His blood? Aren’t you glad that He picked you up, turn you around, and placed your feet on solid ground? Aren’t you glad that you are better than what you used to be because of Jesus? Aren’t you glad that He pulled you away from your desert and placed you in an oasis where His blessings flow? Aren’t you glad to know that because He lives, you and me can face tomorrow?

Not only do we have redemption through His blood, but we also have in Jesus “the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses)”. Now that right there ought to make you tell Him Thank You! In the Old Testament days, blood was used for the remission of sins. Through Jesus’ blood, we have forgiveness or remission for our offenses! 1 John discusses how Jesus was the propitiation for our sins. Because of this, we have forgiveness for our hang-ups! We have forgiveness for our disappointments! We have forgiveness for our past mistakes! Lamentations lets you know that we receive new mercies every day and it’s in Jesus that these mercies are given and it’s in Jesus that our slate is wipe clean of the sins of yesterday! Aren’t you glad that He has cleaned your slate? Aren’t you glad that He does not care about your past ways, but concerned about your present and future?

Paul concludes this text by saying that these things were “in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor”. Isn’t that a mouthful right there, ladies and gentlemen? Philippians 4:19 makes mention that He will supply all of your needs according to His riches in Glory. What this part of scripture says to me that in Him, we have redemption through His blood, remission of our sins because it was a part of the will of God and it was the need that had to be supplied. Not only did He supply a need, He extended to us His gracious (unmerited) favor! Brothers and sisters, as you live life and live it more abundantly, every day that you live, you ought to know what you have in Jesus! You ought to know that He has redeemed you! You ought to know that He has saved you through His blood! You ought to know that He has forgiven you for your offenses! These things occurred because it was in His will! Once Adam messed up in the Garden, God had to set the table for Jesus to come! He realized that many of the Old Testament saints could not get the job done! Because of this, Jesus, off His throne from Heaven, saw fit, and made it His business to show you and me what we do have in Him! He did it in accordance to the riches and His generosity of gracious favor! Aren’t you glad about God’s favor on today? If so, you ought to let Him know in your own special way!

In closing, I am thankful today for knowing what I have in Jesus. Because of that, it makes me want to do better and love the way He encourages me to love. I may not cross every t and dot every I, but I know that there’s redemption and remission and it was in accordance with His riches! Just meditate on what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and let it minister to you. Let it let you know that no matter what goes on in life, Jesus has forgave you and redeemed you and there’s no devil in hell that can stop you!

"The Relationship God Desires with You"

Scripture: “But Ruth said, Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god.” –Ruth 1:16, The Message Bible

As human beings, we often desire companionship. We desire to be a part of a circle of friends. As we want companionship and to be a part of a circle of friends, we often have “requirements” or desires we want. I could recall saying that within my mate, I desired a God-fearing woman, one who would love me for me, flaws and all, one who would add to me and not subtract, and someone who was appealing to the eyes to name a few things. Because God loved me so much, He gave me that in Mrs. Lindsay! Within a circle of friends, I desired to hang around people who would help me grow, ones I could help grow, ones I could glean from in reference to life’s situations, ones who can help me in a critical situation. Fortunately, God has blessed me with a set of friends who fit this criteria of what I desire. If you sat down and wrote down your criteria for a companion and/or set of friends, ask yourself if you are receiving what you desire. In the spiritual sense, God desires a relationship with you. He loves you and He loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son in Jesus Christ, to die for our sins that we may live again. Within today’s text, we find a tremendous example of a relationship between two people and in turn, would describe the kind of relationship God desires with you.

Today’s main scripture is found in the book of Ruth. Ruth is the third book within the History Books of the Old Testament. This book is one of only two books in the entire Bible that bears a woman’s name as the name of the book, with Esther being the other book. It tells the story of the awesome bond between a Moabitess woman by the name of Ruth and her mother-in-law by the name of Naomi. Within its initial chapter, we find that Ruth and Oprah’s, her sister-in-law, husbands have passed. Through their passing, Naomi has told her two daughter-in-laws that you can go on about your business and leave me. Oprah did leave Naomi, but Ruth did not. Ruth stayed with Naomi until God blessed her kinsman redeemer, Boaz, to find her, and take her as his wife. Within the first chapter of Ruth, Ruth shows us the kind of relationship God desires with you and with me.

