Almost one year ago…

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9 NIV           

    

One year ago, almost, I made a declaration about my relationship with God, and I thought things would just go. I would follow the protocol set before me, and move forward, but like most things with me, that was not to be. It seem most often than not, my path is a little different and more colorful, to say the least.lol. However, what I found most disconcerting is hardly no one really came to me with encouragement, or with ‘a keep your head up’, rather I received many negative digs, or toxic comments. I was like really?! See I believe in my heart what God allowed, I accept because He is teaching or using me for what I do not see. He does make something bless out of what man does in his negligence, selfishness, or cruelty ways; God uses it for my good.  But we are too quickly to seek man’s way of doing, seeing, understanding things and not seek out God’s. However, if it is a God thing, then why seek man’s way? Is because we worship the creation, and not the Creator, or misery like company? I do not know what is it, but I do not know this. Who God called He justified, who he justified, he sanctified, who he sanctified, he purified, and in time, His time, He reconciles them unto Himself; done and done.

See God made me in His image, fashioned me with His intricate grace, refined  me in the fires of mercy lace justice, and tempered me in blood stained cleansing love. I am reminded,  I was not designed by Hasbro, plans laid for life were not laid out by Parker Brothers, made strong to endure life problems by Tonka toys, or placed into action by Trendmasters; I am God’s child…

And I remember more often than not, this verse when I am questioned about ‘how come’ - Proverbs 18:21 -The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit…We choose, we always do…done, and done

Believe to recieve...

You have to believe it to achieve it, receive it. It is easy to do, believe, in a household where basic needs are met, extras are provided, or the environment that encourages it. Therefore, it is the norm. However, it is difficult to do so when those things are absence, and you have no one to comfort or encourage you. You begin to think this is true, this success, achieve thing is all good but only for ‘those’ type of people. But these verses – 1 Cor. 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit, and Jer. 29:11-12 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you - do not echo that, it does not reference your condition, or the state you are in; it is about you believing to receive. Yet, it does issue promises, guarantees of God because a little is much when it is in God hands, if you do not believe it reread Eze. 37:2-5 - He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. See God shows us, and provides for us in those places we find to be dry, desolate, bleak and/or infertile, we just have to believe because He had not forgotten about us or the needs we have. Go…Choose, believe, and receive…

Transformation

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

Transformation according to the verse above requires renewing of your mind. The renewing of the mind is where most of us get stymied on because it requires us doing something different. We cannot just sit in the comfortable of the conformity pattern that does not stretch us. We have to become more grateful for what we have, thankful in all things we received, and authentic with the self. We can no longer circle our wagons with propaganda of self-assessment of effective improvement efforts based on mankind’s model. Instead, we must carefully examine, and rightly divide the word of God with systemic commitment to His will and way, not man’s. Releasing ourselves into God definition of right and wrong to see our purpose evolve right in front us, with soul stirring revolutionary paradigm shifts for our lives. Voluntarily submitting to God refinement process, knowing it is all for our good. Only then can our transformation be one of a lifestyle change, and predicate on the unyielding and everlasting word of God. So, let it rain metaphorically and have His love wash us anew, so you can see the please perfect will of God; not only in your life but in those around you. For people will select in or out of your life, base solely on your choices. Choose today transformation, understanding it takes three years make a to change, and five years to make a difference…Why three and five? Rem – Jesus preached and taught; three years…There was five bread and five wise virgins...Transformation

Is it working for you?!

Is it working for you? What am I talking about? Staying angry, is it working for you. It is so easy to stay angry and feed our soul on it each day, but this is the thing Proverbs 13:12 -Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (NIV). As Christian, our goal should be the tree of life, not the heartsick..

Being angry and staying mad at someone does not allow one longing to be fulfilled, yet it does make the heart sick. See it does not matter if the other person is at fault and will not apologize, or you are at fault no one wants to accept your apologize. You cannot get the person to apologize to you, nor get the person to accept your apology. We only control self, our expression, and we need make sure, we do what is right, not what we have the right to do. We make our heart sick with our willing consent to participate in being angry, mad, and ‘I-will-fix-them’ attitude. No one is helped with this mindset, and we are only hindered by the confusion. But more importantly folks, we leave room in our hearts to have the author of confusion, Satan, to enter into our heart. We have create a space for drama to fill it, and guess what, it does. No one is guaranteeing you a drama-free life, but like speaks to like, and where there is confusion, drama will soon follow. There is unrest, constant uneasiness, and animosity built up unnecessarily. Until, we no longer see the truth, we only see our truth allowing no room for those in our inner sanctum circle who challenge our truth. 

So, what is the solution to having our longing fulfilled, well understanding everything is process, and begin the work by forgiving first. Letting go, and letting God; tight but it is right. Follow the book, we say, live by...it is, what it is...

 Something to remember as you move forward in this life, and decide to stay mad  – information is knowing tomato is a fruit, but knowledge is knowing it does not belong in a fruit salad…because wisdom is knowing the time and place of a godly fit of right

It is just a little…

1 Cor. 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (ASV)

It is just a little it does not matter. Somehow we seem to forget, it all matters, and it is the little things that make the big things matter. T. S. Elliot had it right, when he stated - We know too much and convinced of too little.

