“What do you think of this “Christmas” Thing?”

“Let’s come to him with thanksgiving. Let’s sing songs to him.” Psalm 95:2

One day during my adolescence when Christmas was nearing, as the despair, purpose, self-worth and business of the noise grew so loud around me, I ask myself, “What do you think of this Christmas Thing?”

 I began walking, wondering in the interior of my neighbor of abandon buildings. I noticed in the middle of this trash filled lot a beautiful field of enormous yellow dandelions. They looked so out of place that it surprised me. Why here in this slightest sound of fear abiding in the middle of that field, where the trash rest among this beauty. There was such a peace among this abandonment a modern pack of wild things where lives of forethought and grief some time ago; I came into the presence of thankfulness, waiting for the lights to shine through the broken windows, resting in the grace of this neighborhood a flowering world of freedom. My thoughts, “pull them out? Why Couldn’t I take their beauty home? 

Of course, they’re just dandelions. And some would think dandelions are weeds which most would pull or spray with weed killer, thinking as a child, “I could remove them secretly”. But wait, In the mist of the dandelion’s dilemma, my reflection examines the question, “Why do we need a Savoir?”

You see if you are like me I’m one of those who need a reminder of their self-worth, purpose, whom I belong to and who I am. Let me put it into perspective:

It’s not that we need to save ourselves—we cannot do so—but that we need to be saved. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

We need to be saved because we are under God’s wrath. We are “by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).

We need to be saved because we are spiritually dead.Before salvation, we are “dead in [our] sins” (Colossians 2:13). Dead people can do nothing for themselves. We need resurrection. We need the life-giving power of Christ, who alone can conquer death.

This Christmas, I want us to notice the dandelions in our lives. You see our beautiful dandelions is much like the Lord Jesus Christ. The dandelion is everywhere. Jesus Christ is omnipresent. The dandelion will grow anywhere, except where eradicated. One may find the Lord anywhere, except where people have excluded Him. The dandelion is hated and warred against by almost all people. Isn’t that the way it is with the Lord? He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. “He said He was hated by the world because He testified against it. The dandelion is not a pest, but is good medicine. Jesus is Good Medicine. He is the good Physician, who heals, though despised. We need him to share the Good News. To let those dandelion times remind us that God loves us and has a plan for our lives. Our humanity is tainted by sin Romans 3:23

Finally, “dandelion” means “teeth of the lion.” Jesus Christ once came as a Lamb, to die for us, but now He comes as the Lion from the tribe of Judah. He comes with teeth. God is a consuming fire, the Bible declares, He comes to judge the earth in righteousness. Nobody fools with a lion, especially this one, Jesus Christ Glorified.

When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” He spoke of necessity (John 3:7). Being saved—receiving the new birth—is not just a nice idea or a divine suggestion. It is the deepest need of the human soul: “You must be born again.”

This meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). 

All praise, thanksgiving, blessing, power, might, strength, and our ‘need for a Savior’ to Him forevermore.  Merry Christmas, Amen!

Yes, in Jesus Christ, we are that dandelion, and thankful for it!

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Friends We Will Never Do EveryThing Right”

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Of all the challenges thrown at Christianity today, perhaps the most difficult is explaining the problem of suffering. Suffering is a universal part of our humanity that exists in a fallen world. How can a loving God allow suffering to continue in the world which He created? For those who have endured massive suffering themselves, this is much more than a philosophical issue, but a deep-seated personal and emotional one. How do you address this issue? 

In the last few years, how many of you have had friends that have had surgery, sickness, accidents which lead to a disability or death, been diagnose with cancer or some disease. Some have been declared cancer-free others not so. In each case, I’m thankful to say that the suffering seems to have been a success. What a success? What do you mean a success? Let me explain!

“It’s never God’s will for his children to suffer.” This is a statement frequently used from both Christians and non-Christians as they interpret the character of God. Being immature I ask, why would a loving God not want his children to be happy? Sometimes I have an understanding reason. But most of the times I reason with my emotions. 

Yet in the diverse wisdom of God, as I look to the word, I see clearly how God uses suffering for our good and eternal joy. Which is far deeper than any fleeting happiness?The Bible give us many examples of suffering and some indicators on how to deal with it?

