KINGDOM NUGGETS

Remembering 9/11 -- 10 years later

2011-09-11T23:50:00.007-05:00

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I just returned home from my job at an IT call center in Houston, TX, and learned the World Trade Center Towers had been attacked. I left my living room and came back just in time to see Tower 2, the place where I worked before leaving New York City to move back to Houston in May 2001, get hit live on TV. Obviously the nation as a whole has changed since then in so many ways. Every year since then, on this date, I am reminded of the enormity of what happened. The rest of the day is mostly a blur. However, I do remembering staying glued to the TV and taking phone calls from family and friends who heard/saw it as well and knew that I worked in the WTC before leaving New York. My father, who suffered 3 heart attacks from late 2000 to March 2001, said to me that he would have had another heart attack if I was still in New York working that day. The gravity of his words are with me even to this day, but to fully understand it, I must give a brief background of my 9-11 story.

I moved to New York in May 1998 to start a new life while I was in my mid-twenties. Three years later, I was living on my own, had made new friends, was active in a local church and truthfully wanted no part of returning to Houston, but God had other plans. After my Dad's third heart attack, I received a warning from two separate pastors that I should leave New York and return home. I was really conflicted about what to do, because one of the last things I wanted to do was give up my job and my apartment to go back to Texas to live in Houston again. I also felt like I should have heard from God for myself about such an important decision. However, the only thing I would hear from Him when in prayer about it was two words: “Trust me”. One of the ministers also said something in a conversation I had with her about grappling with the warning she gave me that really grabbed my attention: “What if something happens and you can’t leave New York and will be full of regret.” Truthfully, that got to me, and I didn’t want to take the chance on not heeding their warnings. My last week of work, I look pictures of the view from the floor that I worked on, which was the 97th floor, and a picture of the towers from the ground floor, not knowing that would be the last time I saw them in person.

So, I quit my job, gave up the apartment, packed up all my things in my apartment, and hired a moving company to drive them to Houston. With the help of one of my cousins, I also drove my car from New Jersey back to Houston, Texas the first week of May 2001, almost three years to the day of when I left Houston to go to New York.
I wish I could say that I was elated about being back home, but I was far from it. Fortunately I found a job in a month, but it was working the graveyard shift at night 4 days a week. I struggled with depression, questioning why I had to come back to Houston, even while reuniting with my family and long-time friends. Fast-forward to 9/11/2001 and I was still struggling with being back home and depressed. I called a friend while driving home, and just before I reached home, said to him “ I feel restless”. A few minutes later, the USA as we all knew it, was forever changed.

Less than a year later, I met with an acquaintance at a youth conference in 2002, and when I shared my 9-11 testimony with her, she said something that I haven't thought of very often, but it stayed with me nonetheless. She wondered out loud what caused God to get me out of New York 4 months ahead of time? I realize that I had made the decision to stay and not return home, stayed on my job at the WTC that God may have still spared my life. But what if I hadn’t? I would have missed out on so many things. Some of them that stand out to me:

-- Getting to see my parents become grandparents for the first time, and then welcome a second, third fourth and a little over a month ago, a fifth grandchild

-- Seeing my brother Maurice get married four years later and celebrating his new life with him and his wife

-- I would have missed meeting my brother Perry

-- Going to Jamaica for the 2nd and 3rd time and witness my youngest brother seeing it for the first time since leaving we left as a family back in 1980

-- Getting to spend time with my young nephews and watching them grow up

--Witnessing a man of color elected as President of the United States of America and watch as the world rejoiced on Election Day in 2008

-- Getting to be a part of immediate and extended family celebrations

I mentioned wondering why God sent me that warning way ahead of time on Facebook two years ago, but hadn’t really stopped to ponder that question until this weekend . . . my friend's words echoed in my ears yesterday. The truth is, I really don’t know. I know people who worked on the same floor (the 97th floor) that I worked on that perished that day. I’m earnestly asking that question of the Lord this year. I believe that as I continue learning to trust Him beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it will be revealed in the fullness of His timing.

Breaking the silence . . .

2011-03-02T02:28:00.002-06:00

I have a playlist on my 4 year-old creative zen vision:m mp3 player called “songs of the moment”, obviously named. From 2006 to early 2007, one of those songs was Kirk Franklin’s “Let It Go”. I played it over and over, reflecting on what was going on in my life at the time. I even used a line that spoke to me for my email signature: “ . . .the pain was preparation for my destiny . . .“ A little later in 2007, it was replaced by Tonex’s “Make Me Over”. It too got played over and over, while I was dealing with more pain, especially on my lone rides to and from work. Two years later the song that got repeated over and over was “Moving Forward” by Israel Houghton. Its still there because I need that reminder sometimes: “Not going back/moving ahead/her to declare to you, the past is over in you/Things are made new/surrendering my life to Christ/I’m moving, moving forward”. I listened to it over and also because I believe it will get down in my spirit, and because frankly some days it doesn’t feel like I’m moving forward because I can’t see it.

I haven’t written a blog entry in over two years….mainly because I hit a huge brick wall that almost shut me down. Most of my previous entries here were like essays about things that I came across, some with obvious “religious/spiritual“ overtones, but others not so much, but still a part of being a “Kingdom citizen“. Some of them were commentaries on aspects of life or things that happen that affect the experience of being an eternal spirit living a temporary human experience. But now, the themes are going to take a personal tone, and perhaps that’s part of the reason why I’ve delayed so long in starting up again. Over the past few months, I’ve had a few brainstorming moments of new topics to write on, but still wouldn’t sit down to do it, because I felt stuck.

So here I am about to get personal, on the internet . . . about to become one of those people who I’ve shaken my head at while reading their personal private thoughts about goings-on in their life: weight-loss challenges, in-law problems, job woes, marital pressures, sexual habits/confessions, etc, posted online for anyone in the world who comes across them to read. Taking the risk that one day, after a job interview I’ll get a call from a hiring executive saying, “We’re sorry Miss May, but we found out that you have a blog online, and we think your views are religiously intolerant and don’t think you will be a good fit for us”.

So the main reason why I haven’t been writing is that I got hit with not one but two emotional freight trains in the fall of 2008: I was laid off at the end of September, and two weeks later heard a marital confession that resulted in my decision to file for divorce a few months later. I tried to keep up with my entries, and even wrote about my observations of the 2008 presidential election, in the midst of all that, but that was my last post. I’ve had a few comments on that post, some from anonymous cowards, but I was too busy coping with my life to bother to respond.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that in my late 30s (getting closer to 40) I would go through a 16 month layoff, a divorce, delayed motherhood, move back in with my (very loving) parents to re-build my life, I wouldn’t have believed them completely, but would have stored it away in the back of my mind. I would have dreaded it, and tried to pray it away, keep it from happening, wondering what I could do to make sure none of it came to pass. I guess its another reminder that none of us goes through life’s journey totally unscathed. No one. Some things happen because of choices we make, some things God allows to build us up and draw closer to Him, and some things are the work of what some Christians call “the enemy”, targeted attempts to derail us from our God-given purpose for being on this planet. If the past 2 ½ years are any indication, there must be something really great God has for me to because they sure have been horrendous to say the least.

But, as only the Lord can do it, in the past two years, I’ve also saw Him answer some prayers, and grant heart desires even while I’ve struggled with continuing to trust and believe Him, while I grappled with pain that sometimes seemed to hover like a cloud in those antidepressant commercials. Even while I’ve struggled inside with not giving up on my heart’s desires to come true. Even while I’m rejoicing over yet another promise about my family happening before my very eyes, and God gets all the glory.

So, what got me to break my silence? For one, a conversation with one of my brothers about two weeks ago had me confessing out loud to him why I have avoided fully re-connecting with some people that I love dearly -- I dreaded having those talks because I knew sooner or later, the topic of getting divorced, and what led up to it would come up and along with it feelings of inadequacy, comparing myself and my life to theirs and risking being subjected to well-meaning advice (what I sardonically call “forced encouragement”) that might touch a nerve. I also realized later while reflecting how that made me feel and the painful emotions it brought up, that avoiding some my friends and family was ultimately adding more to my hurt, and in turn keeping me stuck at this stage of healing. I can admit now out loud that I am still healing, and that’s OK. While I’m healing, I continue to remind myself that although I am in my late 30s, now divorced, with no kids, with dreams not yet fulfilled, I am re-building my life. The other thing that spurred this is I learned, via the wonderful world of social networking late last week, that “the ex” has done the ultimate “moving on“. Admittedly it came as a surprise, but as I always say, “life goes on“, the world didn’t stop when I found it, and isn’t going to stop.

In the meantime, I must continue to move forward, with God’s help. That has to take place if I want God’s purpose to come forth in my life. I must allow Him back in the places where I have shut Him off, albeit un-intentionally. While I'm re-building and renewing my relationship with God, I will rejoice in the success and victories of others, knowing that when mine manifest, they will celebrate with me as well.

Random musings post-election 2008

2008-11-05T14:04:00.004-06:00

Last nite the world watched as history played out right before our eyes -- it was indeed history in epic proportions. While I do not agree with SEVERAL of now President-elect Obama's stated policies, he started gaining my hard-to-admit admiration early on in this race. One of the things I admired was the way he was able to draw people from all walks of life to his campaign and got so many people, especially young people who had a reputation for not being interested in the political process, excited and involved enough so much so that many of them to voted for the first time in this election.

Over the course of the last 11 months, and especially the last 2 months since the conventions, several things has stood out to me, some I have expressed to family and close friends, others I have kept mostly to myself or expressed only to my husband until today:

Why was there such a contrast in the crowd that obama drew vs mccain? The crowd @ grant park in chicago was a mix -- reflecting the mixture of populations in american -- the great american melting pot as the old ABC after school special used to point out, but the majority of faces seen at a mccain concession speech were white? Ditto question for the election rallies held by McCain and Palin during the weeks leading up to the election. To me the crowds were overwhlemingly as one CNN anchor put it "homogenous".

Regardless of their religious/spiritual affliation, wasn't the diverse compositon of the crowd that celebrated Obama;'s election at grant park a true reflection of what heaven will be like -- people from all colors, races, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and walks of life?

Will my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom who are white ever really understand what it meant to their black sisters and brothers to see a black family on the national stage and feel the genuine love between Barack Obama and his wife Michelle? Can they understand that not since the Cosby show have we seen a positive image of a black family unitl prominently displayed to the national stage for all the world to see?

Why was it OK for Pastor Jamal Bryant to mention something that was a rumor at best about Sarah Palin in this video, when he had to endure scandal in his own personal life, not once, but twice this year? Why was it necessary to bring up details of her personal life, such as that she was 3 months pregnant (supposedly, does he know if this is really true?, when he himself had a publicized scandal that involved a child conceived out of wedlock over 8 years ago? He had a valid message but the mention of a supposed affair dampened it --@ least for me it did...no scratch that, it incensed me so much that I woke up one morning thinking about why it bothered me so much and then I remembered the scandal and rumor surrounding him earlier in the year. He could have made his point without mentioning it and it would have been just as effective. Jesus said "he who is without sin cast the first stone" -- why didn't he keep that in mind?

Why did he think as a black pastor in this country, especially after the unwelcome attention Jeremiah Wright received when some his sermons were made public, that it was OK for him to preach politics knowing that it was being recorded? Doesn't he know that his words can come back to haunt him?

Why did so many prominent prophetic voices jump on the bandwagon and presume that because of Sarah Palin's background in the Assembly of God pentecostal denomination that God wanted her in office as president? Didnt they realize by doing so they were in turn putting a death wish on John McCain as fellow Kingdom blogger, Carl of Revival Blog, pointed out?

Was it so hard for many of those same prominent voices to consider that God wanted Barack Obama to win the presidency even though in their eyes and according to their criteria, he wasn't the one? Did they forgot that in the Bible God placed certain people in power according to his Sovereign will? Did they forget that in the Word that the Lord called people who in our time the vast majority of us would consider "awful" leaders (to say the least)? Examples include Nebuchadnezzar who the Lord called his servant, and Saul who the Lord gave to the children of Isreal because they wanted a king.

Does anyone else realize that there was a difference in candidate of choice between the prominient black christians and prominent white christians, especially those in the Apostolic/Prophetic/Pentecostal sects of Christianity highlighs the apparently huge chasm that is the racial divide that exists in the Kingdom, especially among American Christians? One needs only to to look to the blog of some everday folks, and lesser known pastors to see the glaring truth. See here for list of links of such examples, but please pray before reading them. :-)

Why aren't there more bloggers with a balanced response such as this post here and this one .

Was it hard for those same people to consider that when prophet Kim Clement went on record earlier this year back in March and hinted that Obama is who God wanted in office for the next four years? Didn't they remember that he is also one of several prophetic voices who went on record over 8 years ago and said that God revealed he wanted then Governor George W. Bush to be the next president of the USA for the coming election in 2000 (a choice that many of them agreed with)?

How could so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ, mostly white, but a few blacks, say anyone who voted for Obama and said they are a Christian was indeed "not godly"? (Note this is from a blog that I frequently visit and ususally like reading the author's posts).

Was it OK for another fellow Kingdom blogger, who I generally also tend to agree with to call Obama "the personification of evil in this hour"? Why didn't the author instead exhort her readers to pray and fast for God to turn his heart regarding his beliefs on abortion? (see Proverbs 21:1)

Why did I consistently get emails from my friends in the kingdom who are white that supported McCain or reported some negative thing about Obama or his policies? Was it that hard to consider that God wants Obama in office and thats who He had already selected for such a time as this before the foundation of the world? Did those same friends ever stop to consider they too should pray for Barack Obama in addition to praying for John McCain?

Why did I consistently get emails of support from my friends in the Kingdom who are black who presumed that I was also an Obama supporter because I too am black? Why did praying for the election from the mouth of my fellow black saints really mean "I'm praying for Obama to win" instead of praying for God's will to be done in the election?

Why have so many Black saints, including Spirit-filled saints, cursed and disparaged outgoing President Bush for the past 8 years? Did they forget that the Word of God reminds us to pray for our leaders, especilly including those in power?

Why aren't there more black leaders, such as Bishop Harry Jackson, who speak out against abortion and join with other leaders in the 5-fold ministry who are doing the same?

What will it take for Christians in this country who are black not to view politics, culture, and life general through the lense of race before their identity in Christ?

Do most blacks know that historically speaking, its only since the election of 1960 that blacks started voting Democrat? Has the younger generation really given thought to why they vote Democrat instead of going along to get along because everyone else who they know votes Democrat?

Why have Christians as a whole allowed themselves to be polarized politically by one or two issues: abortion, and homosexuality for the "Evangelicals", ie, white Christians, and for black Christians, social issues, such as the plight of the poor and needy?

In so doing, aren't we pitting the babies against the poor? The unborn against the down-trodden? How then do we combine the two: justice and righteousness as Bishop Harry Jackson so eloquently stated what I had already wondered about in my own heart during a message he delivered at the Women's Aglow International Conference in September of this year.

What will it take for the church at large to speak out and do something about about other, far-reaching social issues, such as the international sex slave trade, the genocide in Darfur, the atrocities committed against the women of the Congo who are victims of rape as a weapon of war? Why have we allowed government to take over the role that the church should be playing -- as Jesus commanded in the New Testament when he was here in human form?

When will we realize that we cannot legislate certain aspects of morality, and instead that change we so desperately want and need in America must instead come on our knees?

Why did I get emails from many of my black Christian saints attacking Sarah Palin? Was it so hard to see her first as a sister in Christ, who although people may have felt she was unqualified as VP, that it was NOT OK to insult her or agree with the insults?

Do the talking heads @ Fox News really expect black people to buy the line that they are fair and balanced in light of the overal image protrayal of Barack Obama?

Why is it so hard to be black, but have generally conservative political views? Why are blacks in the media who do generally maligned by their black "brothers and sisters" and frequently referred to as "sell-outs" for it?

Why is it that conservative talk shows frequently hold and espouse beliefs that can be intepreted as undercover racism?

Why are the most outspoken celebrities that use their fame and voice usually liberal and Democrat? Why do they think we, the normal everday folks of America, feel the same way they do? Why are celebrities whose views are considered conservative treated like the proverbial stepchildren in the mainstream entertainment industries?

Do people realize the changes that either candidate wants to make won't come automatically and has to be implemented via laws that Congress -- the House of Representatives and the Senate --have to approve them first? Why does the average person put all the blame for our economic crisis on the president alone?

Do the other cable news networks, CNN and especially MSNBC, expect people to believe that they were objective in their coverage of election 2008? Wasn't it quite obvious from early on in this process who they wanted to win the election come November 4, 2008?

Are the McCain supporters, including the "evangelical" community still seeing this as a sad day? Why has the response been one of "sackcloth and ashes"? Did they forget that God is still in control?

How could a man of influence in the Apostolic/Prophetic arena such as Dutch Sheets publically state that the election results were not the will of God? (Note if the text is not there try this link .)
Why wasn't his response one of support and prayer like the other leaders who issued statements here on Charisma magazine's website or this one from Charisma's Editor-In-Chief J. Lee Grady who many people accused of being racist because he didn't support Obama as a candidate pre-election.

Again, isn't God sovereign? Didn't Dutch Sheets remember that no matter how things play out, whether in our private lives, or on the world's stage, the will of God will ultimately be done? Did he forget that nothing surprises God and while many in Apostolic/Prophetic/Pentecostal movement are lamenting before God, God hasn't given up His throne and He knew the outcome of this election long before anyone of us on the planet did? Did he forget that while there is the perfect will of God, there is also the permissible will of God -- but both are utimately, the will of God?

Is the 400 plus negative points on the Dow the day after the election a harbinger of things to come?

Isnt it amazing that black people, people of African descent, all over the planet feel Obama is one of thier own and his win feels like their (our) win?
Can anyone deny no matter their opinion on Barack Obama's politics, that his election as president of the United States of America last nite was a defining moment in American history and to an extent the world?

Can anyone not understand how much this means as so eloquently stated in this article on the NY Times website "Whether or not you agree with Barack Obama’s politics, there is no denying that his election represents a seminal moment in the African-American narrative and a giant leap forward on the road to America’s racial reconciliation.". May I add to that it was a giant leap forward in tearing down racial barriers as well.

Pray For California Part 2

2008-08-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

I woke up @ one point in the middle of the nite to hear the daily devotion on GoD TV ( I fell asleep with the TV on) and heard the intercessors crying out for California. This lead me to decide to share here what I have already shared with a few friends already via email.

On Friday, 08-08-08, God TV broadcasted a solemn assembly of fasting and prayer that aired live. I strongly believe these warnings are too urgent to ignore. Again I say "Pray for California"!

Fathers and Daughters: Father-Daughter Purity Ball

2008-07-23T17:45:00.004-05:00

I think the fact that Time wrote about this, and handled it in a fair manner, which is more than I expected is great. Yeah, some people think its cheesy, but so what? I get the message, and I think its great to see fathers taking an active role in their daughters emotional, mental and most importantly spiritual development. Side note: I do think 4 years old is a bit young to fully understand the meaning behind it, but I guess its sweet gesture -- well, sort of. I also did a search on google and the Purity Ball has been covered by the New York Times and also has its own website

While reading this, a few things came to mind:
1. Why don't I see/hear more about these things happening with black teen girls or other minority populations in this country for that matter?

2. The bonding that occurs between the fathers and daughters here speaks VOLUMES!! Its sad that in our culture today, seeing a father and daughter bond brings to minds words like "creepy" and "perverted" instead of "protection" and "affirmation". I've said several times to people in my "real life" that the absence of the father in a home is one of the most diabolical attacks of the enemy that has had far-reaching consequences -- more than anyone realizes. (this reminds me that I must write an article exploring this a little more)

3. I don't mind the focus on girls, BUT there is a double standard in society for the expression and "exploration" of one's sexuality. Can someone please start a purity ball for boys? Yeah, I know, it sounds cheesy -- but I think if one were to gather a group of teenagers, male and female, what's really at the heart of preserving sexual purity and the far-reaching consequences of throwing it away, the message would get across -- it would be a start in undoing the messed-up, self-centered, sex-crazed messages that kids get ingrained in their souls from the time they are small children. More than anything else though, the desire to remain pure before God shouldn't be an "outward" act to say I'm a Christian, but rather should come as a result of heart that is sold-out and a desire to please God.
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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Rick Pino - The Anthem
via FoxyTunes

Wordle

2008-07-09T11:08:00.008-05:00

I found this one someone else's blog and thought it would be cool to do one of my own. