A CHANGING WORLD

It's My Way or the Highway.

2011-12-08T00:26:00.000-05:00

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15.

The work of sanctification begins in the heart, and we must come into such a relation with God, that Jesus can put His divine mold upon us. We must be emptied of self in order to give room to Jesus, but how many have their hearts so filled with idols that they have no room for the Redeemer of the world. The world holds the hearts of men in captivity. They center their thoughts and affections upon their business, their position, their family. They hold to their opinions and ways, and cherish them as idols in the soul; but we cannot afford to yield ourselves to the service of self, holding to our own ways and ideas, and excluding the truth of God.

We must be emptied of self. But this is not all that is required; for when we have renounced our idols, the vacuum must be supplied. If the heart is left desolate, and the vacuum not supplied, it will be in the condition of him whose house was “empty, swept, and garnished” (Matthew 12:44), but without a guest to occupy it. The evil spirit took unto himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they entered in and dwelt there; and the last state of that man was worse than the first....

You may feel that you cannot meet the approval of heaven. You may say, “I was born with a natural tendency toward this evil, and I cannot overcome.” But every provision has been made by our heavenly Father whereby you may be able to overcome every unholy tendency. You are to overcome even as Christ overcame in your behalf. He says, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). It was sin that imperiled the human family; and before man was created the provision was made that if man failed to bear the test, Jesus would become His sacrifice and surety, that through faith in Him, man might be reconciled to God, for Christ was the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Christ died on Calvary that man might have power to overcome his natural tendencies to sin.

But one says, “Can I not have my own way, and act myself?” No, you cannot have your way, and enter the kingdom of heaven. No “my way” will be there. No human ways will find place in the kingdom of heaven. Our ways must be lost in God’s ways.—The Review and Herald, February 23, 1892.

This devotional is taken from Ye Shall Receive Power by Ellen G. White.

Never Ending Miseries

2010-10-09T09:45:00.000-04:00

Driving home from an eleven hour shift, I tuned my radio to NPR (National Public Radio) to catch headlines of this changing kosmos. Of course, it was only sad news; an earthquake of which the magnitude was 7.0 battered Haiti, the first independent black nation in the new world. Again, Haiti had been devastated by an uncontrolled natural disaster. My initial thought was “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers’ places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.” (MATT.24) My next thought was a question; “Why this battered third world nation?” Again the word was the answer, “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].”(Exd.34)

Immediately the following day, I contacted my church pastor to coordinate relief efforts for the church. Food was not what was needed though we had a lot of it. ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency), the parent organization my church uses to donate relief of any kind was accepting only cash though there were other non-profit organizations willing to take the food we were able to give. The idea of supporting only ADRA in this disaster relief was that we would know precisely who would receive aid and they are an internationally renowned humanitarian relief agency working in more than 120 countries worldwide. I recently saw ADRA’s exhibit at the 59th General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists Atlanta and I was very impressed with their set up there showing what they’ve done and what they are presently doing internationally. So the pastor made the appeal to the members of the church and they responded bountifully including the Haitian members who had lost family members. Our hearts go out to them.

Two days after the earthquake, I was working on my car when I came across $350 hidden deep under the dash board on the driver side. I was literally jumping for joy; I had money to pay for the repairs on my car and to give $100 towards the relief to ADRA. When you are down and out, when you don’t know where the money will come from God will always, make a way for His children. This is why it is important to stay connected to Him in constant prayer. The word tells us "Pray without ceasing."

Almost 6 months later, the misery seems never ending for some citizens. All over the tent camps women are being raped and very little can be done about it. The NYC Times recently published an article in its newspaper about a 22 year old woman being kidnapped and “raped beneath the ruins of a home in Haiti’s Capital” time and time again by vagabonds with no moral or ethical respect to themselves as well as their victims and others. These savages who do such crimes ought to be jailed and castrated for the psychological damage they cause to the innocent young women and their families. Another problem with the current situation there is the treatment rape victims receive. The Times reported that the young woman went to the clinic for treatment and tests to be done. The young lady was in the back seat of the car with family and she kept looking in the back window thinking that the savages were going to come back for her after just dumping her at her family’s front door. It is great that rape victims can receive counseling and treatment; this is a sign of progress post earthquake. But the sad part of the report was after this young woman had gone through such a nerve racking ordeal, the clinic “discharged with an armful of condoms” ----yes condoms----“and pill boxes: antibiotics for sexually transmitted diseases, anti-H.I.V. treatment, pills for virginities and over-the-counter painkillers.” Why should a rape victim been given condoms after being traumatized? You be the judge of that. I believe this young lady should have been given Jesus instead. The clinic should have a chaplain, priest, pastor or reverend to pray with her and show her that Christ loves her. Too many times in this changing kosmos we see and hear about plans to help people but the only and main ingredient not present is the word of God. Jesus is the best counsel we can receive after being a victim of this changing kosmos.

Should this young lady receive condoms after being traumatized? We want to hear from you; give us your opinion in the comments page…….

Sick and Tired III

2009-06-05T21:27:00.003-04:00

How absurd it is to be writing and still be sick and tired of something most of us are sick and tired of; that is, the price of gas. Gas prices raised 28 days straight since the 29th of April and thereafter it keeps fluctuating. OPEC Oil Cartel is manipulating the price of gas once again and the focal basis for the price of gas going up now is because of a holiday last month (Memorial Day) and now is the time of year when Americans hit the highways and byways for a little R&R.

Again the torture topic is still making headlines particularly Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi (D) from Cali. There’s a saying “never turn back;” I bet she wish she did not. Obama's nominee for a top intelligence post with the Department of Homeland Security withdrew because of amid questions over what he knew about enhanced interrogation techniques. Bloomberg reports Gordon Brown resisted calls for him to resign, reorganizing his Cabinet to shake off the worst local election defeat in three decades and the biggest challenge to his authority since he became U.K. prime minister replacing Tony Blair two years ago. Also, Limbaugh and the Grand Old Party are still in high gear bashing everything President Obama is doing. Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor was called a racist by several diehard GOP supporters. Also, President Obama is breaking new grounds with the Muslim Community and his first official visit to The Kingdom (Saudi Arabia). There is nothing good in this Kingdom though; only material things and not just Saudi Arabia but the entire world. Nothing’s good here for us unless Jesus is the center of our lives. If he was not the kingdom of our Lord, giving up his only son Jesus as a sacrifice for mankind, we would be in the same boat as Israel of old and today.

Because of Jesus, we have the sustenance of life on planet earth till he come or till we turn away from Him. Unlike what we see in the Old Testament in relation to the way God dealt with Israel (tough love), Jesus, however, showed tender love. Now, not mislaying your traction or perceptive here about Jesus and God, Jesus Christ (the messiah/anointed) is the son of God. There is no divine difference between them; for the personification of Jesus is a magnificent and unfathomable miracle. He (Jesus) was “in the form of God” (Phil. 2:4) and in (John 1:1&2) “Jesus is the word”. It also suggests a face to face relationship which indicates a personal relationship and also implies the same status with the Father (God). All of us do a number of similar things; we do it different and still end up with the same result. So it’s the same theory at this juncture with God and Jesus.

Jesus did things a discreetly different from the way God commanded prophets to perform His duties. When one thinks of Jesus, the only and best thing to utter about him is, "Jesus Saves". All we need to say is, enough is enough about this continuously changing world and look up on Jesus sinless He is, our life of scarlet, our sins and woes, we all are covered with his blood because He died on the cross to save the human race. So as you go on in life remember there will be bumps in the road that you will get sick and tired of but with God first in everything you do, life will be less stressful.

Sick and Tired (Part II)

2009-05-09T09:56:00.005-04:00

Since Part 1 was published, the news of the world has kept you on edge making you think, wonder what's next. We've heard a lot about politics (GOP Senator turned Liberal), Pakistan and Afghanistan (Taliban taking over), torture, piracy, swine flu, and President Obama 100th day in office (by the way, he is doing a great job). Hopefully you are less sick and tired now.

Now let’s get right to the point; what if God got sick and tired of us? What would we do? What will we say? Some of us may feel like He’s already sick and tired of us. Well I have to say, thank God for Moses. And thank the Lord for the Messiah, Christ Jesus (Part III).

If you are familiar with the Torah (Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch), you will come across Moses pleading to God on behalf of the children of Israel. Time and time again Israel did what was wrong in the site of God and Moses and other prophets had to intercede for them. In Exodus 32 (please read) God told Moses to go tell Israel to shape up before His wrath will fall upon them because their wickedness has gone too far. But in verse 11, Moses protests and says Israel is still yours God - not mine. Moses could not excuse the sin of Israel but he could intercede for their forgiveness. Moses must have said to God; Lord, remember what you did for Israel? The surrounding neighbors have seen the wonderful deliverance of your people. If you destroy them now Lord, the heathen will rejoice and you Lord will be dishonored. Moses went on to say, remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob your faithful servants, whom you made a covenant with. So Lord I have to ask you this one favor not for me but for your people (Israel). God was moved by the earnest prayer of Moses and could not refuse his selfless character. Now if you do read the chapter (please do), verse 14 has some words that will make you say "hmmm." It says "the Lord repented"; repent in Hebrew is "nacham" (naw-kham), which means emphasis is on turning to a positive course of action, not turning from a less desirable course. Now what the Lord said here was a feeble attempt to express the divine will in human language. Here we see God changes from wrath to mercy and from judgement to gracious pardon. Thank God for his grace and mercy. Till next time may the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.

Sick and Tired (Part 1)

2009-04-23T16:14:00.002-04:00

Have you said or heard this phrase before? "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!" Your thought might be you got that right; "am sick and tired." In recent decades, Americans have become a people who want everything in half the time it takes (quick fixes); mainly food (dieting), investments (money), education and even relationships. Sacrifice is no longer an option in this society and because of this, many Americans literally get sick and tired of not getting everything on a golden platter. The government has stimulated citizens and the economy to operate its way which indirectly affects us in ways some of us can't even imagine. Some of us are sick and tired of it and others are sick and tired of not getting enough from Uncle Sam.