Just look at the book of Job. It begins with a scene in heaven which provides the reader with the background of Job’s suffering. Job suffers because God contested with Satan. As far as we know, this was never known by Job or any of his friends. It is therefore not surprising that they all struggle to explain Job’s suffering from the perspective of their ignorance, until Job finally rests in nothing but the faithfulness of God and the hope of His redemption. Neither Job nor his friends understood at the time the reasons for his suffering. In fact, when Job is finally confronted by the Lord, Job is silent. Job’s silent response does not in any way trivialize the intense pain and loss he had so patiently endured. Rather, it underscores the importance of trusting God’s purposes in the midst of suffering, even when we don’t know what those purposes are. 

It’s interesting that soon after most people receive their diagnosis, some talk about what it means to “suffer well.” And I thought: If there’s a category of life more alien to the secular, progressive mind, I don’t know what it would be. A dominant message in our society is that suffering is hopeless, worthless, and to be avoided at all costs—even at the cost of life itself. 

When we are suffering, we can be confident that God hears our desperate pleas. The Maker of heaven and earth is listening attentively, waiting for us to call out to him. It doesn’t need to be an eloquent prayer. Just a sincere cry for help.

Paul also gives us an example as to how we should view suffering as children of God. "But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

One friend told me that the way she handles what’s happening to her right now will send a modeling message: not only that life with disability or suffering is worth living, and that God has a special place in His family for us.

Unfortunately, many of us fail to grasp this. All of my suffering has involved loss. Loss of things I valued. Loss of what I loved. Often, they were good things, sometimes wonderful things. While I wouldn’t choose adversity, it has been an unparalleled gift in my life. Has it been hard? Yes. But has it been worth it? Absolutely but none of them were as good as God himself. So even though I grieved their loss, I saw how God could give me joy without them. Because my joy became rooted in him, “it’s all about Jesus”. I wouldn’t trade places with anybody in this world to be this close to Jesus.

We will never be able to weather the ordeals that will come our way, unless we recover a practice, of suffering in Christ.Jesus said that, in order to follow Him, one must be willing to die. We will not all die martyrs’ deaths. We will not all be imprisoned, beaten, or tortured for our faith. So what kind of death did Jesus mean?

Paul explains in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." To follow Christ means we die to our own way of doing things. We consider our will, our rights, our passions, and our goals to be crucified on the cross with Him. Our right to direct our own lives is dead to us (Philippians 3:7-8). Death involves suffering. The flesh does not want to die. Dying to self is painful and goes against our natural inclination to seek our own pleasure. But we cannot follow both Christ and the flesh (Luke 16:13; Matthew 6:24; Romans 8:8). Jesus said, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God"(Luke 9:62).  

The cross of Christ can be regarded as the ultimate expression of God’s justice. When asked how much God cares about the problem of evil and suffering, the Christian God can point to the cross and say, “That much.” Christ experienced physical pain as well as feelings of rejection and abandonment. He experienced the same suffering as many people today who know the bitterness of isolation, pain, and anguish.Friends we will never do everything right, but we will all be better at following Jesus because he’s with us.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Yearning for “I Love You”

In the chaos and calamity of life, peace will often feel far away and it feels like, no one is heeding. Yet I as a child of Christ is praying for you during these stormy days when we just do not “Hear”. When you wake up everyday keep the following scriptures in mind and remember you are loved by me.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” Isaiah 26:3

“For his anger last only a moment, but his favor lasts a life time weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  Psalm 30:5 Love

I know this sounds like ridiculous mumbo jumbo to an unbeliever.Why is it important to love each other? But those who have encountered the living Christ understand what I mean, but do they?The issue is our hearts. Who are we? And, are we willing to show love, mercy, with intentionally, and compassion? Will we get caught up in who we should help and love, how often we’re supposed to, and how much; or will we simply allow the Holy Spirit to work through us? 

Let’s look at what the Bible says.Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. The person who loves has become God’s child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

If you could receive a special gift of love every Day of your life, what would it be? For me, it would be the spiritual gift of faith that is found in the list of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. You seeVerse 9 says that some people are given the gift of faith, but as I read about this gift it is not specifically explained. All believers have been given saving faith by God as the only means of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all believers are given the spiritual gift of faith. Like all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual gift of faith was given for the “common good,” which means the edifying of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7). 

When people love each other, we like to give each other gifts. But there’s a problem with this. Sometimes people think you have to give presents to show love. We love others based on God’s abiding love for us in Christ. In response to this love, we share it with all whom we come in contact with—our “neighbors.” Someone who is worried that he doesn’t love himself enough has the wrong focus. His concern, biblically, should be his love for God and his love for his neighbor. “Self” is something we want out of the way so that we can love outwardly as we ought.But we can show love in different ways. We can say, “I love you” with words for someone in need purposely and daily. Let’s take a moment and Emotionally, say in a prayer, “I love you” for someone a number of times silently that you have not talked to for a long time. That’s easy, isn’t it? 

We can show people we love them by listening to them. You’ve been listening to my words for a few minutes now, and I’m glad you’ve given me that gift. When we listen to people, we say, “I love you.” Or how about this? Choose a person you know well and give that person a shout out hug like Jesus did in the parable of the Good Samaritan, was only one who showed himself to be a true neighbor to the man in need: the Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). There were two others, a priest and a Levite, who refused to help the man in need. Their failure to show love to the injured man was not the result of loving themselves too little; it was the result of loving themselves too much and therefore putting their interests first. The Samaritan showed true love—he gave of his time, resources, and money with no regard for himself. His focus was outward, not inward. Jesus presented this story as an illustration of what it means to love one’s neighbor as one’s self (verse 27).

Hugs are great ways to tell people you love them. And you don’t even have to use words that they may not hear! Helping people is another way to say, “I Love You”. What was the one big way Jesus showing his love for us? By dying on the cross. He gave the best gift of love. He gave himself.

Think of ways you show love to others, you can give hugs. You can say loving words. You can help people. There are so many ways to say, “I love you.” And the best gifts aren’t always the ones that cost the most. we see that love does not exist apart from God and that true love can only be experienced by one who has experienced God’s own love firsthand:

 “And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:16-19

To sum it up, God gives all Christians saving faith. The spiritual gift of faith is given to some, who exhibit extraordinary amounts of faith in their Christian walk and who, by their faith, are a joy and an encouragement to others. My challenge to you is to proclaim,” that I will love my neighbor by refusing to house a judgmental spirit.  refusing to focus on the sin in my neighbor’s life as opposed to the sin in my own. However, be bold enough to encounter my neighbor in love, grace and to pray for areas of bondage, pain, injustice, and sin in their life’s. Loving my neighbor by understanding that love doesn’t always feel fuzzy, but often challenges and calls out something greater so that they can experience the fullness of Christ.”

 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.Matthew 9:22

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Hugs Brothers and Sisters”

“Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” Mark 5:22-23

There are times in our lives when the stress of living makes life almost unbearable. Emotional healing is something that every person needs, to one degree or another, for we have all been wounded emotionally. Concentration becomes impossible. Our minds are constantly active, and relaxation just isn’t possible. It’s at times like this that Jesus can bring to us the Quieting touch or Hug from a friend, during times of emotional battle;that takes away the fever that irritates our lives and brings peace in its place.  How many moments in our lives do we need that same reassuring touch or hug from the Lord, as well as from a Christian brother or sister. How often do we need to hear those words “Don’t be afraid?” Spoken with the confidence, heartfelt love and assurance that the disciples heard on that wonderful Transfiguration day. So, what does that touch/hug mean to you?

Think about how many different kinds of touches or hugs there are. There’s some that’s not so nice, such as hitting, pinching or poking. A (pure) warm hug, polite formal hug, unwanted one-armed hug, hug for a buddy, the comfortable sugar bear hugs, one of my favorites, the squeeze hug and finally the comfortable sleepy, affectionate Christ like, with Jesus on my mind hug which comes from the heart! Why do people hit, pinch, poke or squeeze during these emotional destroyers? How can a person flounder to the surface of this cultural wave and find emotional healing? Humm?

You see there is no quick and easy path to emotional healing. Some will say that all we need to do is accept Jesus, forgive and we will be suddenly healed of our woes—emotional and otherwise (great truth). The fact remains, however, that we are flesh-bound creatures. Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41) the apostle Paul battled with the flesh and spoke of how it stubbornly resisted the desires of his will and mind to follow God (Romans 7:18-25).  

Then there’s loving touch. Sometimes for me when someone is sad I don’t know what to say, usually just putting your hand on that person’s arm and pray is enough. Mentally right now, (pray) put your hand on a brother or sister in need, pray for them. Yet for many Christians it can be a challenge to humble one’s self in daily prayer. For those who have been walking with the Lord for many years, daily prayer may become stale and lacking in proper conviction or reverence. Whether one is a new believer or an established one, prayer should always be considered as THE best way to speak to God for a loved one or a close friend. Daily prayer with God is daily fellowship with our heavenly Father. 

It is truly amazing that God would want to have fellowship with us at all. In fact, the psalmist asks, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4). Daily prayer is a good way to understand this incredible truth and the marvelous privilege God has given us, and it helps the person feel better. But if you really love someone, what else can you do? Let’s respond with a hug. That’s right- a hug! Give a child of God a big hug (with a phone call or maybe a card).

Simple words to let people know how we feel about them. These are the kind of Touches / Hugs that are ways of talking without words. The scripture above (Mark 5:22-23) the dad in this story knew if Jesus touched his little girl, she would get better. And you know what? This dad was right! When Jesus touched the girl, she got well and sat up. Jesus healed with his touch.

We may not be able to heal with our touch or hug, but we can make people feel better by giving them a quieting hug or a pat on the back. When we use touch like Jesus did, people will know how much we care for them, when you have time during your center of time give a gift of “HelpsMoment”, give your relatives or sister’s and brother’s in Christ a big hug. Let them know with your touch of love for them that you care. You see along with the word when translated “helps” means literally “to relieve, comfort, participate in, and/or support.” Those with the gift of helps are those who can aid or render assistance to others with compassion and grace. Send them a daily “Brotherly e-mail Hug”.

Praise God that He knows us so well. He knows all our needs and challenges and has given the gift of helps through hugs/touches to special individuals who can come alongside others in mercy, grace, and love. These precious saints can lift the heart by helping carry a variety of burdens that we cannot, and should not, carry alone. Jesus Christ can help us find emotional healing. His Spirit is a Spirit of kindness, selflessness, truth, and trustworthiness, and He finds joy in producing such qualities in us (Galatians 5:22-23: 1 John 3:19-24 When we are indwelt with His Spirit, He can and will delight to turn us around and make us the kind of people who can care and be faithful by others as we (hug/touch their hearts), resulting in better relationships all around (John 7:38). 

May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in imploring touches/hugs for others through prayer.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Moving Day

Lately, have you ever discerned about hurt caused by the “silent killer” within the church 'people' I call them alligators. The difference is we don’t expect God’s people to behave like those without Christ in their lives. You see the one place almost everyone agrees should be safe, accepting, forgiving, and free from conflict and aches. Yet in most churches at least some elements of strife, conflict, and hatred creep in and tarnish that ideal.

“Just because you miss doing some thing or change that effects your unbroken worship well-being, doesn’t mean you need it back in your life. Missing is just a part of Moving On, praying about it and doing Ubuntu Life!” Meaning, what is your quality of being, based on a God centered Life!

Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me” John 14:1

God-centered people are not self-centered. God-centered people pay less attention to the applause of this world, because their motivation is the anticipation of hearing the words “Well done!” when this life is over (see Matthew 25:21,23). Their focus is on becoming more like Jesus rather than acquiring fame and fortune for themselves. A. W. Tozer wrote that “the goal of every Christian should be to live in a state of unbroken worship,” and the God-centered (or Christ-centered) person finds this a delightful goal.

How many of you have ever moved on? How did you feel when you moved? There’s a lot of work involved in moving. First, you have to get boxes. Then you take all of the stuff out of your room(traditions) and put it into the boxes. Then you notice some of the stuff, family pictures especially, loving memories of family matriarch’s and patriarchs. They were the ones who wrapped themselves into family “sweet chocolates” confidence building, ideas about uniting us, and devotions of get-togethers, as I remember. They expanded my mind with wisdom and encouraged me to this day. They were the ones who cared? Now it has been painted upon! Does that make you grasp at being more “prayerful” for its homecoming?

