If You Disagree With Your Pastor

and just go to church to hear the choir sing, or you don’t participate in any of the things he calls the church to do from his pulpit, it is time for you to find a new church.

I know. I was in that position once. The preacher was good, but what he said did not line up with who God was creating me to be.  As I often say we are the body of Christ and as such we all need different things, just as a body does. I mean we don’t put socks on our hands or sit on our hats.  There are things designed for those areas of the body that allow them to function the way they ought to.

God has specific ministries for all of us, but many of us sit at the wrong church for the wrong reasons and miss it.

Since I joined this new church, I have found that my life is more full than it has ever been.  I walk with folks who help me walk in obedience with God. i participate in the work God has designed for me as service. I don’t agree with everything my pastor says, but I hear the voice of God from the pulpit. He leads me.

In my new church, I have discovered that when my pastor asks something from the pulpit, he is representing God. How dare I say no. (yes, I have said no.) But I try to make it 90 percent of the time.

Annually my church sets aside time to help in local schools. I told myself I am serving in another ministry I do not have to do this. It would mean an extra day during the week, blah, blah, blah.

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But my lifegroup chose to serve this week. I chose to serve with them. It was good. Find yourself a church where you can do the work God has for you to do. Find yourself a lifegroup to hold you to God’s principles.  In a time when very few are moral, find someones who will hold you accountable.

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I loved serving at the school. The principal was a joy.

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It spoke to me to say that this is how life ought to be. When God requests, we fulfill.  We let go of our selfish ambitions and do what God requires of us.

God Has Planted Seeds In All Of Us

which many ignore because the possibilities are far too scary.  But if you tap into God’s power, it will take you beyond your wildest dreams. You will have to look your deepest fears in the face and tell them that your God is bigger than them.

Many people will not do this. They do not have the faith to trust God to complete something through them.  But He gives us all the choice to try.

The past couple of weeks I had been praying over some projects.  He has given me some fun stuff to write, but I just didn’t have time.  All of the things I was doing were things He had instructed me to do, so I just prayed, “show me how.” I even prayed “is this what you want me to do? If not, what do you want me to do?” I don’t always assume that I have heard Him correctly, so I will go back and check.

I try not to become so fixated on anything so that I cannot do without it.  Whether I write, photograph or anything, I know that the ability could leave me at anytime (because the Lord gives and the Lord takes away). He might ask me to do something else.  I don’t want to love the creation more than the Creator.

This week He opened the door so that I could spend more time writing. Wow.  Pray and believe, you will receive. Trust Him, not your situation. Even though all hell is breaking lose on planet earth, the One who laid their foundations is still in charge.

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Here is some truth. We are all going on a journey in this life.  You can sit back and enjoy the road trip trusting the Driver. Or you can fret and worry, wondering where you are going , if you have enough gas to get there or if you will like it when you get there.

This journey isn’t going to last forever, but our relationship with the Driver will.

When You Pray Over Something

You don’t get to decide how God answers. Today God sent me a message that He has my back. Many folks today like to paint a portrait of God as love, peace, kindness…you get me. They seldom like to think of the God who strikes terror in the hearts of those who wrong the ones He loves.

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I have learned to let Christ fight my battles.  I know He is just and will dish out what the other side rightly deserves. I don’t question Him. If you ever come against me, you don’t have to worry about me trying to get you back. You might want to read Psalm 18 and see who is coming for you though.

I love that the Lord has seen fit to destroy one of my enemies on the same day the Republican house voted to destroy healthcare for millions of Americans.  It was not a day of celebration, but one where we felt sorry for the person who had done so much wrong to others.  Some had forgotten all of the wrong done to them. Not me. God assures me He will deal with all of the wrongdoers according to the measure that they dish out.  Again, I pity them., but for the most part they earned it.

For the month of April, I camped out on Psalm 18.  I fell in love with the fact that “He” is the one who defends me.  The image is absolutely terrifying and I am glad I am on His side. And what keeps me there? Repentance. Regular and often.

When God places someone in a leadership role, responsibility comes with it.  He promises to show Himself shrewd to the crooked, those who take advantage of the ones they are supposed to lead.  He will take your job, home, all your assets and leave you flat on your back so that there is no place to look but up.

As I watch elected officials take advantage of Americans and make themselves rich, I pity what is coming for them.  As I have prayed over my circumstances, He has been faithful. He has shown me He won’t allow corruption to stand, not in our government and not in our church.

This past year God has revealed Christian leadership that does not know Jesus.  I am dumbfounded by some of the things folks claiming to be Christians have said and done. I am secure in saying there is no way any of these folks could stand before the Lord and say those same things or act the same way.  Only evil can do that.

I will continue to pray and lift up these situations, but God has assured me He is going to handle it.

The Smells of Heaven

I am sure before Christ’s resurrection the aroma of the sacrifices for sin filled the space. The Bible tells us that the best cut of meat was sacrificed on the altar as an atonement for sin. I think the fragrance of the prayers of the saints overpowered it. I am sure it was amazing to breathe.

Today, I walked through an area where smokers hung out. Not only was the smell of tobacco in the air, but it was stale.  I tried to hold my breath until I got past it.

The smell I abhor is walking into a restroom and it smell like urine. As I was hurrying trying to get out of there I thought. “Lord, is this what it was like coming to earth? You left the amazing smells of Heaven for the filthiness of earth.”

I can’t think of anyone I like enough to stay in a situation that smells bad.  Yet, I can only imagine what Jesus gave up for His love of us.  He went to the depths of Hell for us.

Bulls and lambs are no longer sacrificed. Prayers are still the fragrance of the saints. Jesus offers eternal life to all those who believe.  Jesus has only one stipulation to those who want eternity with Him. John 3:16.

Chris Rock Started Singing Circus Afro

in the middle of worship this morning and I couldn’t stop to answer the phone. Yes, Chris Rock is still my ringtone. It is normally my habit to turn the ringer off before I enter the church. I did the same thing today, but it came back on in the middle of church service, but fortunately I was up in the sound booth, and only the folks up there with me heard it.

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Another habit I have been practicing a little longer is sacrificing something for Lent. I am not Catholic or any type of Orthodox religion. I just appreciate the season. I was thoroughly amused when a friend asked me what I gave up for Lent.  I have been doing this long enough that folks who know me know.

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One of the things I chose was to praise God everyday in a very physical way. So on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, Instagram and here I posted my praise in the form of His Word.  It was interesting to see which scriptures resonated with my friends.

I also believe that it is not a sacrifice unless it cost you something.  How can I offer to God something that is free to me? How can I offer something that means nothing to me?  So I sacrificed things that I valued.

As I approach this last week before Easter, this Holy Week,  I am reminded that He is a Holy Uncreated God. Everything I see is created, He is not created. Even though I cannot wrap my finite mind around this, it is true.

I am also reminded as I make my way to the cross this week with millions of other Christ followers, that the way to the cross is not paved in gold bricks and lavished meals.

It was on a dirt road, with a heavy cross and lots of onlookers who were not willing to help.  He endured the pain of the cross for me. Praise God.

Sometimes God Moves You Out the Way

so He can get to people.  I mean you pray over people and when God starts acting in their lives you jump in and try to do it. You better recognize that God will get you so busy that you only have time to run your life.

God has me busy working in my life. I don’t have to worry about you, talk about, wonder what do. My prayer list is long and God keeps adding people. (And I keep trying to take people off)

I pray for my friends, my enemies, people I know and people I don’t know.  I have projects in the works and spend my time praying asking God if these things are really significant for His Kingdom.  Cause to tell you the truth, I am tired.

So when people come to me with petty shit, I look at them and wonder if this is really all they have going on in their lives.  I pray Lord, please handle this.

This week I got to have dinner with my home girls and it was such a blessing.  Even though I had an agenda full of things to accomplish this week, the Spirit led me to go fellowship with these ladies. It was such a blessing.

I learned alot.

One of the things I learned is that we put condemnation on ourselves because of what we think others represent.  I love Jesus with all my heart mind and soul. In Him there is no condemnation for sin.  If my love for Jesus makes you feel condemned because you are a sinner, then you need to take that up with Jesus. Because we all live in sin, none is greater than the other. I just don’t let my sin condemn me. He has promised there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  I accept it and walk in it.

I repent of my sin and move on.  There is work to do.  The past couple of weeks I have met many people who are so caught up in the fact that they can’t stop sinning it paralyzes them.

The other thing I loved about our impromptu  meeting was we taught each other. We laughed. We learned we needed to listen to each other because we give sound advice.  It was a great moment.

God sends us a word through the people we encounter daily. Listen, you will find out He is near you. He is answering your call. It doesn’t look like you expected, but it is His plan. Stop getting in His way as He answers your prayers. Trust. He is light. In Him there is no darkness. 1 John 1:5

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