The text begins with Ruth saying, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home”. One thing I love about God is that He will not impose Himself on you; however, the kind of relationship He desires with you is that He does not want to be out of your life! He wants to be a steady staple in your life! He wants to be the sun you rise to and the moon you go to sleep on! God lets us know in His Word that He’ll never leave us, nor forsake us! God does not want to reside in Heaven and not reside in you! He wants to make your mind, body, and soul His residence! Who would not want to have a relationship with a God like that?

Ruth continues on in the text and tells Naomi, “Where you go, I go and where you live, I’ll live!” Doesn’t this sound like God? Doesn’t it sound like the Father who cares so much for you? Even when you think you are in Hell, God is still there with you! Even when you think no one loves you, God is still there with you! Even when you feel like that you live alone in a house full of people, God is still there with you! Aren’t you glad that no matter where you go, God wants to be there? Aren’t you glad that no matter what goes on that God still wants to reside with you? If you have this feeling of appreciation for your Father and my Father on today, you ought to take 15 seconds and give Him a little praise!

Lastly, the love Ruth had for Naomi showed when she said, “Your people are my people, your God is my god”. Ladies and gentlemen, when you have a real relationship with God, then He loves those who are around you, though He may not be as pleased with the things that are in them! God will love you, but despise the liar in you! God will love you, but despise the backbiter in you! God will love you, but detest the pride that resides in you! Nevertheless, no matter what shape you are in, God wants to love you! He also desires that you make Him your God and that you have no other gods before Him! Not your car! Not your wife! Not your husband! Not your children! Not your church! Not your pastor! He wants to be the only God you thank and the only God you praise and the only God you adore!

In closing, measure your relationship with God with the kind of relationship Ruth had with Naomi and realize that this is the kind of relationship God desires with you! If you have been scared to commune with the Father, I challenge you to step up and commune with Him because He has a great love for you and it’s one that you can take it to the bank and feel everyday!

"We Owe Him!"

Scripture: “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” -2 Corinthians 5:15, NIV

As I reflect upon my life and where I am in God and in my physical life, many people have played various roles. I think of my Mama who first and foremost, brought me into this world. Not only did she do that, she taught me my core principles about God, loving people, the basics for success in school, and other things. I think of my wife that God blessed me with over six years ago. Through her, I learned about a greater dimension of the word love, a greater dimension of the word sacrifice, how to be the husband/friend she needs, learned about other life lessons, and other things. I think of the pastors I sat under during my twenty years of knowing God for myself. Through them, I have learned more about God’s Word, learned how to apply God’s Word within my life, how to be a godly man, how to use authority in a correct manner, and other things. I mention these people because in so many words, I owe who I am to them and others. If truth were told, we all have a set of people who has cultivated our lives and brought us to who we are on today. If we investigate this thing from a God standpoint, we find out that we, as men and women of God, owe Him! Him being our Lord and Savior Jesus! Today’s text reveals to us how we try to pay what we owe to Christ.

Today’s main scripture is located in the second letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. Scholars record that today’s chapter of focus, Chapter 5, outlines the basis of Christian faith including the “newness” of man (v. 17) and the exchange of our sins for the righteousness of Jesus Christ (v. 21). This chapter also deals with a discussion of our heavenly dwelling (verses 1 – 10) and the ministry of reconciliation (verses 11 – 21). If we take a good look at ourselves, we could all use a little help/growth in the area of reconciliation. This is critical because we do not want to burn bridges we may have to cross again! Within the discussion on the ministry of reconciliation is where we find out what we owe Christ.

We owe Christ, first and foremost, because “He died for all”. Ladies and gentlemen, how many people do you know will die for you? How many people do you know that will sacrifice their life, their homes, their cars, their money, and anything else for you? Honestly, I bet the answer is none or maybe one or two. Jesus Christ, the Lamb, the Goat, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, died for you and for me, period! As He died for all, He did it “that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again”. In other words, we owe Christ! What we owe Christ is our lives! We owe Christ the fruit of praise on our lips! We owe Christ the honor and glory that’s due to Him! We owe Christ a life of striving for perfection in Him! We owe Christ our best, not our worst! We owe Christ a life of sacrifice to our fellow man! We owe Christ a life of help to our fellow man! We owe Christ a life of love to our fellow man! We owe Christ a life that is pleasing to Him! We owe Him a life that lacks backbiting, tattling, “hating”, envy, fornication, adultery, and other things! We owe Christ the best of us! Yes, He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly, but He wants us to live our lives for Him because it’s the least we owe Him!