You see those Family devotional reunions, “from my perspective” are based off of the blessing of James 1:25: “Whoever [church family included!] looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” Find compelling meaning to “Love On” maybe with action!

Then a dawning,” I am aging/growing old in my ways” now who’s the “Patriarch” dealing with change now! Is that you also? As you reflex,” having to mark the boxes. And soon a huge truck pulls up in front of the place of worship. Some strange men walk in and begin moving your boxes out. And you wonder if you’ll ever see or be aware of those emotional pictures again as we deal with the transformation of a hurtful experience.”

How do we keep unkind experiences from moving their destruction into our souls? For me I look at the book of wisdom from the Bible “guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23). We guard our hearts by carefully choosing our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and actions. Guard your heart by refusing to dwell on what happened, refusing to focus on the people who hurt you, and refusing to belabor the weaknesses of the church. Giving up bitterness takes humility, but “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34).

When the truck is loaded, you look around your old room of ways. And it’s empty. It’s sad. But the saddest part is when your ‘everyone’ say goodbye to you or even they say to you, “I did not think you were like that” judging you with out discernment. What other times have you felt sad? My spiritual responds are in regards to God’s answer to a prayer. You see expect the unexpected. Most of the greatest gifts and deepest joys that God gives us come wrapped in painful change boxes.

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it”. Hebrew 12:11

When you feel sad about parting ways with that family unit of change, what do you do? Jesus also felt sad. Jesus knew he would be leaving his friends when he said in John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me.” Again, the best thing to do is to talk to Jesus about your sadness. Then tell others how you feel. There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad. The thrust of this reflection from Ecclesiastes on growing old about modification, meaning in life, is fulfilled in our God-given purpose, and our purpose is only fulfilled when we take advantage of our God-given portion in Christ, God’s promised Savior. 

You see before I “moved on” I thought the fleshly family was the most important building block to human society, and as such, it should be nurtured and protected, how wrong I was. But the most important thing is the new creation that God is making in Christ, which is comprised of a spiritual family, the Church, made up of all people who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This is a family drawn "from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9) and the defining characteristic of this spiritual family is love for one another: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). 

You see the only casualty of war , for me, is that caring agape Love based on the parable of the Sheep and Goats, In which God’s people will love others. Good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd. Followers of Christ will treat others with kindness, serving them as if they were serving Christ Himself. The unregenerate live in the opposite manner. While “goats” can indeed perform acts of kindness and charity, their hearts are not right with God, and their actions are not for the right purpose – to honor and worship God.

So, the next time you refocus is on “moving on”, or saying goodbye to someone, the church or your mood is sad, tell God about it. Talk to a friend or someone in your family. Don’t blame God for how His children behave. Don’t abandon the church, either. There are many more dedicated, grace-filled, loving, and forgiving people than not in most churches. Seek them out. Spend time with them find another ministry within that body to support with your gifts. Then remember what Jesus says to trust in him when you feel sad. We move from earthly centered to God-centered by having a real encounter with the Holy Spirit, who transforms and renews our minds (Romans 12:2). When we realize that nothing else matters and we are willing to let go of whatever is necessary to have more of Him, we are on the way to living in joyful abandon to the things of God.

Remember, the church is God’s idea, and He protects it faithfully even though He is sometimes pained by its behavior (see Revelation 2-3). 

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Special Folks-homies

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”, Ephesians 2:8

“Special Delivery” Poem

Sometimes there are difficulties in the side road

That can leave you feeling low and not special

You don’t know how to move self-assured

Every so often, there are curves you want to select

But the way gets hard to trace

This Juncture, pondering, how did you procure 

But don’t you give up, Let Jesus work on You!

Until you see How God 

Is ordering your steps 

As You Leap into your season of Faith 

Forever

Dancing with Jesus like no one is watching

Choose Love, “J-e-s-u-s” My Lord!

