Customers Vs. Christians

For the past few days I have been considering something that has been bothering me for quite a while. I often read about the subversive nature of Christianity in the gospels and how a relationship with Christ is to transform the way we approach life, ministry, and one another but sometimes this is a far cry from what I see expressed in the modern church. We are to be a place where people come to connect with God in a community where the scriptures guide the way toward destiny but some how it appears as though many people come with a marketplace mentality where the congregants are "customers" and, as the old saying goes, "the customer is always right".

This type of consumer based Christianity can prevent people from truly experiencing the new life that can be ours in Christ because the purpose of the church then becomes to make us happy, meet our needs, pay our bills, inspire us to have better lives, give us stock tips, provide free daycare for our children, have great gourmet coffee for free, and never (and I mean NEVER) make us feel like we didn't receive the very best service possible. While these may be great business practices they are not necessarily biblical principles concerning the church. While "the customer is never wrong" the congregant is not a customer and due to our propensity to sin the congregant (you and I) may very well be wrong from time to time. That is why we need the Savior and the purifying work of the Holy Spirit. We can be wrong and thus stand in need of correction through the Word of God; both clergy and congregants must realize this if we are to move into the fullness of new life in Christ.

What can we do? Well, a good start is to truly surrender to the cause of Christ rather than our own selfish desires. After all, that's what it means to make Jesus LORD of your life. If He is LORD, by default you are not. Instead of coming to church focusing on how the church can serve us, let us begin to look at the church as a place that God desires to meet with us, communicate His Word to us, and allow us to share our lives, energy, expertise, and resources to bless others. From this perspective we are no longer the customers seeking to be pleased by the church and church leaders but rather we become followers of Christ seeking to be the greatest that we can be and according to Jesus "the greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11) So let's stop acting like customers and start acting like Christians.

Don't be "that guy"!

Have you ever seen "that guy"? You know that guy who walks into the bathroom and forgets to wash his hands. I saw "that guy" today when I was out finishing up my Christmas shopping. I was standing at the sink and here he goes walking right out the door. As I walked to my car I began to wonder why he wouldn't take a moment to stop to wash his hands when the water, soap, and sink were already paid for. Here are my theories...

1.) Maybe he wasn't taught that it was important.
2.) Maybe he didn't think anyone saw so it didn't matter.
3.) Maybe he thought that this was only a vital principle for children and he had out grown the practice.

One of these may have been the reason or maybe in the holiday hustle and bustle he just forgot. Either way, I believe that it bears a strong resemblance to how some people will walk through another Christmas season and not even consider how they may need to be cleansed. Cleansed of what, you ask? Cleansed of past sins, disappointments, discouragements, mistakes, missed marks, missed opportunities. Many are in need of an internal, emotional & spiritual cleanse and there is one who is able to provide the cleansing we so desperately need (Jesus) yet how many times have you seen people walk right past Him just like "that guy" does the sink? I pray that this Christmas would be a time where we make the most of the opportunity to be cleansed of our past so that we may clearly see our way into our divinely appointed future. It's about to be the beginning of a brand new year, will you allow Jesus to wash you clean so that you can live a new life now or will you walk right past Him acting as if He's not there or you just don't need Him? The choice is yours but please, PLEASE don't be "that guy". Accept Jesus today :)

For more information about accepting Jesus go to: www.cbn.com/stepstopeace/

Me, Muscle Strain & Sin

I always strive to see the hand of God in everyday life. I try to see Him in the Starbucks, over the internet, and in the weather. With such being the case God gives me unusual inspiration through my usual experiences. This week was no different. As I was working out a few days ago I felt a strain in my back and chest. I'm not exactly "the Rock" (yet) but I work out enough to know that pain is part of the process so I stretched and took a day off to rest. Two days later I was back under the weight bar and feeling more exhausted than usual but fought to finish my workout anyway. Again, "no pain, no gain" right? WRONG! At least it was this time. When I completed my workout I recognized that I had strained a muscle in the previous workout and going through with this workout as if nothing was wrong actually made the problem worse. I could try to walk it off and act like I didn't feel it but something in my chest (the pain) said that I was wrong. This time I had to pause and acknowledge the issue so that I could recover. I believe such is also the case with sin.

All of us have areas of our lives where we have tried to press on as if nothing is wrong but in our chest we know we took a hit. We can feel the strain, we can feel the pressure and the more we try to go about our daily business acting like nothing is wrong the worse the problem becomes. I have chosen to take a break from the weights for a week or two because that is what's necessary for this muscle strain to heal but what is needed to heal a heart of sin? If you have been feeling the strain of sin on your heart or in your mind I'd like to direct your attention to one of my favorite scriptures; 1 John 1:9 which says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Just like all I need to heal this strain is to lay on the couch and relax all you have to do to heal the strain of your sin is to confess and reflect. Confess to the God who already knows what you have done and reflect on the steps that got you to those bad decisions so that you can avoid them the next go round.

As for me, I'll stretch a little better next time before a workout. The pain of a muscle strain is too much to deal with when I know it can be prevented. How about you? What could you do to avoid the pain of sinful decisions? You may need a stretch of your own...a stretch for new friends, a stretch away from negative influences, a stretch toward reading the Bible more or getting more out of church. What ever your stretch may be to avoid the strain of sin in your life, trust me when I tell you that it's a lot better than sitting down out of the game waiting to recover. Consider, confess, and continue to stretch!

Can you hear me now?

For the last couple of weeks I've been doing a study series concerning "calling". I'm sure that you have wondered from time to time why you are here and what is your life's purpose. All of us do; because as we begin to live a new life in Christ there is something on the inside of us calling us to a higher level of living than we had thought possible before. There is something telling us that we're here for more than what Pastor Ed Young calls, "Procreation and Recreation". But the question then remains, "How do I know what I'm here to do?" For many of us the answer to this question can be difficult to find but as you search for your purpose let me share with you a few ways that God helped me to discover mine.

1.) What bothers you?
Having excepted Christ in my teenage years, I did not grow up in the church. Whether this was a blessing or not, I'll let you decide but it gave me a unique perspective on things at a young age. When I came to church it was not necessarily to be entertained but rather to get a deeper understanding of this Jesus that had changed my life. With that being said, it irritated me any time I would listen to preachers who said a lot while saying a little, if you know what I mean. In other words, it bothered me (and still does to this day) when I would listen to people preach personal opinion or try to go so deep where you can't understand a word that they're saying. This irritant caused me to begin to try to teach in a way that everyone could understand and draw conclusions as to how they could apply the Bible to their daily lives. I believe that God was allowing me to see different styles and practices of teaching that were effective and/ or ineffective because the calling to teach was resident within me so I would have to learn every day how to reach people. Now that's me, but what about you? What bothers you? Do you hate seeing children not being cared for? Does it bother you that people are forgotten in nursing homes, hospitals or prisons? What bothers you? That may be an indication of your calling.