Many times we think we are not responsible, if we are not directly involved, although we were aware and did nothing…one apple can destroy the bunch, and disrupt the order. The bunch is no longer what it was, the order is disrupted because chaos ensues as the ‘bad apple’ is covering it track by drawing others into their web of madness. While still others are trying to find, their way in the this web of deceit. It is failure to realize, the act of doing nothing, makes us responsible too. See, our actions, whether we act or not, will always affect those around us. We become, what we surround ourselves with, is not just an good statement to share or told to us by our parental advisors, but an axiom, truism to live by daily. Because yes Virginia, a little leaven, can containment the whole bunch, and block blessing from appearing in our lives just because of who we are connected to in this life.

Don’t believe me less us take a look at a story in the old testament Joshua 7:10-12;19 - The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction… Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”…Achan decided to go against what was command from God and caused troops to not be victorious. Although, no one knew, God knew and was not please…Who are you connected to, or who are your friends connect to? You choose who you are around, choose wisely, it matters.

Exposure: traditionalist or traditions:

1 Cor. 2:9 -But as it is written: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." (21^stKJV).

When it comes to our traditions, we act if they are absolute truths in this life for all. We are not open to a different perspective nor do we desire to be open to anything different; exposure does not matter if the perspective is not there…It as if we act like God is man, and He will puts us in harms way, or have do what will destroy us; God is not man!!...Yet, we like to quote the verse above with much verve and pride. It seems to me, we missed the whole point of the verse because we are traditionalist. See tradition is the thing that is done, not how, when, where, or whom; traditionalist requires all these to be unchanged. Why? We do not get it that God is about to take us to a different place, and the first step is to prepare us. God does not just throw us into anything without preparation. Now we do not always like it, and many times we resist because it is not what we want. However, we need to remember, to help you, to support you, to guide you, does not mean, you get what you want or you have to like it. But what is needed, is provided to equip us for the journey and the eventuality of arriving at the destination. We are not open to the new place that stretches us because it is not what we see, or saw for ourselves. For some reason, we do not quite grasp stretching is how we grow. Don’t believe me, ever watch a baby grows in the woman’s belly? Asked her if she has been stretched… We are the creation, not the Creator who knows what is best for us, and what He had in His mind when He fashioned us with love, refined us with grace, and whiten us with His sacrificial blood…hmmmm

God is looking for people who will say what Isaiah said, in this verse and mean it - Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then said I, "Here am I. Send me!" (21^stKJV). And although, we quote this verse too, we don’t get it again for it implies you are willing to do something we have not, specifically, it is against our traditionalist mindset, and our heart desires. See Isaiah is not negotiating with God, and telling him, his desires…Foolish us…We cannot receive what God is offering, until we are willing to be exposed to what we haven’t seen, have not heard, and have not entered into our hearts.

It all begins with us being open, and next is the exposure for us; if we are not expose, we cannot grow spiritually toward God’s truth, which is our enlightenment… We choose, we always do.  

Revolutionary .vs. Relevant

Psalm 119:173 -Let Thine hand help me, for I have chosen Thy precepts.(21^st NKJV)

Revolutionary or Relevant? A meaning for revolutionary is new and different, to cause a major change. While relevant means to have some bearing of importance on today that is sensible and logical connection. However, to move forward in this life and get the things we never had, we have to do what we never done to get it; revolutionary. This requires a different type of communication than we are use to, in our ordinary life. Different from the church traditions, we talk about as if they are doctrine and they are only traditions that make no difference in bringing others to God; matter fact many hinder it. We must work to hear what is being said, not get caught up in hearing what we want. Why? We are shaped by our experiences. We do not hear what being said, if you do not believe me. Ever explain something, and then get this a crazy response from the person you were talking to that is unrelated to the conversations. Or better yet, you are arguing, discussing, debating and the person response is so left field, you go what are you talking about? We are shape by what we have experience, and seen work for those around us.  Yet, it is the responsibility of hearer to hear it right, and the speaker to say, it right. This is communication at its best when those involved focus on those things.

Release into your future revolutionary perspective and forgive, because everyone gets hurt but the best in us use it to become better not bitter. Release in your future the revolutionary that does not have you bound by the traditions, that were meant to bring us together, and now only serves to keep us separate.

I heard this minister tell this story, in a different context but I think it fits here. It demonstrated in the story what happens when we remain relevant to fit in, and not seek change  – There was a pregnant dog.  She was hit by a passing vehicle, and her left hind leg was hurt really badly. So she limped to a safe place and gave birth to perfectly healthy puppies. The leg healed but it never was quite the same, she had to drag it. And although there was nothing wrong with the puppies’ legs, they dragged that same leg because that was modeled. – Moral of the story, we do what we see modeled before us. However, as human we have the capacity to seek a better way, if we desire, and it requires the willingness to see with a different lens….the lens changes, then the landscape, otherwise, you will find, although different places, the same things…Revolutionary or relevant? You choose, because it is always your choice