“So, you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith”. Galatians 3:7

The main point of the Apostle’s Paul’s argument in the present passage is the superiority of faith over the Law. He has, however, also in view the mysterious consequences of that superiority. Unlike the Law, faith is open to all Gentiles as well as Jews; not according to the flesh, but according to the promise; and, consequently, that they are justified in the same way that he was. Abraham was justified by faith, and so are they. To confirm this, Paul acquaints us to the promise made to Abraham 

(Gen 12:3),In thee shall all nations be blessed.

This is a time to honor special people. Let’s see. People who are having birthdays are special. If you are having a birthday this week, this month or even this year, you are special! Let’s give everyone a special trophy, milk toast smile, a like sticker and a round of applause; as I lead the applause, I reflect on “Lil Hercules” a.k.a. “Eddie Klump Jr “from the “Nutty Professor” clapping and saying, “Hercules, Hercules” you are special, as we clap.

Did you know this is Chaos Never Dies Day? This day takes the stance that the perfect, quiet moment we’re all striving for and anticipating doesn’t- and likely never will exist, and that we should make the most of now, chaos-and all, and embrace the moment. Anyone wearing a Chaos shirt is special. You get a sticker and a round of applause,” Hercules, Hercules”. Are You Ready? Continue this Journey through Love

To honor someone is to value him highly or bestow value upon him. The Bible exhorts us to express honor and esteem toward certain people: our parents, the aged, and those in authority (Ephesians 6:2; Leviticus 19:32; Romans 13:1. But we must understand that all authority and honor belong to God alone (1Chronicles 29:11; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 5:13)Though He can delegate His authority to others, it still belongs to Him (Ephesians 4:11-12).  

Honor as taught in the Scriptures is far different from the type of honor sought after by the world. Honor and awards are heaped upon those with wealth, political clout, worldly power, and celebrity status. Those who thrive on this world’s fleeting honor and stature are unmindful that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” 1 Peter 5:5.

Well, that’s it. I guess some of you are special and some of you aren’t so special, right? How will you respond?

Paul use to have that problem in his church. Some people said they were special because they were children of Abraham. They thought God loved them more than other people. But Paul said, “So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. “That means all people who love and trust God are special.

God has given each of your special gifts. But what makes all of us special is that Jesus loves us. That means each one of you is very, very special. That’s why each one of you should have a sugar bear sticker, so from the bottom of my heart, I give you a hug with a smile that is God Honoring. 

We are to honor God in our recognition that the gift of life eternal and the very salvation of our souls come through Jesus Christ and Him alone (John 11:25). Knowing this, we give honor and obeisance to our Savior through our humble adoration and obedience to His will (1 John 2:6. As such, He will honor us when He seats us on His throne in heaven (Revelation 3:21).  

Jesus, we Love You. Oh, how we love you! “Give me my flowers as I yet live! No regrets.”

God Bless You and This Ministry!

The language of Kinship "Niece's"

 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."1 Chronicles 16:31

The sky is deep grey, and we hear the steady beat of raindrops. The weather seems appropriate since I’m thinking about the symbolic rain we are facing in today’s life. My milk to maturity has taught me many lessons, but most of all, I’ve learned what it means to have God’s umbrella in the storms of life.

 “Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God”

Hebrews 6:1

“Niece’s Poem”

Many Moons Ago I adored each of you as a youthful Uncle

My Nieces you are “Embraces” that Rains on my memory of “Happy Life” 

Brings a simple Smile to my reminiscence “face” 

A Smile that’s my “Umbrella” like a Rainbow

 Imagine if I was given one twinkling of that umbrella Now

Just a single “shielding” from today’s World

Such a peaceful sound of rain of many cheerful events 

I could feel the rain, so close forever, and that moment would always Stay fresh

Yes, life is hard. Troubles rain on all of us. Some of you may be old enough to remember that many moons ago, Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots had a hit entitled Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall. In Today’s world we are being hit with all kinds of sufferings and we might say that too much rain has fallen into our space. I know that I would declare the same: Back pain, blisters arrived, old age invaded my life, memory is fading . . . What can I say? 

It is definitely raining hard in our life today. Yet, we must remember that God is always there for us, always showing us unfailing love. We have the assurance from Jesus that He will be with us to the end of the ages. We know that God’s faithfulness is great because we see new mercies every morning. So, we don’t need to let rain deters us. All we need to do is just pull out a raincoat, of memory’s simple times.; wearing a hat, boots and go on as God rains in his garden that needed a gentle soulfulness and smell, even during Thunderstorms-mere loud noise; No beauty petrichor sustains; thanks, my nieces like flowers as we remember we are part of God’s Plan. We will heal up in heaven, with his own cure-all

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Have You the Audacity!

 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you”. Romans 8:11

It is hard to drive anywhere in Metro Denver without seeing some expression of support for the Denver Bronco’s these days. Amid the outbreak of fan (and yes, fanatical) support, it provides a great time for us to talk about having the compatible spirit of sports with Christianity.

The Apostle Paul says bodily exercise is of some value (1 Tim. 4:8) and then he calls us on to even more, by pursuing godliness like we would a prize.

So, should Christians have the “Audacity” for Christ like big sports fan? The answer is, I believe, yes.

This means, If the Spirit be in us, Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart by faith. Grace in the soul is its new nature; the soul is alive to God, and has begun its holy happiness which shall endure forever.

You and I are called to be different from the world around us and we are given practical instructions on how to do this. Paul writes, ‘Let us not be like others. Dare to be different. “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober”.1Thessalonians 5:6

I dare You! It has been a thousand miles from nowhere since my partnership with Christ. Ten thousand, nine hundred fifty days of inspiration, motivation depression, empowerment, confusion, sorrow and wisdom. At first, I used to worry about making decisions for God. I used to be afraid to step out on faith and declare I was going to do something new. I’d think, “What if I fail? What if no one likes me? Or speak to you” Then one day, I found out it wasn’t my power that was going to carry it out anyway, it was God’s. So why not be intentional and seek the kingdom of God daily? 

I’m reminded of a story, “A young woman brings home her fiancé to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out more about the young man. The father invites the fiancé into his study. “So, what are your plans?” the father asks the young man. “I am a Bible scholar,” he replies. “A Bible scholar. Hmm, “the father says. “Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in as she’s accustomed to?” “I will study,” the young man replies, “and God will provide for us. And children? Asks the father. How will you support children?” Don’t worry, sir, God will provide, “replies the fiancé. The conversation proceeds like this, and each time the father questions, the young idealist insists that God will provide. Later the mother asks, “How did it go, Honey?” The father answers, “He has no job and no plans, but the good news is he thinks I’m God.”

Proverbs 11:14 says “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Now, it is time for us to place all of our spiritual energy into action. As Jesus speaks to you, this is my challenge. It is difficult to put a challenge on paper. I would rather look you straight in the eyes and say, I dare you!”. But in my mind, I have imagined that I am on the bottom of a seesaw looking up at you saying: “see and hear the voice of Jesus on our daily walk with him and speak to people, pray for them and find something good to do in your 100-foot circle of pre-Christian as well as friends and neighbors.

Ephesians 4:1 says “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. “I dare you to be so bold to develop the enduring qualities of Jesus. I urge you to see the bigger picture as Apollo did; to be very knowledgeable, but willing to be taught 

by someone lesser than he. I challenge you to make our worship home a centerpiece for love, ministry and outreach beyond a building. Revisit and set out boldly in spite of the odds to become, a purpose driven community of believers, one that is God honoring. Reimburse yourself and turn a deaf ear to any negative talk and to any worldly excuses; step to the plate and be led by the Holy Spirit. Having the courage to put on the new self and rediscover our missional dedication, through Bible study and prayer, like Daniel.

Daniel’s motto might have been:” Always do what is right no matter how much it may cost.” I challenge you to become totally involved and not forget the Fruit of the Spirit; becoming so strong in the word daily; “And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” This power is essential for the challenges of an ever-expanding witness, with Christ to others.

 Acts 1:8 Jesus answered and said unto them, “Ye Do Err, Not Knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:20) Be rejuvenated and build new relationships within the community becoming alive with possibilities and think outside the box. “Have You the Audacity!”

God Bless You and This Ministry!