2.) What burden's you? What do you dream about?
As I discuss, "dreaming" I'm not necessarily referring to that frequently which crosses your mind while you're sleeping because I believe that sometimes what frequently crosses your mind while you're awake could also be an indication of your calling. I was asked by a person a while back about how one knows when they are called to ministry. I try to tread softly on this one because I never what to feel as though I called a person as opposed to the Spirit of God calling them so I told them, "If you feel as though there is nothing more that you would like to do than share God's Word with people, if nothing would bring you greater joy than to tell people what God has said in the Word than you may be experiencing a call to preach". This may seem somewhat extreme but what I wanted them to understand is that there is something for all of us to do and I don't believe that we are to pursue it halfheartedly so that thing must be the central focus of our efforts for Christ. In my own personal life I enjoy sharing the Word so much that I get excited just thinking about any opportunity to speak to people concerning the Word and I try to use any medium available to do so whether it be live and in person, typed in a blog, hosted on youtube, or posted on Facebook or Twitter. What I'm saying is that your calling should leak out of every pore.

If it is to bless children you'll find yourself wanting to help out in the children's ministry, volunteer with the sports programs, or maybe tutor children in a local school. If it is to write music you'll find yourself writing on napkins in restaurants, typing in the notepad in your phone or pecking away at your ipad every time you receive an inspiration. Whatever your calling is I believe God will plant it so deeply into the core of your being that it will leak out even when you don't want it to. Even when your over extended and tired your calling will call to you because there is something that God made you to do and you only have one life time to get it done. What do you dream about? That may be an indication of your calling.

3.) What have you been blessed with? What comes spiritual for you?
Notice that I didn't say what comes naturally for you or what comes easily for you because both of those things can be deceiving. The question is not what comes naturally but what comes spiritually? What gifts came into your life AFTER you excepted Christ? In my case it was the ability to speak publicly without losing my mind. You may think that "losing my mind" was never an option but that's because you weren't with me in my Intro to Theater class when I was in high school. I almost failed this class voluntarily because I was afraid to make a presentation in front of the class. I pushed it until it was almost the end of the year and there was no way around it and then I muddled my way through it for a passing grade. This was in stark contrast to a few years later when I had excepted Christ and was beginning to walk toward what God made me to be (a Christian Communicator and/or preacher; depending on your context) when I leap at the opportunity to do so. Come to think about it, the fact that I view it as an "opportunity" is an indication of the tremendous change in my perspective. What happened? Christ changed me and opened my eyes so that I could see what I was made to be and as a result speaking about Him came spiritually for me. What about you? What comes spiritually for you? Is there anything that you may not have necessarily been trained for but that you can do as well as those who have? I would encourage you to do as the Apostle told Timothy when he asked him to "Fan into flame the gift that was inside him..." This is important because the gift is shared spiritually but you have to work to improve your proficiency in operating it. For me this required, and still requires, the constant reading of books and articles, making the most of every opportunity to exercise the gifts, attending an undergraduate program that would help sharpen my skills and a masters level program that would help to broaden my perspective. Additional steps are important because your calling is so important to the lives of those that it will impact that you have to demonstrate a level of seriousness that shows that you will not try to accomplish your purpose and fulfil your life's assignment with a lazy or lackadaisical demeanor. It's too important for that.

So as you consider your life's calling think about what bothers you, what burden's you and what God has blessed you with the gifts to do. As you think and pray about these things you'll be well on your way to discovering you're divine destiny and connecting with you're life's calling. Can you hear it now?!

"I just want to be successful"

This morning I had an opportunity to speak to the honors students at a middle school in the area. As I considered what to present to them that could possibly cut past all of their distractions and ignite a desire in them to achieve great things within the time frame of ten minutes I was reminded of a popular song that many of them recognized. I know that I'm a preacher so this may come as a surprise but I'm not talking about "Pass me not oh blessed Savior." I'm referring to a song that's a little more recent and not nearly as sacred..."Successful" by Trey Songs. While some of the elements of the song are questionable the sheer popularity of the song demonstrates that many of the young people (and even middle aged and above) want to be successful. The question is, "How can this be done?" How can I take a life that may be filled with challenges and faced with opposition and use it to become successful? This was the question I considered when preparing what to discuss and four principles came to mind that are not particularly profound, and yet, if implemented may have a profound impact in one's life. Before I get into that let me first say that I realize that all of these efforts must be bathed in prayer and faith in God's ability to make them effective. But then again, as Christians shouldn't everything be? Moving right along.

1.) T:

The first practical thing that we can do to begin to see more success in our efforts is to actually think about what we're doing. I'm not talking about passively considering our actions, I mean to actually take time to reflect on our actions. Why do we do what we do? Why have we been following the path that we're following. This type of activity will help to prevent us from flying through the years on autopilot and waiting until we get to the wrong destination to change our route. Think about what you're doing (preferably before you do it).

2.) I:

The second practical thing that we can do to increase the probability of success in our efforts is to invest in our own success. Many times we will be the first to invest in our own success (well, we are second to God's investment in us but after that we're the first). People will often jump on the band wagon, so to speak, after they have already started to see returns on the investment that we have already made into our success. Many of the success stories that we see are the biproduct of personal investments in one's own success. So how can we invest in our own success? We can pray so that we may gain an understanding of what success for us looks like. Without prayer we can risk pursuing success that has been defined by someone other than our maker which means we may complete an objective and not be successful at all because we didn't fulfill our life's purpose. We can find a loving, life-giving church to grow in so that we can develop a godly and biblical concept of ourselves and what true success looks like. We can read books, articles, blogs and resources to increase our knowledge of our particular field and practices that will help us to excel. There are several ways to invest in your own success and you must be willing to invest in you before you can expect any one else to.

3.) M:

The third thing that we can do is make every moment count. Success is not usually one major breakthrough that overtakes a person unexpectedly. While this may occur occasionally, this is not the most frequent experience of the successful. Rather than waiting on one major successful instance, you could probably benefit from several meaningful moments working together to bring about success. You may not see your goal or life's calling as achievable in one swoop, and you're probably right, but if you take the steps of consistently wiring excellence into your daily routine and make the most of every day & every moment trusting that God has the ability to honor your diligence I believe that you'll be amazed by what God does through you. Thomas Edison once said that "The more I do the luckier I become." What he may have been suggesting is that the more he made the most of the moment the more he could expect success. God has a plan for every one of us and the more we see each day as an opportunity to play a part in that plan coming to pass the more we'll see that there is a method behind the madness that we've had to deal with because both the bad moments and the good moments can be used as meaningful moments if we're willing to make the most of them.

4.) E:

The last thing that we can do to press toward success in whatever God has been calling us to do is to evaluate our efforts. I know you want to be successful but when is the last time that you evaluated your efforts in that pursuit? When is that last time you evaluated your productivity at work? When is the last time you evaluated your own study habits? When is the last time you evaluated the way you spend your money? Taking time to evaluate your efforts helps to determine if you have a healthy dream or if you are just suffering from a delusion. Success isn't automatic and it's not just going to overtake you one day. You must be willing to constantly "Take heed to yourself" to see if you have areas in your life that could be improved. This principle is so significant that Jesus shared a parable instructing us to examine ourselves before we begin to examine others (Take the plank out of your eye--> Matthew 7:5). Examine your efforts to see what has been working. Stick with the habits that work and scrap the habits that haven't.