In closing, I bless God for those people who have blessed me through my lifetime. I owe them a lot, but not like I owe Jesus Christ! If you think about it, we all owe Jesus because He died for us! All He wants from us is for us to live for Him. Will it get tough? Yes, it will! Just think about the sacrifice He gave for you! When you do that, it’ll make you want to give Him your best!

"I Have a Promise to Fulfill"

Scripture: "The king then took an oath: As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place." -1 Kings 1:29-30, NIV

As I was preparing for the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, I heard a tremendous story from the man who was selected #2 by the Detroit Lions, Ndamukong Suh. To give you a little background on Suh, he's 6'4", 307 lbs. and played defensive tackle at the University of Nebraska. Suh won every major Defensive Player of the Year award in college football in 2009 because of a season that included 12 sacks, 82 tackles, and 23 tackles for loss of yardage. The game that placed Suh on the map was the Big 12 Conference Championship game in Arlington against Texas. There, he registered 4.5 sacks on Texas's gunslinger at QB, Colt McCoy, and made 12 tackles. Though Nebraska lost 13-12, Suh earned MVP honors for that game. With Suh being drafted by the Lions and getting ready to sign a contract with millions of dollars attached to it, he made a promise to his university that he can fulfill. He is going to give $2.6 million for the university to create a state-of-the-art training facility that will dawn his name. If truth were told, many of us have made promises in our past that we wanted to fulfill, whether it was to be the best husband, the best wife, the best son, the best daughter, the best mother/father, and the list goes on and on. Aren't you glad that God gives us life and opportunity to fulfill these promises? Today's text presents us with an awesome example of a man who had a promise to fulfill and did just that.

1st Kings serves as the back drop of today's main scripture. This book is one of 12 books which comprises the History Books of the Old Testament or the term Deuteronimistic History (how history was made through the obedience/disobedience of the Word God gave the Israelites in Deuteronomy). Within this introductory chapter, we are introduced to a feeble and weary version of King David. He cannot keep warm at night and though his people selected him a beautiful young lady to look after him, he did not become intimate with her. As King David was on his way to death, we find the third of four sons, Adonijah, whose actually the heir apparent because of the deaths of Amnon and Absalom, doing everything he can to assume the throne. On the other hand, we find out that David's main people and advisors were not so keen on Adonijah being king and more importantly, David had not been aware of what Adonijah was trying to do. Have you ever known someone ready to be king/queen and were not ready to assume the throne because God was not ready for them? As the text continues, we find Nathan telling Bathsheba of significance. He tells her to talk with King David and ask him will he fulfill the promise/oath he made that Solomon would be king over Adonijah. He did this because it would save her life and Solomon's life. Upon the advice of Nathan, Bathsheba pays a visit to King David in his palace and asked the question if David was going to fulfill his promise to make Solomon king because Adonijah has made himself king and the eyes of Israel is on you to make this decision in who is going to rule next. Has the eyes of the world ever been on you to make a crucial decision like where you are going to work, where you are going to school, who are you getting married to, and other things? Well, this was the position King David was in and this places us at the point of our main scripture.

As Bathsheba positioned herself in front of King David, the text begins, "The king then took an oath". What blesses me here is the fact though David is 70 years old and he's weary, he was a man who still wanted to fulfill his promise. Oftentimes in this life, we often run into trucebreakers or we have been guilty of truce breaking ourselves. I'm glad that Jesus continuously gives us life and opportunity to fulfill promises and learn how to be truce makers instead of trucebreakers. As David took the oath, he says, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place". Through his pains and aches, David was going to be man enough to fulfill his promise and his baby boy, Solomon, would be the king instead of Adonijah. As Chapter 1 concluded, we find that Adonijah was scared for his life and humbled himself. Through his humbling, Solomon found favor on him and told him to go home.

In closing, Suh will be signing a contract where he can fulfill his promise to the University of Nebraska. I know that Cornhusker land will be happy about that. In today's text, we find that through David fulfilling his promise, Solomon became king, instead of Adonijah. Through Solomon and the wisdom he received from the Lord, the Temple of the Lord was built and the lineage of the ultimate Promise Keeper was kept. Because of Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Promise Keeper, He fulfilled Old Testament scripture and saved us! My encouragement to you is that if you made a promise, do what you can within reason to fulfill it!