Being sick and tired of being sick and tired means, your level of tolerance has exceeded its limitations (you've had enough of this stuff). It means stress has taken over your life and you don't know where to turn and who to turn to. It means you are making the problems in your life become a major problem; and finally, the view of the world (the news) is making it more difficult for you to cope with your daily life. You feel there is no one or anything you can turn to for guidance. All you can feel or be is sick and tired. Can you imagine if God got sick and tired of us? Well, we will touch on that in part II.

All of us are sick and tired of something in this endeavor called life. We live in an imperfect world so it comes at us in many ways. Here are some popular sick and tired examples: I’m sick and tired of, this woman, this man, these kids, these in-laws, the economy, this recession, the government, and more importantly, many of us are sick and tired of not being able to get a job in this sick and tired economy. The current state America is in is not an unfamiliar one. America has been in this dilemma before; in 1929 America started with a recession but it soon turned into what was called "The Great Depression." Also, the 70’s were a tough time in America.

You hear it all the time in the news “recession,” “this current recession,” “past recessions,” and we get sick and tired from it. We need a recess; we are bored with this recession. While our agony may vary in this recession, I want to educate you with what I’ve called it, “Recession 101.” Do you know what a recession actually means? Some of you might say a recession is what's happening now with the economy. Yes it is but there is more to it than that. Many professionals and experts around the world believe that a true economic recession can only be confirmed if GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth is negative for a period of two or more consecutive quarters. The roots of a recession and its true starting point actually rest in the several quarters of positive but slowing growth before the recession cycle really begins. Often in a mild recession the first quarter of negative growth is followed by slight positive growth, then negative growth returns and the recession trend continues. Hope you get it. It’s like a President Bush trend; you get the point.

While the "two quarter" definition is accepted globally, many economists have trouble supporting it completely as it does not consider other important economic change variables. For instance, current national unemployment rates or consumer confidence and spending levels are all a part of the economic system and must to be taken into account when defining a recession and its attributes. So if you think back in time, this recession started because of decisions the former President (Bush) made.

Now the GDP is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. GDP is usually calculated on an annual basis. It includes all of private and public consumption, government outlays, investments and exports less imports that occur within a defined territory.

GDP = C + G + I + NX

"C" is equal to all private consumption, or consumer spending, in a nation's economy

"G" is the sum of government spending

"I" is the sum of all the country's businesses spending on capital

"NX" is the nation's total net exports, calculated as total exports minus total imports. (NX = Exports - Imports)

We’ve exceeded the two consecutive quarters and more for a recession and there seems to be confidence returning in the markets worldwide. The financial sector has reported gains for the past quarter and estimates bigger gains for the upcoming quarterly report. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; the market is trying to stay afloat. So, you being sick and tired of this current economic recession is not the end of being sick and tired.

The only way out from this sick and tired sinful world is for every single human being to look upon Jesus. Let us pray without ceasing that our eyes may be opened to behold the light (Jesus Christ), that we may walk in Him; and thus be made wise unto salvation, by the faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hope In God

2009-04-11T17:15:00.009-04:00

I Mosiah Ramontal, a young servant of God, and a solider of Jesus Christ, according to the faith and hope we have of God, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this case I must say am sorry to you all for keeping some of you high and dry. Its been a minute since I've Blogged and a lot has happened (good and bad) in this world of uncertainty. This year was promising for many of us but since then, it has changed for the worst for some and good for others. But in this world of the unknown, we have hope; hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He told us he "will never live us nor forsake us" and for this reason we have hope to live in faith. Also, He told us He is the author and finisher of our faithh. I have to say, this economy seems to be getting worse by the minute and the government seems to be trying to inject hope into the economy but its only doing so much. But as children of God, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. I encourage you all to continue to be faithful to our creator for without Him we are nothing. Until next time stay strong in christ and don"t forget; there is a daily study of God's word; the link is below. God Bless.....

You can also follow me on twitter

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME

2009-03-27T19:43:00.002-04:00

Hey all,

I will return to blogging on a regular basis beginning in April.

Living the Clean Life

2009-01-12T18:00:00.001-05:00

Growing up in the church as a little boy and now a young man, life has been full of surprises. I have seen prominent figures in the church fall to their feet and have to climb their way back to gain respect by their fellow brethren. Many high figures in the church are no different than the people from government. Speaking of the government, have you watched the news or read the newspaper lately? Some high ranking officials and some of the affluent on Wall Street have been in trouble with the law of the land.

Governor Blagojevich went from being a former reformer to an impeached Governor and who knows what the future holds (a soon to be convicted felon). A couple of Wall Street moguls are in a dire situation pertaining to the billions of dollars lost/stolen from investors. Sadly, they won't receive a bailout from tax payers. The changes we see around us today is nothing new, however, the magnitude is greater than before times past.

We now live in a society where the affluent is looked upon as gods. Time and time again society sees these wealthy figures, because of greed, put themselves in jeopardy with the law. The more they have is the more they want. The bible says "the LOVE of MONEY is the root of all evil" and society says, “money talks BS walks". Song writer Lucky Dube said "don't tell me love makes the world go-round, that is how it used to be so many years ago. These days we're living in everything is the dollar" and “can’t get no love without the dollar, can’t get no justice without the dollar” and even in church it’s all about the dollar.

When will we ever be satisfied, when will we be thankful, when will we learn to share, when will we learn? Everyone you talk to now says, "I have no money" but some of them are working two jobs to drive that luxury car, wear the latest fashion and live in a crib like the ones on MTV. America's slogan to its shoppers is "more is better"; but maybe it’s better for some of us to have less! The Strain Theory says when one cannot attain what they see the affluent have, he/she will do whatever it takes to get whatever it may be; that is many peoples' lifestyle today. They feel the benefit outweighs the risk. As we look ahead in this New Year, put Christ Jesus first in all you do.

Bearing of Burdens

2008-12-05T22:31:00.004-05:00

We've all been victims of crimes at one point or another in our life time but not many of us have been victims of the justice system. Just 13 years after being acquitted on charges in a murder case, a jury in Las Vegas has found Orenthal James "OJ" Simpson guilty; guilty on all counts (12). He is known to many as a hero, "The Juice", Heisman Trophy winner, one of the elite running backs that ever played the game (football), Hall of Famer, The Trial of the Century, etc... The courts in South Florida could not convict him of the crimes he was accused of.

For many of his fans, they were shocked and to many of the haters, they were filled with happiness after the verdict was read before being taken to prison in hand-cuffs. I believe the happiest family in America that day was the Goldman’s. Fred Goldman said he was happy with the decision: "We're absolutely thrilled to see that the potential is that he could spend the rest of his life in jail, where the scumbag belongs," "Right now, there is not much more to say other than we're going to wait to find out what else happens."

Well the day came and “The Juice” spoke to the court and said in a nutshell “I’m sorry”. San Jose, the city where O.J. walked as a free man over a decade ago said that justice was overdue and now it’s finally served. With a lengthy prison sentence (minimum 9 years before parole, maximum 33 years) in the Las Vegas armed robbery case OJ will have enough time to reflect on his teenage years, college years (smart guy), NFL career, acting and sports commentator career, his children and grandchildren and most of all his troubled past. I believe we all hope he will learn his lesson.

I personally believe OJ Simpson was falsely convicted on all 12 counts. He was labeled in the past as a criminal and he was targeted and convicted this time around. The irony of OJ’s dilemma is he never changed his lifestyle after his murder trial in the mid 90's. Yes the media always had a field day with him whenever his name came up in something but that is not an excuse for living the way he lived his life. Policing OJ’s lifestyle or anyone else’s is not my prerogative but if I got off, acquitted, made a free man after what was called “The Trial of the Century”, then my life would make a U-turn for the better. Did OJ ever try hard to stay away from trouble? His plea at sentencing certainly portrayed his trying to live a good lifestyle but as Akon puts it:
“I tried so hard, can't seem to get away from misery,
Man I tried so hard, but always be a victim of these streets,
It ain't my fault cause I, try to get away but trouble follows me,
And still I try so hard, hopin one day they'll come and rescue me,
But until then, I'll be posted up right here rain, sleet, hail, snow (hail snow)
But until then, I'll be posted up right here with my heat gettin dough (gettin' dough).” He tried hard to live a good life but there was too much attached from his past.

After OJ’s case in Cali, he moved to Florida where he seemed happy and comfortable. It didn’t stop there; he was always in the news, nothing positive to my recollection (not his fault; who wants a man like OJ to be in anything they do that is positive with such a label?). As a former victim on the Criminal Justice system he should have kept a low profile. It’s like he never learned his lesson. This is what happens to you if you don't learn from your past experiences/mistakes.

The Bible says in Gal. 6:7, 8 (ASV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.

There are two sorts of sowing, one to the flesh, and the other to the Spirit, so will the reckoning be hereafter. Those who live a carnal, sensual life must expect no other fruit from such a course than misery and ruin. But those who, under the guidance and influences of the Holy Spirit, live a life of faith in Christ Jesus, and abound in Christian graces, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

..... It's that simple. If you keep living your life in a way that will make you be looked upon negatively by society, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself. This is another example for us to go by and take heed and live our lives in good fashion in order to maintain a good reputation. The late Lucky Dube said "It takes a million people to build a damn good reputation but it takes one stupid fool", one stupid mistake, "to destroy that good reputation". From my position concerning the Hall of Famer, he never learned his lesson. God gives us life and choices. Some of the choices we make may and will prolong our life here on Earth and in turn go to heaven. Other choices we make may and will cost us our life here on Earth and when He comes the second time (hell fire with the devil). So the choice is yours. Make the right decisions. Don't be like OJ; avoid putting yourself in harm’s way. Be the one who has learned that lesson. Set the goals that would lead you to success, not destruction. May God bless OJ wherever he ends up and may the Lord God make him realize his past and allow him to become a new man. The sad thing is, man condemn man unjustly.

We Have This Hope

2008-11-13T22:29:00.005-05:00

As I sat with my family awaiting the election results for history to continue its path, patience became an issue for a few of us. The Electoral Votes kept mounting for Obama but the moment of certainty was taking too long. By 10:30 pm I sensed history was going to be made yet again. At 11pm hope was accomplished, hope became real, hope was no longer a metaphor, “Change We Believe In” was present, “Change We Need” was victorious and the slogan "Yes We Can" became Yes We Did. Thank God for Change, the Change we needed and will need to carry on. In his victory speech, President-elect Obama said, “Change has come to America” and “This victory is for us to get a chance to make that change”.