If we will be willing to Think about what we're doing, Invest in our own success, Make the most of every moment and Evaluate our efforts I'm convinced that it's only a matter of T.I.M.E. before we see what the book of Joshua calls "good success".

Keep pressing!

My pastor (Bishop Edward H. Stephens, Jr.) has many great sayings. Having him as a great source of guidance in my life has afforded me the opportunity to hear them on a regular basis. In fact, his impact has been so pervasive in my life that I can almost hear what he would say in various instances as I encounter them. One saying that continuously comes to mind is the phrase, "Keep pressing." I can honestly say that I have heard him say this hundreds of times. Granted, many of these were not audible statements but rather memories within that resurfaced in my mind right when I needed to here it. This simple phrase, "Keep pressing." has been a lasting source of encouragement for me so I wanted to share it with you. Just as Ricky Bobby held on to the phrase, "If you ain't first you're last" in the movie Talladega Nights, I have held on to the phrase "Keep pressing" as I have encountered challenges that have made me want to give up along the way. As a result of this tendency to keep pressing I have made a fantastic discovery. Things tend to work together for your good if you don't give up (Didn't God say something about that in Romans 8:28? Check it out.). I have found that most of success is wrapped up in one's ability to continue to stand in the face of adversity. Eventually, if you resist the enemy long enough, it flees.

What does that have to do with you? Perhaps you've been thinking about throwing in the towel on your marriage and have been wondering what to do. Maybe you've been considering giving up on the pursuit of a life-long goal and have been wondering if now is the time to quit. Maybe you have been depressed about the job market, your financial standing, your children's conduct or your professional and/ or personal prospects; what do you do when you want to give up? Two words... KEEP PRESSING! Keep pressing through the pain. Keep pressing through the problems. Keep pressing through the difficulty. Keep pressing through the discouragement. If you can find the courage to continue to trust God and keep pressing forward in faith that His plans will come to pass in your life, sooner or later you will see why the opposition wanted you to give up along the way. After all, the only way to prevent you from seeing the peace of God in your marriage and the provision of God in your life is to try to convince you to stop pressing toward it because the Word of God says that, "you shall reap if you faint not." So it makes sense that the enemy would want you to faint (give up, become passive, etc) because that's the only way to prevent you from possessing what God promised you. You may be thinking, "Jessie, but you don't know what I'm up against." You're right...but what I do know is that if you can overcome the temptation to be weary in well doing "you shall reap if you faint not." (Galatians 6:9) So KEEP PRESSING!

Hey Church! What are we doing?

I truly enjoy the courses that I'm taking this semester. One of my favorites is a class that discusses the role of the pastor. Believe me when I tell you that there should be an A/V booth in the back of the classroom selling Cd's of the lectures. Good stuff! It's always a thrilling experience because either my classmates or professor is sure to say something profound on a weekly basis. This week's "words of wisdom" came in the form of a testimony from a classmate who had just returned from a mission trip to Guiana. She shared how the Christians there had such a pure passion for God that they would worship for hours in the dark (due to the lack of electricity) and with bats & bugs flying through the loosely constructed building. The pastor of the local church had to leave home on Fridays to travel on foot, by boat and by taxi to the church on the banks of the river. The parishioners would literally travel by boat through piranha infested waters to worship God together. Talk about dedication!

As I listened to her experience with the worshipers in the wilderness I couldn't help but wonder what in the world we're doing here. Here... where we often complain about having to stay in church for more than an A & B selection and an entertaining message. Here... where we fuss about sound systems, room temperatures and dress codes. Here...where we don't want to travel through traffic to worship together even though the other drivers on the road probably wouldn't try to bite us if we got out of our cars at the wrong time (Although, I can only speak for Memphis). But really, what are we doing here? Are we truly following Christ? Are we truly attempting to get people to see how amazing and awesome He is and how He deserves our undivided attention? Are we more focused on becoming the Church than convincing people to start coming to our church. I honestly don't know; or maybe just don't want to admit the answer. The truth is that we can all learn something from the worshipers in the wilderness and while we pray for them in our prayer vigils and on our missions trips perhaps God is moving on their hearts to pray for us as well.

Something is going to suck!

I have learned that no matter who you are, how much you pray, read your bible, or try to have a positive mental outlook on life you are going to encounter something just about everyday where you could honestly say, "That sucks.". It may be the attitude of the person who sits in the cubicle next to you at work. It may be the way your spouse reacts to a gesture that you thought would make their day. It may be the phone call that you received from the teacher saying that your child disrupted class, again. It may be the bad news that you saw in the headlines this morning or the person you know who is on the losing end of a battle with sickness. Perhaps its the friend that you know is getting abused or the child who is doing without. Maybe the person who is still unemployed or the problem that still hasn't moved. There are millions of things that can pop up in life that, for lack of a better term, "suck" and it will be up to you to choose whether you will let them cause you to live a discouraged, depressed and defeated life or whether you will rise above them and embrace the peace and joy of a new life with Christ. Notice that Christ promised peace in spite of the chaotic circumstances that come our way in the world. We are to "take heart for I (Jesus) have overcome the world."

Living with Christ is not a free pass to a life that is exempt from all things that suck, but rather an empowerment that will enable one to pass through sucky situations with a strength that only God can provide. Next time you encounter something and think, "That sucks!" remind your self that "I'm sure glad to have a Savior."

What I've learned from Bishop Eddie Long (Part 1)

As I have watched the media storm surrounding the allegations against Bishop Eddie Long I have learned much more about the media and human nature than I have about his innocence or guilt in the situation. I have seen a man who poured his life into others being ripped to pieces by people that he has undoubtedly prayed for in his years of service to humanity. After giving away cars to those in need and working to feed the hungry Bishop Eddie Long has found himself in the middle of a heated debate concerning his integrity as a result of the unconfirmed accusation of others. So what can one learn from this as we endeavor to live out our "New Life Now"? Personally I have learned to not to be decieved by the applause of the crowd. We have recently seen how quickly the cheers of the crowd can turn into a cry for a cricifixion. People are fickle so we would be foolish to build our goals and ministry efforts on such an unstable foundation. Our efforts must be centered on the foundation of Jesus Christ and our love for Him because "all other ground is sinking sand." People can easily disappoint, discourage, and distract us so we would benefit from keeping them in the proper perspective. Keep your eyes on Christ and you'll be able to rise above the taunts of the crowd and trust me when I tell you that if you desire to do anything great for God you better look good on wood because the same crowd that lifts you up one moment will have the capacity to try to tear you down the next.

Can you read the bottom line?