"The Connection That Makes Us Family"

Scripture: "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." -Mark 3:35, NIV

One of the greatest pastimes of African-Americans in the United States is family reunions. This event allows us to see family you normally see and even family you have never seen before. While you are there, you often look at your family members and may ask the question, "How am I related to him/her?" Due to the various members of your family, one person may be your third cousin from your mother's father, another may be your great great grandmother from your father's side, another might be your great great great aunt from your mother's side, and other relations. At the end of the day, you are a part of that family because there's a connection that makes you family. In the Kingdom of God, there's a connection that makes all of us, those who Christ in the free pardon of our sins, family. Today's text will provide us the connection that makes us family.

Today's main scripture is located in the Gospel account according to Mark. Mark, according to scholars, was the spiritual son and associate of Peter. As this Gospel account was written, Mark's intent was to give a depiction of Christ's life that would strengthen the faith of Christians everywhere who faces severe persecution and to teach them what it meant to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Within this third chapter, we find Jesus ministering to a man who had a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. Eventually, Christ heals this man in the faces of the Pharisees, which lead to them beginning their plot/scheme to kill Jesus. Watch those who you hang around because they may be plotting to kill you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc. The chapter continues where Mark discusses the crowds following Jesus, the appointment of the 12 Apostles or Disciples, discussion about Jesus and Beelzebub (the enemy), and Jesus' mother and brothers. Within the last discussion of Jesus' mother and brothers is where we launch into today's thought.

Right off the bat, Jesus establishes the connection that makes us family. He says, "Whoever does God's will". In other words, I can call you my brother because the connection that makes us family is the fact you are doing God's will. I can call you my sister because the connection that makes us family is the fact you are doing God's will. I can call you my mother because the connection that makes us family is the fact you are doing God's will. I can call you my father because the connection that makes us family is the fact you are doing God's will. If we check ourselves for a moment, there are times where we backbite on our brothers and sisters. We all have all sinned and come short of His Glory (Romans 3:23), but at the end of the day, we ought to watch the things our mouths birth about our family, we ought to watch the things we think about our family, and we ought to just be respectful and appreciative of our family because Daddy is watching us! Whenever you see someone and you find out that they are a part of Kingdom, then they are your brother and your sister and you ought to love them as you want to be loved, for this was Christ's greatest commandment!

If you are doing the will of God, then Jesus says that you are His "brother and sister and mother". Isn't that amazing to know that if you do the will of God, not only does He call you friend, but He calls you family? When you are a part of Christ's family, it comes with perks and privileges. David lets us know that "He is our Shepherd and we shall not want"(Psalms 23:1). Moses lets us know that He is Jehovah Rophe, the God that heals (Exodus 15:26). David also lets us know that he does not forsake the righteous or make His seed beg for bread (Psalms 37:25). Jeremiah says that He is like fire shut up in your bones (Jeremiah 20). Paul writes that He will supply the need you have according to His riches in Glory (Philippians 4:19). When you are His family, He promises to be with you until the end of the Earth! Aren't you glad that you have a family member like Jesus Christ?

In closing, family reunions allow us to meet family members near and far. It allows us to identify where certain characteristics of ours come from like pointed ears, or a big nose, or a nice skin complexion. It also allows us to understand the connection(s) that makes us family. Within Mark on today, Jesus explained to us the connection that makes us family with Him and that's doing His Father's will. The old cliché says, "blood is thicker than water" and if that's the case, is Jesus' relationship with you thicker than "water" (the things of this world)?

"We Are His to Keep"

Scripture: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand." -John 10:28, NIV

Have you ever been in a circumstance where you saw something that belonged to someone else and you were like, "I like that!"? Have you ever been in a circumstance where a person said the same thing to you about something you had? If so, then you know there are times where you have been nice enough to say "it's yours to keep". I recall meeting a lady at the job during training and she had a nice pen. I told her how I thought it was a really nice pen and when the training ended, she told me that the pen "was mine to keep". In the spiritual realm, God wants you and me to know on today that we are His to keep! How can we make such a statement? Let's take a look at today's text.

Within the Gospel account of John is where we find today's main scripture. John's account of Jesus Christ began with Christ performing His first miracle at the wedding in Cana (Chapter 2). Before discussing His first miracle, John established Jesus as "Logos", or "The Word" in Chapter 1 and the fact He dwelt among us. Within this tenth chapter, we find Jesus ministering from the theme "the Shepherd and His Flock" (verses 1 - 21) and discussing the unbelief of the Jews (verses 22 - 42). As He was dealing with the unbelief of the Jews, He gives us a clear rationale why we are His to keep.