Now the CHANGE journey has begun, we need not forget Sen. John Mc Cain; he fought a good fight. Allow me to say, Sen. Mc Cain is a tough guy; he stood up like a man and gave his conceding speech with great pride and dignity. He stood up as an American and for all his supporters. One thing he said we all should remember: “This is a historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and the special pride that must be theirs tonight.” Amazingly, Sen. Mc Cain’s appearance baffled me; his body language did not show defeat, he stood up like a winner, his voice echoed like a Maverick, but psychologically and on the inside it must have felt like heartburn with no Rx handy.

As special history endures on a daily basis, I want you to think of the significance of this history because every day is history until President-elect Obama is no longer in office. This historic presidency shows, though racism exists on this continent, all demographics can still unite. For me it means a lot but deep down it has not sank in compared to the 106 year old lady President-elect Obama spoke about in his victory speech.

Tears of joy flowed through my blood as Obama spoke. The most touching part of his speech was the story of the 106 year old lady; one who was born before Titanic, WW I, Prohibition, The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, WW II, in a time of inequality, the right to vote, Vietnam just to name a few. She was born in a time where the Constitution says all men are created equal but still not equal because of color. That woman has seen and been through it all. One can imagine the joy she feels in her heart to finally see color get hired for the most powerful position in the world. She must have been speechless; God bless her heart to live many more years.

A CNN News contributor gave this analogy: Martin Luther King (Civil Rights Leader) was Moses (never reached the promise land) and Obama is Joshua (entered the promise land). Brilliant analogy but when it comes to the word of God, no man can compare. I’m not discrediting MLK and Obama, am only saying we are not worthy to compare ourselves or anyone else to bible/biblical characters. Moses led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness (The Exodus). Joshua led Israel into the Promise Land and told them these words because of their disobedience: “choose this day whom you will serve” and “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 RSV).

Supporters were caught in euphoria after Obama was elected President. It sank in for some prominent Black figures early. MLK’s daughter (in Atlanta), Al Sharpton, Oprah Winfrey, and Jesse Jackson had tears in their eyes as President-elect Obama spoke to the Chicago crowd (over 100,000), the other 49 states and the world. They too have been through many trials and tribulations of this nation and the hope of their culture has emerged.

There is a better hope however; one that burns within your heart for Jesus Christ. The hope that burns within your heart will keep burning and keep you hoping for the coming of the Lord. The hope Obama brings is only for a moment but the hope we have in Jesus is for eternity. If you don’t have hope in Jesus now is the time for you to get up and give your life to God. Many people know there is a God but don’t know God for themselves. There is a higher power, not of man but the power in Jesus Christ the one who died for you and me. He sacrificed His life for us to have grace from God. A new life in Christ will lead you in the right path to heaven.
Here is what Christ expects of us: (Colossians 3:1-17 RSV) “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scyth'ian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
President-elect Barack Obama has been preaching CHANGE for many months now and he will make great effort to keep the promises he made on the campaign trail across America. His future is unknown but your future in Jesus leads to heaven. His promises are a challenge but God’s promise is real (the children of Israel Gen. 28:13-15). His words were intriguing but God’s word is everlasting. His plan was better than Mc Cain’s but God has a better plan. For many of us, Obama was God-sent but we need to remember we are on this earthly voyage only for a time and the Second Coming of Christ is near; hence the reason we need to give our lives to Christ Jesus. When you pray, pray for guidance, pray for strength, pray for others, pray a special prayer for Obama and his family because the road ahead is tough for them, and pray for planet earth.

“VOTING”: A New Meaning

2008-11-03T12:40:00.014-05:00

Voting has a new meaning to it in this election. One woman on CNN said “hope is no longer a metaphor”. Even non-citizens feel they have a stake in this election. The homeless are allowed to vote in some states; something never done before to my knowledge. Hence the question: What has electrified citizens, non-citizens and the homeless of this Great Nation to be so inclined in campaign 08?

For the first time in history, the demographics of the Presidential Election of the United States of America have changed. The notion that a black man (some say half black, half white which he is), for the first time in US history have been nominated for the most powerful office in the world, has brought on many critics to question the vast number of new registered voters (predominantly black) are doing it just because of Sen. Barak Obama. Even the endorsement of Colin Powell of Sen. Obama has come into question. Some say (GOP/Limbaugh) the former Secretary of State to the Bush Administration played the race card (so what!!!).

We live in a world where color and class determines whether you get the job or not, whether you get accepted to certain universities or not, where you live, where you go, the things you say, the church you attend, the way you dress, how you are treated by the courts (O. J. Simpson, Scott Peterson)...... I could go on but black or white you certainly get the point. Slavery was abolished but racism will be in some people’s hearts for eternity.

Now I was raised differently from the traditional African-American. I was brought up to look at everyone equally no matter their race. Here in this country, some African-Americans who were born here have labeled the white man as the enemy and voting in this election, the white man will pay. This is my attitude: "Not every black man is my brother, not every white man is an enemy" (Lucky Dube).

While Sen. Obama may have an influence in the increased number of new registered voters, I personally don’t believe the only reason is race. We must remember his running mate (Sen. Joe Biden) is white. We as a nation have been through many trials and tribulation the past 8 years. Decisions made by the Republicans and Democrats brought us where we are today. Though it was both parties, the blame still falls predominantly on the Bush administration. Many of you will agree; we see the evidence in the news everyday. President Bush’s approval rating is less the 30 percent, the worst in modern Presidents.

In relation to demographics the Bible tells us in Galatians 3:27-29 (NIV):
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek” (I will add black nor white, rich nor poor), “slave (bond) nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Theologically this text says: “there is in this sonship by faith in Christ, no class” or race “privileged above another”.
Neither Jew nor Greek: “the Jews under the law had been above the Gentiles” (Rom 10:12 1Cr 12:13 Col 3:11). In modern-day there is upper class, middle class, and lower class, black and white. Sen. Mc Cain wants the wealth to trickle down while Sen. Obama wants it to grow from the bottom up. I have never seen a tree bear fruit before it grows.
Bond nor free: “The Messiah identically appertains to both by faith; whence he puts “bond” before “free”.”
Neither male nor female: “rather, as Greek, “there is not male and female.” There is no peculiarity into male and female. Disparity of sex makes no difference in Christian privileges. In the resurrection the relation of the sexes shall cease (Luk. 20:35 ).”
Instead of looking at color, it’s more imperative for us to focus on which candidate has the potential to make a difference 4 years from now. It may seem impossible but with God the impossible is possible: and with the Obama/Biden ticket many people visualize the impossible possible.

I voted early to avoid the long lines but I was in line for 3 hours. The line was about half a mile long and people were motivated to stay in the hot sun, stand for hours and sacrifice their whole day just to cast their vote. The precinct was well in line with the federal voting regulations. My observation saw no bias by any of the poll workers. They have done a good job and will continue to do so because this election is more than important to everyone.

My goal was to attend a rally of both candidates just for observation. However, I was only able to attend the Obama rally owing to scheduling. Obama's rally was filled with vibrant energy. I stood on line from 3:30-7:00 pm to get into the Bank Atlantic Center (Sunrise, Fl). There were over 20,000 people waiting on line to see Joe Biden and Obama speak: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Jew, Arab, Indian, and the others I can't recall. Sadly, several hundreds of people waiting for hours did not get in. They left disappointed but still enthusiastic about CHANGE. While on line, my conscience kept asking me, is this worth the wait? Are people this patient with doing accordance to God’s will? Why can’t people come together like this in church? There will be a second coming of Jesus Christ; are you ready to wait for Him, look up in the sky and say this is what we’ve been looking forward to? Ask yourselves these questions.

In the good book (Holy Bible), there is no need to cast a vote, there is no long line, there is no long wait (just call on Jesus through prayer), there is however a choice: not of man but for man; a choice of eternal life or eternal damnation. The choice you make will distinguish the way you live your life on planet earth and will determine if you go to heaven or hell. The choice is yours.

Politics and Politricks

2008-10-26T22:02:00.005-04:00

As citizens of this great nation, the ultimate right is yours to make your voices heard on Election Day. There are two candidates on the ballot for president. One black, one white. One republican, one democrat. One over 70 one under 50. One has seniority the other doesn’t. One is good with words the other is trying to get it together. One is known to be short tempered the other is calm as a dove. One comes from a poor family the other was born rich. One is for change the other is for more of the same (“country first”). One says “yes we can” the other says no you can’t. One has a better VP the other needs help. One is a military vet the other knows nothing about the military. One makes eye contact the other looks away. One wants to raise taxes the other wants to lower taxes. One wants to treat you the other wants to trick you. One has a Muslim name the other an American name. One is history in the making the other is the same old tradition. One is hated by whites the other is hated by blacks. One understands, one doesn’t. One is religious the other is not. One brings hope the other fear. One wants to help the healthy and the wealthy and the other wants to help the sick and the poor. One is playing politics the other is playing politricks. One will win, one will lose. You decide.

The media also plays a big role by swaying you to vote GOP or democrat according to the news channel(s) you watch and newspapers or news magazines you read. The FOX news channel says "we are fair and balanced" "you decide". I decided about FOX news and they are pro right wing supporters (they often refer to Sen. Obama as “that guy”). MSNBC news has a leftist’s ideology (They are anti Mc Cain). CBS and ABC are left wing supporters. Out of all local and cable news, CNN is neither pro Left nor pro Right wing supporters. This is my opinion, yours may be different. The internet (bloggers) are one of the most convenient ways to attract young people today so it is another primary way to persuade voters.

Politics and politricks are also in the bible. While the children of Israel were under the rule of Moses in the wilderness through our Lord God, his father-in-law (Jethro) told him that his burden was too heavy and he is not able to perform it alone. Jethro advised Moses to designate leaders to rule over the people (Ex. 18). We have laws to abide by here in this country. And in these laws there are statutes we have to put up with. The bible also has many laws and statutes we too must abide by. A lot of people believe that the TEN COMMANDMENTS are the only laws in the bible. And yet, we still cannot keep the law. For Jesus tells us "when you break one you break all". Moses had laws and statutes which he wrote from the providence of God. The book of Exodus is the book of laws and statutes and the book of Deuteronomy is called the Second Law; we see the same laws were given to us in 2 different books for us to live by. Also, there are many other books in the bible with laws and statutes.

Satan played a lot of politricks in the bible. In Genesis 3:4, 5, the serpent tricked Eve into eating the fruit. The temptation began with the insinuation of doubt; it increased as suspicion was cast upon God’s motive and became irresistible when the couple sensed the possibilities of freedom. With Satan having a one sided view of the world (because of his selfishness), God has a panoramic view of us.

Politics of today consists of social relations involving power. The politics of today is theatre. We have 2 candidates, one is making promises he can't keep and the other is saying he will not be like the current administration (Bush). While these two candidates are trying to do whatever it takes to get into the White House you should make it your duty to enter into the house of God. God’s house is a safe house; safer than the White House will ever be. In the eyes of God there is no black nor white, there is no Grand Old Party (GOP) or Democrat, neither politics nor politricks, and all He asks of you is to come to Him. He says in the good book: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28 RSV). Obama and Mc Cain cannot give you rest you need to go on in life. The only thing you must do to be happy in Jesus is just look up to Him because He says through the apostle Cephas in (2 Peter 1:5-12 RSV) “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.”

This nation is now in turmoil. Your vote can make a difference in this election. This election is one of the most important elections in my generation, maybe yours too (for many different reasons). I just want to encourage you to go vote and PLEASE, make the right decision. We all need help even Joe the Plumber (not a real one) needs help. When you take that ballot in hand people, say a prayer before you do anything, and you will receive insight from above on who to elect. This insight will come only if you believe in divine providence. Your vote counts don’t let America down. Till next time, may God Bless you and Keep you.

Issues on Main Street

2008-09-28T14:44:00.013-04:00

For the past 2 years Wall Street has hit Main Street with a storm of problems. There are about 5 million foreclosures in this nation. Since President Bush came into office, our tax money has been bailing out some of the major firms on Wall Street and the worst is yet to come. Major companies are outsourcing and cutting thousands of jobs, citizens are no longer able to live the way they lived ten years ago. Family vacations have notably declined, money is no longer being saved like before, children no longer experience the sumptuousness of being spoiled, its wide spread-chaos; while the rich get richer and the middle class get poorer and the already poor just have nowhere to turn in this sinful corrupted world. People are psychologically affected with what's going on. Stress is more widespread than ever; alienation has now exceeded it limits with some citizens of this nation and the world and mankind waits to see what lies ahead in the unknown. So the question is what are we to do? Where should we go? What should we say? I just want to tell you to relax God is in control. Remember He is the Creator of heaven and earth! He is a God of yesterday, today and forever! He is the author and finisher of our faith! The dreadful events that are going on around us are manmade and are only but for some time. We must be strong and stay strong to get through adversity. We also need to stay positive in what we believe because the bible tells us we must trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. With God in your life the grass is always greener on the other side.

In John 14:1-3(RSV) Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. These are words of comfort to Christ's disciples and to us as His children today.

Let not your hearts be troubled: this means have full trust in God.

The word your means a lot in this passage. While others are besieged with sorrows of this world you need to keep a prayer in your heart.

The notion here is to believe in Jesus and all will be well with our souls.

He also tells us here that in his father’s house there is a place for each and every one of us.

Christ is the way to the Father; we must look unto Him and be like Him in order for us to be with God when he comes the second time.

Because of the Christ, our prayers go up through Him and the blessings come down to us.

I will come again: His second coming is near and we need to get on the street God has outline for us.

Wall Street have two guarantees; one is you will make money and the other is you will lose money. That is risk to me. I am a victim of that risk Wall Street has to offer. When you follow Jesus there is no risk, there is no fluctuation, there is no manipulation, there is no bail out, and there is nothing that will keep you from the reward He promised you for in a little while you will be going home to meet Him when he comes the second time. While Wall Street is affecting Main Street, make sure Your Street (your life) is in accordance with Gods’ Street. In good times give Him thanks, in trying times give Him thanks, when you don’t know what to do give Him thanks, give Him thanks because He is good and His mercy endureth forever. Remember God is good all the time.

7 Years Later

2008-09-11T17:54:00.002-04:00

Today Freedom (USA) mourns for the lost loved ones of 9/11. On this day, 9/11 the World Trade Center, pentagon, American Airlines and many people including children became victims of terrorism. The world was in shock to see the financial capital of the world collapse to the ground. And still today the alleged master mind (Osama Bin Laden) behind this tragic attack have not been captured and brought to justice; or do they really want to bring him to justice? There have been countless conspiracies of what happened on that day but I can tell you one thing; death is not a joke. If you’ve experienced it you will understand. My sincere prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones and friends on that horrific day.

9/11 brought change to this entire world. Some people gave their life to God, some recommitted their life to God, some got closer to Him, some turned away from him and some wondered why He allowed such a cruel event take place. It also brought change in how we live our lives; how Americans view other people (people of Middle Eastern decent were labeled as terrorist), the financial hardships as thousands were laid off with companies struggling to survive, the psychological damage of victims that still affect them today. The Government had to establish a new department (Homeland Security) to counter any other attack on US soil. The patriot act takes from your privacy (constitutional rights) in order to protect Americans. Less than a month after 9/11 the US military was at war with the Taliban. The US military was taking revenge for what took place at home. My prayers also go out to the families and friends of the solders that have died and still serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the midst of all this, there are citizens who have made it a duty to prove 9/11 was a conspiracy. Some say the pentagon was not hit by an American Airlines jet but instead a missile. Some ask where the fragments of flight 93 were. Some say the government is keeping vital information for the victims and citizens about the events of that day. I am here to tell you that whether they are or not, whether it is a conspiracy or not, I know something that is not any of the two. The word of God is the truth; it has never and will never change until He comes for the second time. The bible says in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (RSV). In times like these we need to look up to him for the strength we need to face the unknown.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14516132/displaymode/1107/s/2/framenumber/12/

Understanding

2008-08-30T18:17:00.004-04:00

As I sit here in a high school class room for the first time in 9 years, I realize that almost all of entering high school students have no understanding of what lies ahead. They are ignorant towards the choices they are making at this present time; being late, not doing their in class assignment, talking, disrespecting each other and maybe the instructor, and not being able to follow directions. They are mature with things of this world and immature/unaware of their primary priorities. Is it because these students live in an enchanted world, is it because their parents are not responsible, are they being influenced by peers or are they just trying to fit in with the crowd? Whatever the reason may be, they are walking down the road of destruction. I too once almost went down that route.

I came to this country many years ago and the first 3 years of being in school here was a significant adjustment (culture shock) for me. High school for me was a wakeup call after the first grading period. I was put on probation because of my low grades for the first grading period. It was very hard for me to take the letter the administrator gave me home to my parents. There were two meetings: one with all the students on probation and the other was with students and parents. Of all the friends I had during the first grading period, I was the only one on probation. Note, I was never a straight A student; still not, but I get the job done. After the meetings, I can remember my dad putting me on a schedule when I got home from school. I loved the outdoors, still do and my dad took that away from me. I would spend more time playing outside than in my books and it cost me big. At that time, the only thing I liked about the schedule was that I had no household tasks. All I was to do is my school work and eat my supper until my grades improved and they did. Thank God for that.

I want you all to focus on these few passages:

Proverbs 3:4-6 (RSV)
Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight (understanding [kjv]). In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

The book of proverbs is a handbook of moral and religious instruction for the young and old. But let’s focus on the young. This book tells us that we must be constant to our duty because that is the way to be happy and we must live a life of dependence upon God because that is the way to be safe. We must therefore trust in the Lord with all our hearts (v. 5); we must believe that he is able to do what he will, wise to do what is best, and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us, if we love him, and serve him. We must, with an entire submission and satisfaction, depend upon him to perform all things for us, and not lean to our own understanding, as if we could, by any forecast of our own, without God, help ourselves, and bring our affairs to a good issue. Those who know themselves cannot but find their own understanding to be a torn piece of papyrus, which, if they lean to, will certainly fail them. In all our conduct we must be diffident of our own judgment, and confident of God’s wisdom, power, and goodness, and therefore must follow the holy spirit and not force it. By prayer (v. 6): In all thy ways acknowledge God. We must not only in our judgment believe that there is an over-ruling hand of God ordering and disposing of us and all our affairs, but we must solemnly own it, and address ourselves to him accordingly. If we put ourselves under divine guidance from the master we will always have the benefit of it. God will give us wisdom which is profitable to direct, so that we may not turn aside into the by-paths of sin and wrong doing.

Philippians 4:6-8 (RSV)
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Here is a caution against troubling impenetrable care to the Christians at Philippi in Macedonia from the apostle Paul which we can exercise in our walk with God today: (v. 6) Have no anxiety about anything (KJV: “Be careful for nothing”) the same expression in (Mt. 6:25) do not be anxious about your life; that is, we ought to avoid anxious care and distracting thought in the wants and difficulties of life. Notice, it is the duty and interest of Christians to live without worries because the holy book instructs us to live such lives. To live a worry-free life we must have an understanding of what our Lord God desires from us. In order to not have this anxiety, we must keep a prayer in our hearts for obtaining blessings and have supplication for averting evils which we fear or to avert ills with thanksgiving which is a companion of peace. Paul also commissioned the Philippians to “let your requests be made known to God”. We must talk to God with unreserved buoyancy; not keeping aught back, as too great, or too small, to bring before Him. As soon as anything burdens our spirits, we must ease our minds in a plea to our master; when our affairs are confounded or distraught, we must seek direction and sustenance not from the mortal man but rather our lord Jesus Christ who is the everlasting prince of peace. Now be aware that God need not be told either our wants or desires; for He knows them better than we can say to him: but he will know them from us, and have us show our regards and apprehension, utter our value of the mercy and sense of our faith in him.
The peace of God will be given to those who lived a prayer-filled life and they will excel. In verse 7 the word understanding is capable of several shades of meaning: ample faculty, the mind, reason, power of judgment and mode of thinking thus thoughts and feelings. Here, Paul is probably telling us two things:

1. The peace of God surpasses every human reason in its ability to overcome anxiety or
2. God’s peace surpasses our highest imagination.

None of us will know the peace of God unless we experience Him and have satisfactory insight into its meaning. We need to have a complete understanding of ourselves in order to gain such satisfactory insight into the meaning of the peace of God. And in order to get there we must imitate verse 8; we must be “true”, “honest”, “just”, “pure”, “lovely” (friendly/lovable) and “gracious”. And Paul goes on to say “if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”. Remember God’s plan is for us to depend on him not for Him to depend on man (us). No man can challenge His supremacy because He is the creator of heaven and earth.

One of you blog readers may be or have had experienced such a situation where there was/is a lack of understanding of your primary priorities; I too experienced that but I’m here to tell you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My experience of not understanding the meaning of school at the time is one that crosses my mind almost everyday. And the main thing that stands out for me is that, out of the group of friends I had in school, on graduation day I was the only one there. Thank God for giving me the insight through my parents being determined to help me achieve in school and in the word of God. So if you are experiencing a lack of understanding, get down on your knees in prayer and supplication and thanksgiving and he will give the insight that you desire. It takes only one person to change your life “You”.

Shalom (Blessings Part IV)

2008-07-05T14:35:00.006-04:00

Matthew 5:9-12 (RSV)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

As I carefully studied the Beatitudes I came to the conclusion that they are simply stated, but are perceptive in connotation. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values, if followed, cannot only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom, of God after our journey on this earth is over. Each of the Beatitudes includes not only a statement about who is blessed, but also a short description of what is in store for each category of those who are blessed:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (v.9).
In our world today when one talks of peace, peacemakers, peace keeping, peace missions the United Nations is primarily in the conversation. The UN is known for their good deeds of striving to bring worldly peace in countries where there is conflict. Do you encourage people to get along and to be friends? If so, you are a peacemaker. It is only because you have abiding peace with God and yourself that you can encourage people to get along. There is a popular phrase that we use: “can we all just get along?” Where peace is concerned, you can be part of the dilemma, or part of the resolution. Be a peacemaker. Peacemakers not only live peaceful lives but also try to bring peace and friendship to others, and to maintain peace between God and man. In order to appreciate what Christ meant when He spoke of the peacemakers it is helpful to take note of the meaning of peace in Semitic thinking and speech. Peace in Greek is eirênê (i-ray’-nay) and equivalent is Shalom in Hebrew, which means completeness, soundness, prosperity, condition of well-being, peace…… So we are to be at peace among ourselves (1Thess. 5:13) and to “follow peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14). We are to pray for peace, work for peace and take a constructive interest in activities that contribute to a peaceful state of society. When this reconciliation truly takes place, and one has peace with God through Jesus Christ, then we peace-receivers become transformed into peace-diffusers. Then the reflection God is seen through us and so we are called children of God/sons of the Most High God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v.10).
Jesus said many times that those who follow Him will be persecuted; “If they persecute me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20-21). Stephen, Peter and Paul, and many Christians in the Roman period suffered martyrdom. The twentieth century with its two World Wars has seen its share and still today we are even sometimes persecuted by our fellow men. Note, there is still more persecution ahead for the children of God. Christ’s emphasis here is primarily on persecution suffered in the process for forsaking things of this world for the kingdom of heaven. Paul says in the book of Acts that we must “continue in faith and through much tribulation” for we must “enter into the kingdom of God”. Its simple people; if you have decided to follow Jesus and not turn back to worldly things you will be persecuted. Don’t let my bluntness discourage you. Some people would say this phrase when things can’t be changed: “it is what it is”; God’s children will be persecuted, there will be trials and tribulations because of enmity between Christ and Satan, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of this world, and between those who serve God and those who serve Satan. This conflict of persecution will continue until the end of time. But the Lord promised that he will not forsake you nor leave you stranded. There is a reward; a reward that we all have a choice to receive; to receive that reward we will be persecuted, we will suffer for his sake and we will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who suffer most for Christ are best able to appreciate Him dying on the cross. Those who experience the 8 qualifications for citizenship here are worthy of a place in the kingdom of heaven. This was the reward promised to the poor in spirit in the leading beatitude, of course it is the proper portion for those who are persecuted for exemplifying them to be rewarded the kingdom of heaven.

Each of the beatitudes tells us something about what our attitude should be. Each one starts with the word "Blessed". Each of the "blessed' statements describes a person who puts God and other's interest above his or her own interest. We cannot be blessed if we live selfishly. Do you live a life of joy; Jesus first, others next, and yourself last? So “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you" (V.11&12). May his peace be with you till we meet again, may he give you strength to endure till we meet again.

Good News for the Oppressed (Blessings Part III)

2008-06-22T01:07:00.004-04:00

Matthew 5:6-8 (RSV)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Throughout my personal studies of The Beatitudes I have realized that Christ Jesus came to give the good news to the oppressed and to open the eyes and minds of the oppressors. I can only imagine what it was like when Jesus opened His mouth and spoke the words of his Father which created heaven and earth! Though He spoke these words thousands of years ago, whenever I read it, it seems like it was said yesterday. Many things in this world change but I can tell you one thing that don’t and will never change and that is Gods’ Word. I will go on to say that The Beatitudes is an anthem for the oppressed; it never changes.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (v.6). How many times have we seen homeless men and women holding up cardboard signs on the highways and byways and passed them by? The only Jesus someone may ever see is through you or me. The next time you see a cardboard sign, pause and give thanks to God for food and water.

“Hunger and thirst” - I can imagine when Jesus was saying these words there was no doubt many in the audience had experienced these twinge of thirst. Only those who long for righteousness with the eagerness and anxiety of man starving for lack of food or famishing for want of water will find it. No earthly source can satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul, whether it is material riches, profound philosophies, the satisfaction of physical appetites, or honor and power. As hunger and thirst are discerning to our appetites, our Lord employed that this figure plainly means those whose deepest cravings are after spiritual blessings. For in the gospel of John 4:14, Jesus said the Samaritan woman: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

“Righteousness” - To the Greeks it consisted in conformity to accept customs. To the Jews it is conformity to the requirements of the law as interpreted by Jewish tradition. To Christians it took a broader meaning. Unlike the Greeks and Jews who established their own righteousness, Christians were called to submit “themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). They sought though righteousness “which if through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God” (Phil. 3:9).

Ellen G. White is a woman of amazing spiritual gifts who lived most of her life during the nineteenth century (1827-1915), yet through her writings she is still making a revolutionary impact on millions of people around the world. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Her writings cover a broad range of subjects, including religion, education, social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, and management. “The Desire of Ages” (p.302-04) in relation to (v.6) E G White wrote: “The sense of unworthiness will lead the heart to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this desire will not be disappointed. Those who make room in their hearts for Jesus will realize His love. All who long to bear the likeness of the character of God shall be satisfied. The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fullness.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (v.7). The Greek word for merciful is e-lee-mo-nes meaning pitiful, merciful, compassionate… The word mercy appears approximately 360 times in the KJV. When Jesus was on the cross at Calvary, He had/showed mercy on the Romans and some of the Jews who had been instrumental in condemning and crucifying him; when He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 RSV). The love of God is merciful unto us. So the question here is; are you compassionate, feel pity for others, and show mercy unto your fellow men? The mercy of which Christ here speaks is our virtue towards mankind. Its value is much until it is turn into deeds. It is God’s grace and mercy that brings us through the trials of life. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must, with e-lee-mo-nes and charity, partake of the afflictions of our brethren; pity must be shown (Job 6:14), and bowels of mercy put on (Col. 3:12); and, being put on, they must put forth themselves in contributing all we can for the assistance of those who are any way in misery. Song writer Daniel W. Whittle wrote: Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need; Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead. Here is another song that speaks of mercy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_SjhKJgqGg

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (v.8). This is the most complete of all the beatitudes; here faithfulness and contentment are fully described and put together. People, who are inwardly pure, show themselves to be under the power of pure and undefiled conviction of God. One of the things that plague man in the world today is sins of the flesh. Even in church it plagues the youth and the result is an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. True Christianity lies in the heart; the heart must be kept pure from fleshly lusts (sex), from all sexual thoughts and desires, and from worldly lusts; from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, all that comes out of the heart, and defiles the man. “Pure in heart” includes far more than sexual purity. It includes all the desirable character traits to the exclusion of all that is undesirable. A pure heart is equivalent to being clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The heart must be purified by faith, and sin must be forsaken as a ruling principle in one’s life and that life must be totally consecrated to God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God! (ps. 51:10)

“For they shall see God” -- It is the perfection of the soul’s happiness to see God. Seeing God, as we may by faith in our present state is a heaven on earth; and seeing him as we will in the future state (the second coming), in the heaven of heaven. It refers to spiritual as well as physical site. Too many Christians become spiritually cross-eyed in the in the attempt to keep one eye fixed on the heavenly Canaan and the other on the pleasures of sin. Our only safety is to live by principle put God first in our lives. Those today who see that the things of the world are to be desired whose attention is fixed on the glittering baubles of earth that Satan displays, will never see the greater value of obeying God. The window of the soul must be kept clean if we would see God.

If you hunger and thirst for righteousness God is the answer to fill you up. If you are merciful, God will have mercy on you. If you desire to be pure keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ the Son of God. God cannot force Himself into your life but He is waiting with open arms for you to accept him in your life. Please, don’t keep him waiting.