It is almost time for me to renew the prescription for my glasses and with such being the case I thought about the exam as I reflected on what to share with you. If you have never had an eye exam let me begin by encouraging you to do so as soon as possible. The thing about vision is that sometimes you don't know how much it needs to be corrected until you see how it feels to see the way God designed for you to see. (My goodness, that will preach!) Much in the same way when we drift through life with no vision for the future we flow to where ever the winds of life take us instead of clearly seeing which routes to take and which decisions to make because we have our destination in view and recognize (through divine vision) how to get there. Vision can be tricky though, because even though I went this time last year to have it examined I have to go again this year. I believe that such is also the case with our spiritual vision. We could all benefit from periodically taking a moment to step back to examine whether or not we're seeing God's plans for us clearly (according to His Word) and whether or not we're actively advancing toward that end. As I considered the routine of the optometrist during the exam one particular phrase came to mind; they often ask, "Can you read the bottom line?" This is a powerful principle because many times in life as we pursue our dreams we risk losing sight of the "bottom line." What is the bottom line you ask? For a Christian living a new life the bottom line is Jesus Christ and whether or not we're using our energy, effort, and expertise to accomplish the plans that He spoke of in the Bible. Can you read the bottom line? Do you remember that everyday is an opportunity to do something that will make Jesus' Name more famous in the earth? Can you see that there is more to life than acquiring the hottest possessions and being liked by the most people. Can you see that there is more to life than watching other people live it? Can you read the bottom line?

The Password

Today is the first day of classes for the fall semester. The professor passed out some reading material and told the class to familiarize ourselves with it before we reconvene at 8:00. I immediately jumped right in so that I could be sure to finish reading it during the allotted time and the power of the Lord was present to help me to do so with time to spare. Having an extra 30 minutes left I thought about you and how I hadn't spoken with you in a while so I popped out the Mac and prepared to start typing but as I attempted to log in I realized that I had forgotten one key component in the process. I had my computer, I had an idea to share and I had a moment to spare but what I didn't have was my password. Some how I had forgotten the one thing that could give me access into the medium that allows me to share thoughts and inspirations with you. Since I didn't have the password it really didn't matter how great my thoughts were because I couldn't share them. It didn't matter how I wanted to bless you because I couldn't reach you. It didn't matter that my precious time was ticking away and the opportunity was quickly passing by. The only thing that mattered was that there was only one way to get in and I didn't have it. Friends this is not too unlike the necessity of having Christ in our lives. Our access to God is not based on all of our great intentions, on our lofty ideas or on the fact that we plan to connect when the time is right. Our access is based on our having received and internalized "the password". Just in case you have forgotten the password or no one has been so kind as to share it with you let me save you the trouble that I had to go through recovering mine...the password for eternal access to a personal relationship with God is JESUS. Write it in a safe place (in your heart) and don't forget that through a personal relationship with Him you can have 24 hour access to the God who sent Him to die for all of us so that we might connect with God in spite of our many short comings.

If you have never accepted Jesus as the Lord, leader, center or your life I'd encourage you to do so today because as disturbing as it was to be prevented access to this blog for a moment I believe that is nothing when compared to being denied access into the greatest resting imaginable for eternity.

Stay Tuned for the Feature Presentation

You walk up to the counter, pay $10 and make your way to your seat. You stop to get a few snacks at the vendor before settling in for the moment that you've been waiting for. You can't believe that you're finally about to see it...you heard it would be awesome and here you are. All of a sudden the lights are dim and your excitement has increased but you quickly realize that what you're seeing is not what you expected. You're forced to sit through several previews before you can enjoy what you've paid to see so you sit and wait patiently for the feature presentation. Life can be like that sometimes as well. You graduated from college sure that you would walk right into the career of your dreams but now that's not what you see. You walked down that aisle believing that you had found the love of your life but now that's not what you see. You thought that you could just pay your dues and have that child, get that car, buy that house, get down to that size or achieve that goal but as you take a look at your life you're forced to see experiences that you didn't want or expect. What do you do when life is showing you scenes that aren't apart of the image God showed you (in the Bible)? I would suggest that you do the same thing that you would do in the movie theater. Do you get impatient? Maybe. Do you get up and leave? I hope not. You probably grin and bear it knowing that after a while the previews will subside and you'll hear "We now present to you the feature presentation." In life it would benefit us to do the same. Don't let a bad preview cause you to bail on the feature presentation. Stick it out and you just might see that it was well worth the wait.

Buyers Remorse

A few months ago I had the urge to turn away from my beloved Blackberry to find comfort in the arms of an HTC Hero. I used to love my Blackberry and cherish the moments where I could sit and play with the various apps or find something new about it's many features but somehow after having it for two years something about it just seemed...old. All of a sudden I was no longer impressed by how it would instantly allow me to receive my emails. It was no longer fascinating that it had a full featured qwerty keyboard that made text messaging a snap. I had lost the desire to enjoy all that it had to offer not because it was bad or because it no longer held value but because I just wanted something new and behold... In walks the shiny new HTC Hero. I'll be the first to say that things with the Hero started out great. I could change the scenes so that the screen was nicer to look at than my "old" Blackberry. I could set up the contacts so that I could see Facebook status updates right from the contacts rather than having to go through Facebook...my Blackberry never did that. Everything was going great until I realized that this Hero sure uses alot of power so I couldn't stay far from a charger for long. Then I also noticed that the touch screen that I had once marveled at had become a nuisance because it made text messaging a chore. All of a sudden what I thought would be a benefit had become a burden and I was experiencing a bad case of buyers remorse.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever just wanted a change? Have you ever just wanted to change jobs, cities, relationships, or spouses simply because what had once been intriguing has now become the norm. Let me suggest to you, before you make the change and possibly run into a steaming pile of buyers remorse, that what you need may not be a change in the sense that you think. What you may need is to simply change the way you see what you're seeking to exchange. Take my experience for instance; Had I looked at my Blackberry through the eyes of thankfulness I would never have given it up. It was never perfect but had I counted the many ways in which it enhanced my productivity and added to my ministry I probably would have hesitated to make the change. Oh well, there's no crying over spilled milk here. Once I realized that I had made a HUGE mistake I had my Blackberry repaired and returned with a new thankfulness for this old thing. I pray that you would do the same BEFORE you make an unnecessary change. Before you make a shift in your marriage, ministry, career, etc. count the cost and consider what you may be giving up in an effort to get ahead. You may discover that what you initially believed would bring relief would eventually have brought remorse.

Wash me please!

I love my car. It runs great, looks great, and feels great while I'm driving it but I must admit that I occasionally get so busy that I forget to wash it. Better yet, I don't necessarily forget to wash it, I simply relegate it to the bottom of my to-do list. Never mind the fact that I enjoy how it feels to have it clean. Never mind the fact that I can't reasonably expect to be blessed with a better vehicle if I can't demonstrate that I am grateful and responsible with this one. I lose sight of the benefit of having my car clean because I refuse to take a moment to make a minor adjustment to correct it.

You may be wondering what in the world me getting my car washed has to do with new life in Christ...wait for it...(here goes) How often have you forgotten how important it is to wash your thoughts with the water of the Word (i.e. read the Bible)? Better yet, how often have you gotten so busy that you relegate reading the Bible to the bottom of your to-do list? (Even below washing your hair, doing your laundry, and bleaching your toilet which have no eternal value but are a blessing nonetheless) I encourage you to take some time today to jump into the written Word of God and allow it to wash the doubt, fear, depression and anxiety from your mind. I'm looking forward to enjoying my weekend riding in my freshly washed car but that is nothing compared to the joy that you and I can experience with a freshly washed mind. Not only can I notice a difference in my car but others can easily notice a difference as well. Much in the same way, the more you and I allow the Word of God to wash our minds we'll notice a difference in our outlook that will be clearly seen by those we encounter on a daily basis. This weekend take a moment to wash your mind with the Word and see if you don't enjoy the ride of your life a little more as a result.

Technical Difficulties

The screen goes blank. The program won't start. The video won't upload. What in the world is going on? You, my friend, are experiencing technical difficulties which is always a possibility when working with technology. You may avoid some issues. You may enjoy times where things run smoothly but there will be times where things just don't work. I experienced this over the course of this past weekend. I intended to spend an evening productively editing videos and BANG!!! I ran right into a ditch full of technical difficulties. First, my computer wouldn't read the disc. Second, an "update" took 8 hours only to freeze my computer until I allowed it to revert back to how is was before.Third, I ran into some challenges while attempting to upload this week's motivation at www.youtube.com/jessjenn3 (PLUG! PLUG!). As I reflected on the recent happenings I realized that this is always a possibility when walking through life. Not just my life...life in general because all of us will encounter moments where things just don't seem to be working the way we would like. Seemingly out of nowhere we all can run into a series of technical difficulties and these experiences, while inconvenient and often frustrating, are all a part of this journey called life.
Sure, your difficulties may be different than mine but I'm sure you've encountered some through out your life. Perhaps a relationship ended. That's difficult. Maybe a employer let you go or refused to let you on. That's difficult. Maybe a goal fell through, a loved one passed away, or your car is falling apart. These situations can be difficult to face because many times they happen when you don't expect them to and you're faced with a decision to either get angry and bitter because of the difficulty, or to allow the difficult circumstance to make you better. I have chosen to step back and develop a strategy of how I can overcome the recent difficulties that I have come across and I challenge you to do the same. Whether it is grief, loss, discouragement, disappointment, worry, fear, anger, or doubt that's trying to take root in your heart as a result of your "technical difficulties", develop a biblical plan to address the situation. I say biblical because I want to be sure that it will work for you. Then begin to confess that your present difficulty is not your final destination...as the television stations used to say, "Please stand by, we are experiencing technical difficulties." The reason they say to stand by is because they expect the situation to change so you don't need to change the station, you just need to patiently stand by to see a change in the situation.

Face it...they don't fit!

Today was another casual Friday in many work places. With such being the case I wonder how many other people had to face the same challenge that I did this morning as I prepared for my day. Let me first say that I love casual Fridays. Not only because they happen to occur on Fridays (which is amazing by itself) but because I have an opportunity to dress casually in the work place. All of a sudden I have a chance to wear jeans when I otherwise may have worn a suit and pair of converse when I would have worn loafers. T.G.I.F. indeed! Today, however, was a different story.

As I began to prepare my clothes this morning I recognized an alarming fact...all of a sudden only one pair of my jeans fit; and the one pair that fit wasn't an option because they were dirty from a trip last week(a man has to have standards). So I had run into a common dilemma...what do you do with the things that no longer fit you? Sure I could try to force it and tear something up in the process. I could act like they fit and look foolish while limiting my mobility. I could lie down, roll on the floor and hold my breath in hopes that somehow the fact that I have out grown them would change but the truth of the matter was that what once was a perfect fit for me just doesn't fit anymore.

I believe that this is similar to what we all experience as we continue to press in our new life in Christ. As we mature and develop in the faith there will be habits, relationships and perhaps even careers and social circles that no longer fit what God is doing in our lives. When we begin to have this awareness many times we'll try to force ourselves to act like the old friendship fits us like it did when we were in school. We'll try to act like the old habits fit us and look foolish while limiting our mobility in the process. Or maybe we'll try to passively lie down and hold our breath as though this will change the fact that those friends, habits, etc. just don't fit who we have become. If we are truly walking with Christ than change will become a normal part of our lives because each day God is helping us to reflect Him more and more. Don't despise the changes because they're simply an indication that you are truly embracing the new life you have received in Christ. So the next time you feel pressured to try to fit into something God has allowed you to grow out of remember my pants! Instead of forcing it or looking foolish today I decided to wear a pair of pants that actually fit who I am now and I believe that those who I encounter today will be a lot better off as a result. This was the case with my clothes and I bet this is also the case in your circumstance. Who, what and where have you out grown???? Face the fact that it no longer fits!

What do you want them to see?

As I think about serving in ministry and trying to reflect Christ I'm often forced to consider the question, "Who do you want to be seen?" Do you want people to see you or do you want people to see Christ? Do you want people to see how "great" you are or how great God is? I wonder who and what you want people to see as you pursue your goals? I believe that as Christians living the new life that God has given us we could all benefit from living as though we're something similar to crossing guards pointing people toward God. Now, I realize that this is not always a celebrated role but it is extremely significant. I don't know about you but I can't easily remember many of the faces of the crossing guards that I have seen through out the course of my life but that's alright because their faces were not nearly as important as their function. They were not there to become celebrities, they were there to keep me safe. They were not there to get personal glory, they were there to provide guidance and they were willing to stand through the snow & rain so that those who were in route toward their destiny could be protected from danger. Such should be the case with us as well. Let us not forget that God's ultimate purpose for our lives in not that people see us as a larger than life figure but rather that we function as an effective tool in leading others to faith in Him.

The Gospel According to My Mac (Pt. 2)

I'm truly enjoying learning the in's and out's of using my Mac to update the blog and study for sermons. The transition has been quite a bit smoother than I thought it would be and this process has prompted me to share a second part to "The Gospel According to My Mac". If I may be completely honest, I must say that I had been thinking about buying a Mac for at least a year or so before I actually made the step in that direction. I had heard that they were great and that they're the industry standard for video editing & graphic design so I was more than curious about how it could be a blessing for me as well. While considered the benefits of moving toward a Mac I would consistently run into the same question rolling through my mind, "What if I can't work it as well as I can use the PC I've been used to all my life." This is probably the same question that has crossed the minds of many people who have not yet turned their lives over to Christ as God has been prompting them to make the change. You may wonder..."What if I accept Christ and mess up? What if I accept Christ and don't really understand the Bible? What if I accept Christ and don't know about all of the traditions & cultural elements of Church?" What if? What if? What if? My Mac would tell you that you're over thinking the transition. The designer has already thought about you and the challenges you would face as you make the switch so there are elements in place to guide you as you make the change. Much in the same way, when you give your life over to Christ you're not in it by yourself, God has already designed a system in which you receive the Holy Spirit to help you as you learn how to live your "new life". When you look back you'll wish that you had made the change as soon as you had been prompted to do so because the joy of what you have received will far outweigh the changes that you'll experience through the transition process.

While there were several thoughts and questions that were encouraging me to postpone my decision to make the change, there was one major factor that made me want to try and see if Mac was what I had been looking for. ALL of the Mac users consistently and convincingly shared that they were so glad that they had switched that they would never go back. This understanding has been so prevalent that even my Dad (who is not a Mac user) told me "Once you go Mac you never go back." Once you make the change, once you endure the transition, once you rise above the challenges that stand in your way you will never go back to what you were used to before. This mimics the way in which Christ transforms our lives. Once we receive Christ, once we receive the grace of God and move on toward our destiny we will never be the same. While many of the Christians you've seen may not as zealous as the Mac users you've seen, let me tell you that as great as Macs are, Christ is greater and if you have not accepted Him as the Lord of your life because you're afraid of the changes you'll see let me tell you that it would be the best decision you could ever make and once you experience new life through Him you won't look back.

It's not my fault!

This year I have begun to read the bible from cover to cover. If you have never done so (and even if you have) I would encourage you to join me in this journey. I have found that reading the bible straight through gives me an opportunity to see things that I normally would have overlooked. The most recent nugget of wisdom that I received while reading has to do with blaming others for things that are clearly our own fault. This can be seen in the life of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy and Numbers when God told Moses to speak to a stone so that the power of God would cause water to spring forth for the Hebrews to drink in the desert. God told Moses to speak to the stone but instead Moses struck the stone. This caused God to tell Moses that he could not enter the "promised land" because he had been disobedient (OUCH!). After this disappointing experience Moses gets to get a glimpse of the land but never gets to experience the joys of going there. So what does the leader in the faith do? How does the man who has personally spoken to God handle this? How would you have handled it? Probably by doing the same thing that Moses did...by blaming someone else. Time after time in Deuteronomy when recalling the situation Moses says that it is because of the Hebrews that he could not enter the promised land. As I read I was thinking, "Excuse me Moses but what about the rock? What about the rod? What about the disobedience?" It appears as though Moses was not able to accept the fact that his actions had kept him from walking into something that he wanted to see in his life. In other words, Moses was in denial. He denied any involvement in his present condition and would be forced to spend the rest of his life living in it. What areas are you denying your involvement in? A bad credit score? A bad relationship? A bad temper? Denial is one characteristic that you do not want to copy from Moses because in the Bible it didn't work out too well for him so it probably won't work out well for you. If you have a shortcoming or hangup, if you have made a mistake and disobeyed God just admit it and turn away from the selfish behavior and turn to the mercy of the Savior. Who knows what would have happened for Moses if he would have turned to repent rather than saying, "It wasn't my fault."

The Gospel According to My Mac

I recently purchased a Mac laptop and immediately began to see differences between my new toy and the system that I was used to working with. For example, when I downloaded a few programs that weren't what I thought that they would be I didn't have to go through a difficult process of uninstalling them, I could just use my app-zapper and ZAP!-they're gone. I could close the screen and when I opened it back up BOOM!-it was wide awake and ready for service. I'm sure there are a ton of other features that are different about it but as I reflect on the differences that I have mentioned I am encouraged that the "upgrade" that I just experienced is similar to (but not nearly as significant as) the upgrade that we should experience when we receive a new life in Christ. All of us have gone down roads, made decisions and even dealt with people who were not what they seemed. We thought that the person completed us until the relationship left us broken in the end. We thought that doing our own thing was great until it turned out to be the wrong thing to do. We hurt ourselves or others time and time again which loaded us down with pains that we didn't expect to receive. That's where Jesus comes in...When we have "downloaded" things into our lives that left us stained and broken, Jesus hung on a cross and rose from the dead as the ultimate "app-zapper" to clean us up and give us a new life in Him. Are you dealing with depression? ZAP! Are you dealing with lust? ZAP! Are you struggling with sin in your life or from your past? ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! Jesus is willing and able to zap ANYTHING that has separated you from God and my Mac would tell you that all you have to do is drag them and drop them on the App Zapper (That means letting them go because you can't still operate in an app that has been zapped).
As interesting as the App-Zapper is, the promptness that is demonstrated by my Mac as it wakes is convicting as I try to live out the life of a Christian on a daily basis. What I mean is that as soon as I open the lid my Mac is ready to go. Did you catch that??? AS SOON AS I OPEN THE LID...better yet, as soon as I lift it's head it is ready to be used. I wish that we would be so forgiving and focused on moving forward. How many times have you had something make you bow your head in disappointment, sorrow and brokenness and when God sends a Word to lift you up you allow your feelings to stop you from "waking up" and being used to be a blessing? My Mac would tell you that your head doesn't get lifted for no reason. When the God of heaven lifts your head out of despair & brokenness to follow Christ or lifts your head out of depression & self pity to embrace the newness of life and to be all that He designed you to be don't wait in a posture that says "I can't be used to do great things for God." because if God didn't want to use your life to be a blessing He never would have lifted your head.

The worst thing you can do! (When going up hill)

As I enjoyed a brisk 21 mile ride with one of my good friends yesterday morning we traveled a route that I hadn't ridden before. The first ten miles were almost completely down hill. I enjoyed the way that I could coast at 20-25 miles per hour. The wind was keeping me cool and may have even been pushing me along. All was well ...until we reached the half way mark. When we were ten miles out we had to turn around and all of the hills that we enjoyed coasting down were now mountains that we had to climb. As I pushed the peddles and made my way up the hills I discovered a secret that will work in many, if not all, areas of life. I learned what not to do when going up hill. When you're climbing a hill in life the worst thing you can do is stop. The law of inertia says that "things in motion want to stay in motion and the things at rest want to stay at rest" so when you're climbing a hill, although you may be moving slower than you were on a straight-away you're still moving forward. Even though it may be difficult, keep going! The energy and effort that it will take to gain momentum all over again is greater than the energy that it will take to simply stay the course so I don't know what hills you're facing at the moment but the worst thing that you can do is stop climbing.

Service or Spin?

What we do is not nearly as important as why we do it. We can do all of the right things for all of the wrong reasons and all the while send those in our sphere of influence down a different path than we are following ourselves. As we endeavor to live our new life in Christ we must always focus our efforts on how we may serve others rather than how we may put a spin on our actions to get recognition from others. When we serve our community, serve our church family and serve those whom we interact with on a daily basis we will be able to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and lovingly lead others to Him as well; however, when we focus more on spinning our deeds into a pat on the back by the public we will one day realize that we have been looking at the crowd more intently than Christ. We have to decide on a daily basis who our God is and who is worthy of our focus. Is it Christ or the crowd? If it is Christ then look for ways that you may serve others. If it is the crowd than look for ways to exaggerate and exploit ("spin") the services that you provide. I know you do great works for others but lets be honest...is it for the sake of service or just another spin?

What's the Rush?

I must admit that I do not like waiting. When it can be avoided I will usually do whatever I can to expedite a process. I don't like waiting for my food. I don't like waiting in line at the grocery store. I don't waiting on my dreams to come to pass. I just don't like waiting...but like everyone else in life, I have to endure moments of waiting and I am forced to remind myself that there is a difference between waisting time and waiting. When you're wasting time there is no potential for anything to change (baring a miraculous move of God of course) but when we are waiting on something (and the steps have been taken necessary to receive it) many times it's only a matter of time before it comes to pass. So we find ourselves waiting on the seeds that we have sown in faith to bring forth a harvest in our lives. It's only a matter of time but the temptation arises telling us that we're wasting our time as we wait on the blessing that we're expecting from God. The temptation comes to try to get us out of position...to get us out of "line" so that when what we've been waiting on comes up we won't be there to claim it. Don't be so foolish. Don't allow impatience to cause you to get out of line. When the Hebrews were traveling in the desert they would move when the cloud provided by God moved. If it moved after a day they would move. If it moved after a month they would move. If it moved after a year they would move BUT if the cloud didn't move, they didn't move. Let's do the same...keep your eyes on what God has provided for our direction (They had a cloud but we have His Words...the Bible) and move when AND ONLY WHEN God says so. So relax; you'll get there soon enough. What's the rush?

NEVER GIVE UP!

I'm going to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone...here goes...Sometimes as I chase my goals I feel like giving up. Not surprised? You shouldn't be; because I would venture to say that every person who reads this will know that feeling as well. If you never get tired on the journey toward your dreams you're either not shooting high enough or you just haven't hit a road block yet ("yet" being the key word). At those times, when you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel on your destiny, remember that the fact that God is God means that there is nothing too difficult for Him to bring to pass in, through, and for you. Since this is the case, trust in His care as you walk every step of the journey toward destiny.

Is it hard? He knew it would be so He decided to never make you walk it out alone. Are you tired? He knew you would be so He said to come to Him so that He can give you rest. Is it beyond your control or out of your reach? He knew it would be so He told you to trust in Him and the power of His might. The challenges may be great and the journey may be long but trust me when I tell you that it is always, always, ALWAYS too soon to give up!

Who do you love most? (PHI NU PI)

Today I had the experience of achieving a goal that I began working toward nearly 10 years ago. This weekend as I was inducted in to my Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, I saw the accomplishment of a dream that has had it's ups and downs but has remained fixed on my mind and in my heart. The journey to this point has been filled with multitasking and productivity but now I sit and peck away at this computer with the opportunity to pause and reflect on all that has transpired along the way. In the stillness of the night I am faced with an interesting question that I believe may be from God..."Who do you love most?" I can say without question that I love Kappa Alpha Psi, I can say that I have love for those whom I have bonded with and developed strong brotherly connections that will (Lord willing) last a lifetime; however, I would not be so foolish to say that I love these things the most. While I love Kappa Alpha Psi, I must admit that I love Jesus Christ the MOST. I pray that all of those who have crossed over this semester with me feel the same. Tomorrow morning we will go to our respective churches and many will see palm leaves scattered about the worship centers...while these hold no meaning for the fraternity they hold a tremendous meaning for eternity for they represent the beginning of the week 2000 years ago when Christ decided to "cross"-over on our behalf so that we may enjoy the newness of life. As my brothers and I enjoy all that this fraternity life has to offer I pray that each of us would have the spiritual fortitude to give the same answer when asked, "Who do you love most?". Let our answer be JESUS! He is the person that makes Phi Nu Pi possible...let us never forget.
-Jessie J. Jennings III, The Memphis (TN) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi

Keep your eyes on the ball!

If you're anything like me, distractions come everyday and all throughout the day. Someone needs you to do "this", someone says you can't do "that", and disappointment wants you to believe that you can't get "there". Distractions may take many forms but they are all designed to do the same things; to either get you to stop progressing forward or to cause you to progress toward the wrong destination. If you are going to make the most of the new life that Christ offers you have to have a mindset that carefully considers what you will allow to be a part of your life. A great way to determine what to allow to ask yourself, "What does this have to do with achieving my God given goals?" If the achievement of the tasks that are trying to distract you will not cause you to "score" advancement toward the goals that God has set for you then chances are it will draw you out of formation, run time off of the clock, or diminish your performance by draining your energy. In order to achieve the goals that God had in mind when He provided a new life in Christ, we have to keep our eyes on the "ball", we must remained focused on the plan and path that God has revealed for our lives. Bearing this in mind the Apostle Paul wrote, "I press toward the mark for the prize..." . Don't let anyone, anything, or any disappointment, challenge, or delay that you face cause you to take your eyes off of the mark. There is a pass coming your way so "Keep your eyes on the ball."

-Jessie

Busy Bees

The past few weeks have been filled with meetings, study sessions, classes, assignments, errands, occasional meals, and gallon after gallon of coffee! There have been so many things to do and places to go...after all if I don't get it all accomplished how will I get to my goals? That is the question that I believe has led many an overachiever to a divorce court, onto an operating table or into a nervous breakdown all because the pressure for success was misplaced. Don't get me wrong, we have a part to play in seeing our goals being achieved but if our goals depend only on us we have made one of two mistakes: 1.) We have set our goals so low that they do not require the tremendous power of God to bring them to pass. 2.) We have failed to understand that God has larger things in store for us than can be achieved without His help. I believe that the reason that so many of us rush to stuff more hours into our days is because we're trusting ourselves to achieve our goals instead of doing our best, then pausing to rest while trusting God to intensify the effect of our efforts by coupling them with His power.

When you trust God to infuse your efforts with His power you open the door for miraculous multiplication to take place on your behalf. This "miraculous multiplication" was seen in the bible by the widow who borrowed vessels for the Lord to fill with oil, by the servants who retrieved full vats of water for the Lord to turn to wine, and by the Hebrews who stood at the banks of the Red Sea and watched God prepare the way for them. As you pursue your goals and ambitions, work diligently and do your best to work as though you are serving the Lord (for you are) but do not forget that it is also the Lord who will provide the increase and return for your efforts. When you trust in yourself, you believe that pausing for a break will cause you to fall behind in your goals but when you are trusting in God you will remember that God will reward your diligence and that He too rested after the creation of all that we know and love. God rested from His work and still remained in control so what makes you think that God will lose control of your progression toward fulfilling your life's purpose if you pause for a moment to rest as well? If you are reading this blog, laziness is probably not your vice but you may be struggling with self reliance that causes you to work long hours and refuse to rest while chasing your dreams. This is just as destructive as laziness because although you may gain some accolades, you may lose your personal relationships, physical health or peace of mind. As you eagerly pursue your goals remember that followers of Christ are not busy little bees but believers blessed by God.

-Jessie

How bad do you want it?

As I was studying this afternoon I was excited by the possibilities of the future. As my imagination wondered through all of the paths of potential I was reminded that all of us want to achieve great things during our lifetime. I would venture to say that we could quickly explain ways in which we would like to see our respective "worlds" changed. The question that comes to mind, however, is "How bad do we want it?" How bad do you want improvement? How bad do you want to achieve something significant? Do we simply want to be perceived as important or do we truly want to achieve something of lasting value? These are critical questions to ask as we pursue our goals because the answers to these questions will help to determine how strong our resolve will be to accomplish them. Do we really want to achieve the goals that we say we're pursuing?
If we have a half-hearted resolve to accomplish our goals: when challenges come (which they certainly will) we will lose the desire to carry on, when the need for change arises we will lack the wherewithal to make the necessary adjustments to move forward, and when we get tired along the way we will allow the fire of our desire to achieve our objective to dwindle into nothing more than a smoldering wick. You say that you have goals? Great! How bad do you want to achieve them? Do you want financial freedom enough to develop a budget and actually carry it out? Do you want a peaceful relationship enough to follow God's directions for developing one ("Love your neighbor as your self...") Do you desire to excel in your career enough to pursue the education and training necessary to maximize your potential? Do you want to succeed enough to read enough materials and study enough books on your field of expertise to become an expert in your own right? How bad do you want it? Prove it!

Managing Life in a Miserable Marriage

As I serve in ministry trying to help people to live the best life that they possibly can through Christ, one of the challenges that I have found facing many is the question of how to manage life while experiencing a miserable marriage. I'll admit that living in a hostile environment can have a way of sapping the enthusiasm out of you like joining the positive and negative posts of a car battery but I'd like to submit to you that there are ways to rise above any circumstance. When we think of experiencing "New Life" we tend to think that we'll attain a position in life where all of the hang-ups, and frustrations of our lives will be removed and as such our life will be made new but this is not entirely the case. When we experience new life in Christ on some occasions the frustrations that we experienced before will not change at all but we will change how respond to those frustrations because we will be new. We will have a new attitude, a new demeanor, a new way of handling the things that used to destroy our days, months and years.

As you embark on transforming your life let me suggest that you keep the focus where it needs to be...on God.If you're experiencing a particulary difficult marriage you must remember that your actions are not determined by another person so if your spouse is quarlsome that doesn't give you the right to be quarlsome as well; both will have to stand before God and give an account for their actions so be sure that you don't let your anger, frustration or resentment cause you to focus more on your spouse than you do on God. That, my friend, is idolotry (perhaps "spousiolotry?") and it should not have any place in your new life. if you put things into the proper perspective (God=> spouse=> etc) you will find that although you may be living in a miserable marriage you have the peace and grace to fulfil your purpose even in the midst of difficulty because the bible says that God will keep you in perfect peace if you keep your mind on Him. If you are living without peace, chances are you've stopped focusing on how mighty God is and have begun to focus on how miserable your marriage is.

A marriage is a life-time commitment of fidelity and trust so you must discard any thoughts of divorce or infidelity. Instead, choose to put the marriage where it needs to be... beneath the throne of God. Pray about it and practice your faith in it but DO NOT allow it to be the primary focus of your life. This was not God's intention or design for marriage and if you take it out of this context you are expecting marriage to serve a purpose for which it was not designed. You will not be judged by how your spouse treated you, you will not be judges by how happy you kept them in all situations, the only question that is of any consequence is, "Have you kept your oath of commitment?" Have you protected them? Have you honored them? Have you kept yourself only to them? If so, congrats on a job well done. You may be miserable for the moment but if you'll keep God as the priority and practice your faith in the relationship whether or not they reciprocate or are satisfied you have kept your end of the bargain and I believe that the peace of God can cover your heart as nothing else can. This will help you to avoid the pit of depression and help you to soar toward success even when you lack the support of a loving spouse. That way if God changes their heart and things improve you'll accept the blessing with humble gratitude but if this does not occur you will not have forfeited your destiny based on your feelings because you will have learned how to manage life in a miserable marriage focusing on the faithfulness of your maker. Say amen church!-Amen

There's a difference between wasting time and waiting.

This morning I encountered a moment of discouragement. I wasn't quite sure why because I keep hearing how the on-line ministry has been reaching people for the Lord, opportunities to preach the gospel appear to be opening up each week and my marriage is going great so I was compelled to ask myself the same thing that David asked himself in Psalms 44:11 when he said, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" After careful consideration I realized that I was experiencing a bout of insecurity caused by impatience which was trying to usher in discouragement and disappointment by making me forget that there is a difference between wasting time and waiting.

I'm sure that you have goals, dreams, and ambitions as well because most successful people do and there are times when you wonder if your efforts are really making a difference in your pursuit of those dreams but let me encourage you with the fact that as long as you are consistently making steps in the right direction it is only a matter of time before you reach your destination. Yesterday I had the opportunity to travel to Kentucky which required several hours of travel on our part but there was never a moment when I questioned whether we would make it there or not because we had the right driver behind the wheel. This was what he did for a living and I'm sure that he had traveled that route before so there was no need to worry if he could get us to our destination safely and on time even though we didn't know exactly how we were going to get there. Much in the same way, God is able to get you to the place, position and prominence that you are destined to reach during your lifetime if you will simply trust Him as you travel the journey and continue to make forward steps of faith. Being God and knowing everything is what He does and He has probably been where you're heading a thousand times before so you might as well trust Him along the way even when the journey requires some waiting. As long as you are following God's plans for your life you aren't wasting time with your efforts, you're simply waiting to see how they will "work together for your good." (Rom. 8:28) So let me take a moment to tell you the same thing that I had to tell myself this morning, don't get discouraged because you are still waiting on some of the things that you desire to see in your life. Keep walking forward, keep working in faith, and keep waiting on the Father to move on your behalf because there is a BIG difference between wasting time & waiting and believe it or not, sooner or later you're going to wake up and see that your destination is only a few minutes away.

Do Something

Today we’re celebrating a holiday commemorating all that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave to advance the civil rights movement in America. I took advantage of this moment to tour the civil rights museum in Memphis Tennessee for the first time and was moved by the articles, pictures, and mementos that they have on display as a testament to the challenges that African Americans have had to face trying to live out the hope of freedom and equality. As I looked at the pictures of people who were willing to be kicked, lynched, spat upon and tormented without cause for the sake of freedom I was inspired to consider the ways in which I can impact my generation and the generations to come.
I believe that there are injustices and poverty still being experienced on a daily basis by many around the world. The sinfulness of humanity would not allow injustice to be limited solely to racism but this includes the homeless, sick, poor and destitute. I wonder what can be done to assist them and who will be willing to stand up for those causes as well? I realize that the amount of hardship that exists in the world today may cause one to question, “What can I do to stop the cycle? I’m just one person…what can I do to generate real and lasting change?” To that I would say, “You and I cannot do it all, but we can certainly do something.”
As you enjoy the freedom to eat where you would like to eat and live how you would like to live I encourage you to reach out to help others to do the same. You may not be able to help raise every homeless person to a self sufficient state of living but you can certainly do something. You may not be able to help every child achieve their dreams but surely you can do something. You may not be able to turn everything around in a day but today I pray that you would be willing to do something because James 2:17 informs us that “faith without works is dead…” You say that you believe your church can be better, community can be better, marriage can be better, city can be better or nation can be better? GREAT! Now do something.

Who are you really helping?

In the past week I have seen so many people reaching out to help others. This desire is a fantastic display of the love of Christ that the world desperately needs to see. Helping others can be the turning point by which a person accepts Christianity for all that it is due to the genuine love that has been shown through those who carry that name. Although, in my recent efforts to help others and develop large scale projects that will greatly impact the lives of the less fortunate I was faced with a sobering question one afternoon. "Who are you really helping?" In other words, what is your motive behind offering your assistance? Is it so that you can get name recognition as the one who did it? Is it so that you can get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside? Is it so that you can network with other organizations? What is your motive? If your motive is truly to offer assistance to those in need you will not be concerned if people give primarily to your cause as long as they are inspired to give to the cause at large. Recognize that there are probably many other organizations out there that are doing great things and the ultimate objective will sooner come through the collective effort of all of than from the solo efforts of one.

"Give and it will be given back to you" but if you give with a watchful eye on the clock or a publicist ensuring that it will be widely known than you may want to examine your motives. Give in such a way that you are thankful to be a part of a process that is bigger than yourself recognizing that helping others should never be about helping you.