To start, Christ says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish". Isn't it a blessing to know that by being a child of the King, you have guaranteed eternal life if you desire it? Isn't it a blessing to know that because of Jesus, you will never perish spiritually unless you desire to? Jesus knew that because of the great sins of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and others, that He had to put on flesh, come through the Virgin Mary, and serve as the Messiah, the Lamb, the Scapegoat, the Ram in the Bush, and everything else to save man (you and me) from our sins! Though He has not died on Calvary's cross, He is assuring us the perks with being His son or His daughter! Again, aren't you glad to know that Jesus gave you eternal life?

The text concludes with why we are His to keep. The text says, "no one can snatch them out of My hand". That ought to put some pep in your step on this morning! I can recall growing up how at times you may have had things in your hand and dared your classmates/friends to snatch it out of your hand. Depending on who you are, you either did not get things snatched out of your hands or you did and had to snitch or snatch it back. Jesus is telling the spirit of tattling, you CANNOT snatch my son/daughter from My hand! Jesus is telling the spirit of depression you CANNOT snatch my son/daughter from My hand! He is telling the spirit of low self-esteem, you CANNOT snatch my son/daughter from My hand! He is telling the spirit of fornication that you CANNOT snatch my son/daughter from My hand! He is telling Satan, on your behalf and my behalf, that he CANNOT snatch us from His hand! Just as the old song sings, He does have the world in His hands! He has you and me in His hands! When you fervent and firmly believe that you are in God's hands, you are His to keep! There's safety in His hands! There's power in His hands! There's peace in His hands! There's love in His hands! Aren't you glad that you are Christ's to keep? Aren’t you glad to know that Christ is not letting you go?

In closing, I appreciated the lady blessing me with the pen and telling me, "it's yours to keep". However, I am truly blessed to know that I am His to keep! Because I am His to keep, He has promised me eternal life and that I will never perish! Aren't you glad to know that you are His to keep? If you are glad that you are His to keep, wherever you are, you ought to give Him a wave offering, a hand praise, or a Hallelujah just because He is the keeper of our souls!

"Give Credit Where Credit Is Due"

Scripture: "Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:31, NIV

As a sports fan, I am always impressed with the interviews players give after receiving an award of some type. I can recall listening to Peyton Manning, after receiving his 4th NFL MVP award, and how he thanked his teammates from the offensive line to his running backs to his wide receivers for helping him to win the award. I can also recall listening to LeBron James and how he thanked his teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers when he won the NBA MVP award last year. Can you recall ever praising your team or colleagues for something you received credit for? If that's the case, then you are a firm believer in the cliché "giving credit where credit is due". Well today, the Apostle Paul wants us to exercise this cliché. Let's examine how Paul wants us to exercise it.

Today's message finds us in the book of 1 Corinthians. This served as Paul's first letter or epistle to the church at Corinth. The city of Corinth is located in the country of Greece and it is approximately 78 miles southwest of its capital city, Athens. Within this particular letter, 1 Corinthians reflect the difficulties or challenges of maintaining a Christian community in such a place. Within this introductory chapter, Paul provides opening remarks, has a discussion on thanksgiving, a discussion on divisions in the church, and a discussion on Christ, wisdom, and the power of God. Within the last discussion is where our focal verse lies.

The text simply says after therefore as it is written, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord". In other words, when you receive the promotion on the job, do not boast about your hard work, boast about the Lord who gave you the ability to work hard! When you graduate with your degree from college, boast on the God who gave you the brain power, the endurance, the wherewithal to hang in there and do it! When you receive healing from your body, boast on the God who was Jehovah Rophe and provided you the healing! When the bills are paid and the money you made was not enough, boast about the God who was Jehovah Jireh and provided you a way of getting things done! The beginning part of this text stated "Therefore, as it is written". This particular scripture can be found in Psalms 34:2. Within this verse, we find David celebrating in the Lord for when he was a lunatic in the Philistine army and how God provided a way of escape for him! Aren't you glad to know that God can provide you a way of escape? Aren’t you glad to know that He gets off on your boasting of Him?

In closing, I respect the athletes who respect their peers in helping them achieve personal glory. I also revere actors/actresses/rappers/singers who honor God as they receive their various awards. They take time to give credit where credit is due. It's your charge, as God continues to bless you, to give Him the credit He's due! It's on us to give Him the honor He is due! It's on us to give Him the praise He is due! Let's strive and/or continue to give God the credit He deserves!