Words of a Different Character (Blessings Part II)

2008-05-31T16:12:00.008-04:00

Matthew 5:3-5 (RSV)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

As if enshrouded in a cloud of heavenly brightness, Christ pronounced from the mount of beatitudes His benedictions. The words spoken by Jesus were of an entirely different character from those which had fallen from the lips of the scribes and Pharisees. The ones Christ pronounced blessed were the very ones they would have denounced as cursed of God. To the large gathering of people He declared the He could dispense the treasures of eternity to whoever he willed. Here we see the tender love of Jesus as it was then and still now. The beatitudes proclaim God’s favor toward those who aspire to live under his rule.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v.3). “Poor in spirit”; have you ever met someone who just had a poor spirit? They have no form of enthusiasm. To have a poor spirit is to not have the laughter, the happiness, the joy of life in one’s life. The word poor in Greek is ptochos indicating deep poverty. In this verse it refers to those who are in dire spiritual poverty and sense keenly their need of the things the kingdom of heaven has to offer. Those who do not feel their spiritual need, who think themselves, “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” and in the sight of Heaven are “wretched, and miserable, and poor” (Rev. 3:17). None but the poor in spirit will ever enter the kingdom of divine grace; all others who feel no need of the riches of heaven, and decline it blessings.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (v.4). The second beatitude is but the complement of the first; the first one is the intellectual, the other the emotional aspect of the same thing. It is poverty of spirit that says, "I am undone"; and it is the mourning which this causes that makes it break forth in the form of a lamentation--"Woe is me! for I am undone.” (Isa 61:1-3, 66:2). It is a deep sense of spiritual need that leads us to mourn for the imperfection we see in our own lives. Christ here refers to those who, in poverty of spirit, long/strive to reach the standard of perfection. To those who mourn because of disappointment, bereavement, or other sorrow, there is a message here for you also. In John 16:14 upon His departure, He promised to send another comforter; the Holy Spirit, to abide with us as an ever-present friend. The comfort in which God bestows upon us is not the momental comfort that we receive from people around us but rather it is never ending one. He meets the mourning over sin with the comfort of sins forgiven.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (v.5). When one is meek they are mild, gentle, soft spoken and lowly in heart. Meekness is an attitude of heart and mind and life that prepares the way for sanctification. Psalms 31:11 says “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” He too (Christ) was meek and He told us so: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Mat 11:29). Moses too was very “meek” (Num. 12:3). “A meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:4). Meekness towards God means that we accept His will and His dealing with us as good, that we submit to Him in all things, without hesitation. A meek man has himself under complete control. Meekness is different from being broken or poor in spirit, though the Greek root word is the same. Brokenness of spirit is negative in that it focuses on man's sinfulness and results in mourning. Meekness is positive in that it focuses on God's holiness and man's response to that holiness. They are two sides of the same idea. We are to be poor in spirit because we are sinners and meek because God is so holy in comparison to us. The next part says “For they shall inherit the earth”--- “The earth” which the meek are to inherit might be rendered the land. It is certain that the “meek” do not now inherit the earth, but rather the proud (Feeling or showing justifiable self-respect).

We all are trying to make it to heaven; let’s not try to make it but rather make it to heaven when our father comes the second time to take us to glory. If we don’t, our life will have a poor spirit, we will mourn, and our meekness will come too late. God Bless.

Blessings (Part 1)

2008-05-18T00:18:00.004-04:00

Matthew 5:3-11 (RSV)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

People go to church for different reasons; some go to meet others, some go because they have nothing else to do, some go because they are forced, some go to repent, some go because it’s a norm, hopefully we all go to receive a blessing. One of my favorite quotes: “I’m too blessed to be stressed”. We say “bless you” to a person after they sneeze. The origin of this custom and its original purpose are unknown. In current practice, it is a socially obligated response; It is polite to say “bless you”

Blessing: is from the root word Bless Middle English, from Old English blētsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration.

1: to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word2: to hallow with the sign of the cross3: to invoke divine care for —used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed4 a: praise, glorify b: to speak well of : approve5: to confer prosperity or happiness upon6archaic : protect, preserve7: endow, favor

The Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew has a message for everyone. It is an outline of our privileges and responsibilities of citizens of the kingdom of heaven. The part I want you to focus on is how to become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven (vs.3-12).

Let’s set the stage to get a full understanding of the Beatitudes:

Blessed in Greek is makario(s) which means happy/fortunate. In Hebrew it is ashre which means happy/blessed. Makarios and ashre are both generally translated “blessed” in the KJV, though occasionally as happy. The English word “blessed,” in modern usage, is more nearly parallel to the Greek word eulogetos from the root eulogeo, to speak well of, to praise, to honor. Today our English word “beatitude” is from the Latin beatitude; Beati is equivalent to markarioi. The word markarios appears nine times in (vs.3-11) but (vs.10&11) refers to the same aspect of Christian experience, and are therefore considered one beatitude, thus leaving eight rather than nine.

This is the end of part 1 of 4 parts. And I will end by saying:
“May The Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
And remember you are too blessed to be stressed!.

Use it - or - Lose it

2008-04-26T16:39:00.004-04:00

Matthew 25:14-30 (King James Version)
“14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The parable of the talents is a parable about the manner in which God will judge the world and his people. It is a straightforward account. A man who is about to leave on a journey entrusts his servants with different portions of his property. They are to look after that property, and to ensure that it continues to work for the master, that it continues to make a profit while he is away. Two of the servants double the investment they are entrusted with, and are richly rewarded for doing so and given even more responsibility; but the third gains nothing from it for his master, all he does is keep what he was given to watch over safe - and so what he was entrusted with is taken from him and he is cast off the estate of his master and into the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But as children of God, what are we to make of it, what lesson does it have for us? The message here is that if you aren't productive with what God has given you, you will lose it. And that is true - And it explains why so many people are so spiritually impoverished, why our churches and our societies are in so much trouble. Use it or lose it. Too many of us have failed to use what God has given to us, we have failed to do anything more than hide his gifts deep in our own lives, we have failed to reach out - and to share his gifts with others, and so those gifts have done us - and everyone else - no good, it is as if those gifts had never existed, as if God had never given us anything. Use it - or - lose it

I want to put it to somebody that while it is true that God wishes us to use his gifts and to proliferate them for the benefit of his Kingdom, we must make sure that we are not only judged according to the magnitude of our work we do for the Master nor by the eminence of that work, but rather we are judged by our approach by our eagerness to do as God wants us to do, by our readiness to risk all that we have been given for the sake of the Kingdom just as Jesus risked all of himself for our sake.

For Paul writes - “it is by grace, through faith, that we are saved, not by works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8 & 9).

By grace are you saved through faith: Note every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation, and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness. The grace that saves them is the free undeserved goodness and favor of God; and he saves them, not by the works, but through faith in Christ Jesus, son of God by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God.

We all are born with a gift; it may be singing, praying, preaching, teaching, writing, etc…… If we don’t make use of it we will lose it.

Fishing for Souls

2008-04-19T07:35:00.002-04:00

Going fishing is something I love to do. It takes me to a place that I long for when a away from the water. When am out on the water fishing, society don’t exist, problems don’t exist, woman don’t exist, it’s just me and the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, our Father which is in heaven. Fishing requires a lot of patience but with God the Father in one’s life or on our side, the impossible can be possible when we allow the Holy Spirit to use us! As children of God we all have a duty to fulfill. We must spread the gospel (good news of Jesus Christ) to the entire world; we must fish for souls because the Bible tells us:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19&20).

This is a commission by Jesus Christ, Son of God to his disciples and in the same way this is, has been, should be, could be (for us), that God may commission us to be His disciples and help make others disciples.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations: rather, "make disciples of all nations";
Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost
Teaching them--This is teaching in the more usual sense of the term; or instructing the converted and baptized disciples;
To observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I--The "I" here is emphatic. It is enough that;
Am with you always--"all the days"; that is, till making converts, baptizing, and building them up by Christian instruction.

Here is a true story I read a few months ago in relation to fishing for souls.

"A friend stopped by the bar and dance hall that I operated in Benin, a country in western Africa, and invited me to his home for dinner. After eating I fell asleep and thought I was dreaming when I heard someone speaking beautifully. I opened my eyes and saw my friend and another man praying. The prayer was so beautiful that I knelt beside them. When the man finished praying, he apologized for waking me. I asked him to teach me to pray as he prayed, and he said, “When you know God personally, praying is easy.” He was a pastor and offered to teach me about God. As I studied the Bible with the pastor, I realized how little I knew about the Bible. (Study to show thy self approve unto God). I told my friend, “You have known this, and you didn’t tell me?” Surprised, he responded, “But you own a bar. How could I know that you would listen to these things?” As I studied the Bible, I realized that to follow Jesus I would have to give up my bar and dance hall. But these truths were so beautiful, how could I not follow them? I walked away from everything I had invested in the bar and turned my life over to Christ. My wife and I were baptized. I found work as a fisherman, but fishing was poor in Benin, so I went to neighboring Ghana to work. While there I found the Adventist church and realized that this church was worldwide. When I returned to Benin, I looked at our little chapel and our handful of members. I realized that the challenge was huge. Voodoo worship and witchcraft permeate life in Benin. People prefer to join a church that allows them to mix their voodoo practices with Christianity rather than stand up for the truth and become a Seventh-day Adventist. I started evangelizing my town, calling people to Jesus. Ten people joined the Adventist church. But when trouble comes, staying in the church becomes difficult. In our culture funerals include drinking and offering gifts to the gods to assure that the dead person does not haunt family members. But when we Adventists don’t take part in these ceremonies, our families make it very difficult. I now know that God’s church is a worldwide family. I pray, and I ask you to pray, that God will work powerfully in Benin to convince people of His love and power. I continue casting God’s net in the devil’s sea, seeking to be a fisher of souls for Christ."

I would like to say congratulations to a long time church brother that came back into the fold. Now we can go fishing for souls together and help make people disciples and in turn be better disciples. God Bless you all……………….

Click on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3LUc78vbDk

It's good to be back

2008-03-22T17:48:00.003-04:00

It’s always a great feeling to get back to what you love. I've been away from writing about our Lord and savior the Messiah for two months now and seeing how God has blessed me, I feel the need to do more to bring you, someone, and anybody closer to the anointed one. I just want to tell you that God is good, He has been good to me and my prayer today is that you have been blessed by Him also. (Ephesians 2:8-9) tell us that - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

It is grace on God's part and faith on man's [our] part. Faith accepts the gift of God. It is through the act of entrusting ourselves to Him that we are saved, not that faith is the means of our salvation, but simply the channel because (Romans 3:23-24) says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus". For all have sinned: this goes back to the Garden of Eden [pleasure]; Adam's sin marred the divine image of man and ever since man's fall, all of Adam's descendants have continued to fall short and be destitute of the image and the glory of God. But thank God for his grace and mercy that gets us through life's trials and tribulations. Paul the author of the book of Romans and Ephesians is urging Jews and Gentiles [today everyone] alike to recognize the fact that all the evidence of experience and history clearly proves that fallen man [male and female], with his deprived nature, is wholly incapable of establishing his own righteousness. The only possible way to obtain righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. By this experience of faith we are once again brought into a right relation with God.

The lesson study link is at the bottom of this page.

Click on this YouTube link and please listen the words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKVyg6DA0hg

7% is Better than None

2008-01-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.' They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, 'I don't understand.' It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.' Moreover, when Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of us. Hence why he tells us in (John 14:1-3) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

7% of you read this entire article; that is a 93% did not finished. Please send this link to your friends so we can get another 7% involved in sharing Gods' word.

Praying in the New Year

2008-01-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

I would like to take this time to wish everyone a Happy New Year and may the Lord richly bless you all. I hope this year brings you closer to the Almighty God. Also, whatever your New Year resolutions are, change them to your New Year commitment. Make a commitment instead of a resolution because if we look at history resolutions tend not to be fulfilled. Hope everyone enjoyed their time off from school and work and now that we are getting back in full swing, let’s not forget to keep each other in prayer. What is prayer? Prayer is a spiritual appeal to God. Exactly what should we pray for? We all pray for countless reasons. Kids were praying to get anything they had on their wish list for Christmas. Do you pray for people you don’t know? While speaking with a young lady late last year about marriage, she said these words: “I pray for whomever the person is I will get married to.” Now I want you all to think about this statement. We all pray for others but do you pray particularly for your future husband/wife? Maybe not; that particular person, whoever they may be, doesn’t know you and you don’t know them but you are praying for them. When the young lady told me that I questioned her; Why? She said “I pray for everyone but I pray a special prayer for that particular person my Lord and Savior has for me.” Many times we ask God for a wife/husband or anything for that matter and we leave it at that; but this young lady took a step further to pray for that special one. When you pray for something, don’t just leave it at that, take an extra step; have faith in God and whatever we ask of Him in faith, if it’s His will he will grant it onto you. A excerpt from the poem “Take Time”

“Take time to pray - it is the greatest power on earth” (unknown author)

http://www.godswork.org/inpoem160.htm

This quarter’s lesson is about discipleship. Here’s a preview on discipleship. Though discipleship has been a topic of interest to Christians for centuries, for the first followers of Jesus discipleship was so much more than just that. For them, discipleship was the experience of following the Lord Jesus. And, as it was for them, so must it be for us. A disciple is a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, committed himself or herself to a growing relationship with God, and by the Holy Spirit is integrating the Lordship of Jesus into every area of daily life. Discipleship can be viewed from varying perspectives. First, it can be examined with respect to the historical situation in which the Master and His disciples interacted. Second, it can be judged from the viewpoint of the nature of the Christian life. In order for us to grasp the character and meaning of Christian discipleship, both these approaches must be captured. In this quarter’s Bible study guide, we will look at discipleship as an experience between Jesus and those He called to apprenticeship with Him. We will explore what is involved in discipleship and who is truly a disciple. We will also examine the process of becoming a disciple and the major characteristics of discipleship. We will compare Jesus’ discipleship with that of other disciple-gathering teachers. Additionally, we will look at such questions as would-be disciples, gender and discipleship, ethnicity and discipleship, instructions for discipleship, and discipleship under pressure. In short, we will consider what we need to be modern-day disciples living in the last days.

Together as One

2007-12-14T22:35:00.000-05:00

Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6:38 (NIV)]
The Norland SDA Church once had a vibrant youth ministries program. The question of what went wrong has yet been answered by the youth of the church. They are still pointing fingers; at who? “The old folks”; but they should reverse their fingers back to themselves. Why? They make up the department. There have been many attempts to alleviate the disparities between “the old folks” and “the youth” but each attempt has been bombarded by false positive criticism. Another attempt will be made; this time in a different setting; this attempt is to reunite “the youth”. They too have their differences. As I look forward to this proposed reunion, there are still many doubts in my unconscious. So often we hear/say the phrase: “Together we can accomplish a lot”; the question to “the youth” is: are you all willing to set aside your differences beginning with your inner self and work together to become one? Are you willing to do so? I turned to the Holy Book for reference of togetherness and here is a tidbit what I found:
2 Chronicles 20:4 (NIV) the people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Job 34:4 (NIV) let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
Psalm 34:3 (NIV) Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Acts 2:1 (NIV) [The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost] When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Hebrews 11:40 (NIV) God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Together they will eat, together they will talk, together they will pray, together they will try to reunite as one. My hope is for the youth of Norland SDA Church is to come together as one.

2007-12-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

12,000 white-collar workers decided to strike against the Writers Guild of America. About 73,000 GM workers walked off the job at 82 General Motors factories nationwide. Most recently, van drivers in New York City, who provide service for up to 9,000 elderly, sick and disabled passengers, went on strike. In the past few months we’ve seen workers and unions go on strike. We have seen the effect it has had on people and society. Have you ever had to go on strike to make a statement for better pay, treatment, and respect? Did you find going on strike helped your cause? Was the waiting period worth it? To achieve anything in life you have to be persistent, you have to wait, and you have to be patient. There are many important spiritual reasons that we will experience waiting through tough times. First, waiting can focus our attention away from negative things and back to God Himself. Second, waiting allows us to develop a clearer picture of our own motives and desires. Third, waiting builds perseverance – in other words, spiritual stamina. Fourth, waiting opens the door to develop spiritual strength, such as faith and trust. Fifth, waiting allows God to sort out the confusing pieces in our lives and helps us figure out the bigger picture. We may never know the reason we have to wait; hence, we learn to live by faith.

What if God went on strike?

If God should go on strike

How it is that God above has never gone on strike?
Because he was not treated fair, in things he didn’t like.
If only once he’d given up, and said, that’s it, I’m through!
I’ve had enough of those on earth, so this is what I’ll do;

I’ll give my orders to the sun, cut off the heat supply!
And to the moon, give no more light, and run the ocean dry.
Then just to make things really tough and put the pressure on
turn the oxygen till every breath is gone!

You know, he would be justified if fairness was the game.
For no one has been abused or met with more disdain
Thank God, any yet he carries on supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace and everything for free.

Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go.
But what a deal we’ve given to God to whom all things we owe.

We don’t care whom we hurt to gain the things we like.
But what a mess we’d all be in
If God should go on strike!!

Meekness in the Crucible

2007-12-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

Meekness in the Crucible

We don’t hear the word meek used much, except maybe when reading about Moses or studying the Beatitudes. It’s not hard to figure out why, either. Meekness is defined as a disposition to be patient and long suffering. Sometimes the Bible translates this word as “humble.” Again, humility isn’t a character trait seen as desirable by most cultures, either. But meekness, enduring injury with patience and without resentment, is one of the most powerful characteristics of Jesus and His followers. And yet, it’s not an end in itself: Meekness of spirit can be a powerful weapon in the hands of those who are in the midst of pain and suffering. Indeed, the crucible is a great place to learn meekness of heart, for through our own meekness and broken places we can be powerful witnesses for God.

Matthew 5:1-12

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

A Philosophy of Life

Keep your thoughts positive,
Because your thoughts become your words
Keep your words positive,
Because your words become your actions
Keep your actions positive,
Because your actions become your habits
Keep your habits positive,
Because your habits become your values
Keep your values positive,
Because your values become your destiny

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 peter 5:7)

We don't have anything to worry about. We create a crucible in our own lives when there is no need to. Let me inform you again the definition/what a crucible is: a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperature. You will find the picture in a link below and the lesson study link is below. Have a blessed week.

What will you leave behind

2007-11-24T07:21:00.000-05:00

The question was asked at a funeral I attended near Atlanta, Georgia a week ago and it read: How does your life read? If you die today! What legacy will you leave behind? How does your life read? Is it a life your fellow men can embrace positively? Can those after you use it as a stepping stone? We all have our own life to live but people are observing us; even those we don't know. In whatever you do remember God, whereever you go/are remember God, remember him because his is the "author and finisher of our faith"(Hebrews 12:2KJV).

This weeks lesson is about of praise;

A Life of Praise

Memory Text: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NIV).

It’s always easy to shout with joy to the Lord when we feel joy. It’s
not so easy, however, when things are bad, when we are in the
worst situations imaginable, when the crucible tightens. Yet, it’s
precisely then that we need, perhaps, more than ever to praise God, for
praise is a means of helping us sustain faith.

And remember, even if I don't post a new piece the lesson study link will update weekly and your comments are greatly appreciated

Indestructible Hope

2007-11-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

What do you hope for in life? Is it money? Is it a family? Is it a good education and career? Or is it going to heaven? We often hope for things in life but don’t have any faith to look to the fore and have buoyancy in whatever we are hoping for. Why is it that way with human beings? This week lesson is titled:

Indestructible Hope

Let’s break it in two:
Indestructible: not destructible; that cannot be destroyed.
· Out of the four things that I listed above as examples of what we may hope for are all destructible if we lose hope in ourselves.

Hope: to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
· In order to be hopeful, you must have faith in whatever you are hoping for.
· “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
(Hebrews 11:1).
· Faith and hope work hand in hand
Here’s part of what this week lesson have to tell us:
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whomhe has given us” (Romans 5:5, NIV).

Even though we don’t always understand God and He seems to do unpredictable things, that doesn’t mean that God is against us. It simply means that we don’t have the full picture yet. But we struggle with the idea that for us to have peace, confidence, and hope, God must be understandable and predictable. He needs to be, in our thinking, “safe.” As such, we set ourselves up for disappointment. God gives us many things, why he does so is not always clear, but what God expects of us is clear. Have faith in Him and whatever we hope for we won’t give up on it. Be hopeful, not hopeless.

New York, New York

2007-11-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

If you travel a lot, my guess is you know how atrocious the service of spirit airlines is. My flight was scheduled to leave at noon; however, the flight did not leave till 1:15 PM. The airplane sat on the runway for 40 minutes and the passengers don’t know why. People were fussing about the wait and there was a few nagging babies on board, which made it even worse for them. Babies don’t bother me because they are innocent in my eyes.
I arrived in the Big Apple at 3:30 PM. It was pouring rain and the temperature was a cool 63 degrees Fahrenheit. I got my luggage, stepped out of the airport and got into a cab. My destination was mid-town Manhattan; 31st between Lexington and 3rd avenue. The cab driver, a Nigerian native and I had a lengthy conversation about being content. He also gave me some disturbing news about a South African reggae artist named Lucky Dube who was killed. He was dropping his teenage son and daughter off in a Johannesburg suburb when he was attacked by car thieves and was shot dead. Lucky Dube was a different kind of rastaman. He neither smoked marijuana nor did he drink beer but this did not stop him from feeling irie all the time. His music and lyrics is something we can all use in our everyday life; the struggles, politics, divorce, slavery and modern slavery, abuse, neglected children, respect in general, drugs, prejudice, education, and most of all your relationship with the man upstairs, etc…….. Indeed, it was sad news; lucky was a great artist and may he rest RIP until the second coming of Christ Jesus. This is a quote from one of his songs:

Shut Up

“Don't close the door behind you

You might wanna go through it someday

Don't burn that bridge

You might wanna cross it someday

Your best friends today

Could be your worst enemies tomorrow

Your worst enemies today

Could be your best friends tomorrow

Don't burn the bridge

Don't cross the door

And if you can't say something good about somebody

Oh shut up

And if you can't say something about somebody

Just shut up.”

The rain finally stopped and the temperature dipped 10 degrees; perfect weather. My friend and I met up at the apartment, caught up on life, and planned the next two days. We had supper at about 2 AM; NYC is the city that never sleeps. It puzzles me how late people eat in the city though I ate at that time. Still, I personally believe that people should be asleep at 2 AM. It would be difficult for me to adjust to the lifestyle of New York City. We had a short night and woke up to a busy morning. The first thing I did when I woke up was thank the Lord for keeping his angles beside me throughout the night. We all must give God thanks.
We then took the 6 train to downtown. “You see the weirdest looking people on the train.” Seeing the statue of liberty from the main land was a new experience for me. One thing that took my attention was the amount of homeland security and NYPD boats and helicopters that was maneuvering over the Hudson River. So if you think that the Department of Homeland Security is not doing their job well they are in The Big Apple. We followed a line that was probably 1/2 a mile long to buy tickets to go to the Statue of Liberty (SOL). We were astounded of how long the line was; people for all over the world waiting in line for tickets to take a short ferry trip to the SOL and Ellis Island. I was not ready to wait an hour and a half to go there. So we bought tickets for a 1 hour cruise on the Hudson. The conductor gave some history of New York which was very informative. I don’t want to spoil it by telling you. I want you to go to NY and take that cruise and experience it for you. As we sailed closer to SOL, we came across Ellis Island. This island was where the Jews came to from Europe during the holocaust. We then sailed pass the SOL and I took some time to think about heaven. My thought was “ if people from all over the world are so fascinated about seeing and going to the Statue of Liberty what are we doing and how fascinated or prepared are we for the second coming of GOD? You get this feeling the inside when you’ve heard of something, seen pictures and finally had the opportunity to see it with your own eyes. I believe we should have this same feeling and a stronger when we think about or look forward towards heaven.
Another thing that was a great experience for me was going to the Museum of modern art. For the first time in my life I was standing in front of a Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet original art (the real thing). As I stood there before the art my thought was only about money. “So this is what everyone is wishing they had in their home”. Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh has risen to the peak of artistic achievements. Although Van Gogh sold only one painting in his life, the aftermath of his work is enormous. Starry Night is one of the most well known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought after prints. Art is something that I really appreciate.

On my way back to Miami, the flight actually left on time, no nagging babies on board, and the plane landed on time. However, it took a 30-45 minute for the baggage handlers to get the luggage off the plane. My advice to you is, don’t fly on Spirit Airlines; it’s the worst service you will ever receive. I would like to say a big thank you to my buddy Jared for his hospitality while I was in New York. Thanks Jared I really appreciate it and I hope to get my Xbox 360 before the year ends.

In the Lab With God

2007-10-07T08:20:00.000-04:00

Hello Everybody! I hope you all had a good week and were all blessed in church. As for me, I will be one year wiser on Monday, October 8 and to anyone else having a birthday this week, have a happy birthday and hope you see many, many more. Please pray for me while I pray for you. This week lesson has a message for all of us and some of us can even testify to painful surprises. In chemistry labs a scientist often puts different materials into a small metal pot and heats them to high temperatures. As the pot becomes hotter, the materials melt or burn brightly. The pot is called a crucible. The dictionary describes a crucible as (1) a pot used for melting material in high heat, (2) a tough test, (3) a place or situation in which things are mixed to cause or to influence change or development (growth). I believe most of us can relate to meanings 2 and 3. A tough test: the first thing that comes to my mind is the exam I have on my birthday. To you it may be problems, challenges, getting a the pink slip, a death in the family, a bad relationship, something difficult ahead, you get the point...... We've been/gone through a tough test before. The million dollar question is, have you gone through a tough test for being a child of GOD? And this relates to meaning (3) You may be a christian, a Jew, or a Muslim, the point is, all of you have gone through a tough test. This week lesson will give you an opportunity to handle your crucilbe better than you have in the past.

The Fourth Quarter

2007-10-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody! We've reached the fourth quarter of this year and I'd like to take a different approach on my Blog. Not only will I post the weekly lesson study but I will also write about diverse issues that go on in our world. This will give you the opportunity get to know me better; what I read, my opinion about major events in the news, a synopsis on my daily studies, etc……. And my willpower is to mainly keep it on a spiritual point of view. I hope you will find it to be inspiring because I receive encouragement by just writing, your comments and questions and most of all studying GODS word. I will leave you with an introduction about the weekly lesson study and this quote:

“There is no right way to do a wrong thing”

The Crucified1 Creator

“All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was
made without him” (John 1:3, NIrV).
“All things” were made by Jesus. But the Bible also says, “Jesus wept [cried]”
(John 11:35). The Creator (Jesus) wept? Even more so, men “did not accept him
[Jesus]. He knew all about sorrow and suffering” (Isaiah 53:3, NIrV). The Creator,
a man of sorrows, was not accepted? And He once cried out, “My God, my God,
why have you deserted [left] me?” (Matthew 27:46, NIrV).
How could these things be? It is because Jesus, our Creator, was also our
Redeemer (Savior). He was the crucified God—the Creator who became a
human and died for us. In human form Jesus lived a life of suffering and hardship
that ended with His death on a Roman cross.
So, our Creator was the One in whom “we live, and move, and have our being
[reason for life]” (Acts 17:28). He suffered in human form in ways that none of us
ever could. We can experience only our own griefs, our own sorrows. At the
cross Jesus accepted “our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4)—all of
them. It is the most surprising act in the whole history of God and man. For the
next few months we will try to understand better the things we do not understand—
our own suffering and the suffering of Christians who have given their
lives to Christ. We are making no promises that we have all the answers or even
many answers. We believe that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).We also believe that
bad things do happen, but we can trust God when they do. We also can grow in
grace2 through our sufferings, no matter how much we suffer.
This quarter we will study the Word of God to learn how other people showed
their faith and yet faced hurt, depression (sadness), disappointment, loss, unfairness,
and abuse. How did they solve their problems? What did they learn? What
can their examples teach us?
We read about these people, their experiences, their struggles, and their trials
of faith, which might be the same as ours. We must always think of them with the
Cross in mind. We must always remember that Jesus Christ, our Creator and
Savior, went through worse experiences and suffered even more.
Our God is a suffering God. Even Albert Camus, a doubter, understood some
of the sufferings of God on the cross: “The night on Golgotha is so important in
the history of man only because the Son of God drank to the last drop the great
suffering of death.”—Adapted from Albert Camus, The Rebel (New York, Vintage
International, 1991), p. 33. Ellen G. White explained it better when she wrote, “To
our dull senses, the Cross is a perfect example of the pain that sin, from its very
beginning, has brought to the heart of God.”—Adapted from Ellen G. White,
Education, p. 263.
Our lessons are not a theodicy.3 Instead, these lessons help us work through
the suffering we all have here in this world. We will try to show that pain, suffering,
and loss do not mean that God has forgotten us. They mean to show that,
as believers, we share now in the suffering as a result of our fall into sin. The big
difference is that through Jesus we can find meaning and purpose in life that
seems to be meaningless on earth. These lessons also help us learn that we
can trust the promise that “God works for the good of those [people] who love
him [God]” (Romans 8:28, NIrV). He is the God who made all things but also
permitted them all to happen too. (And that is why we love Him.)

This quarter’s author, Gavin Anthony, grew up in Sri Lanka as a missionary
kid. He worked as a pastor in England. He also was conference president in
Iceland when he wrote these lessons.

1. crucified—having been put to death.
2. grace—God’s gift of forgiveness that He freely gives us to take away our sins
3. theodicy—a defense of God’s goodness and His power in view of the existence of evil.

Turning back to GOD (Isreal)

2007-09-22T18:53:00.000-04:00

Hello everybody! Hope you all enjoyed last week’s lesson. It was very interesting and the comments and questions were great. You see the more we interact by writing comments or asking questions about the lesson we expand and enhanced our knowledge of understanding of GODS' word. When one takes the initiative themselves to study the word, they arrive upon different level of thought about JESUS. One could only testify to this level of thought through experiencing GODS’ blessings in his or her daily walk with HIM. I say to you, study GODS' word and it will only strengthen your faith in him. It will do no harm. I want to thank you all for the comments and questions because it motivates me more to study GODS' word more and more. Pray for me while I pray for you. This week lesson is about turning back to GOD. I look forward to your comments and questions.

Get closer to GOD (Forgiving)

2007-09-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

Hello everybody! I hope that you found my new blog to be something that you can use to gain knowledge and use it in your everyday life. I'm sorry for not giving you guys the opportunity to comment on my blog; now you will and please give me your feed back on my blog. Also, if you have any questions concerning the lessons feel free to ask and you're free to comment on the lesson (just a thought) each week. This lesson is about forgiving each other. Let us learn to forgive each other more.

Get closer to GOD

2007-09-08T15:48:00.000-04:00

Hello everybody!!! This is something new I'm trying.Why? To reach out to young people to get them closer to JESUS. Every week I will post a link of the weekly lesson study so you can study and learn more about the GOD we serve. I hope you will take this opportunity to read and study the lesson to gain more knowledge of JESUS CHRIST. The links below will lead to the appropriate lesson for your age group. Also, there are links for the bible; choose the one that best suit you.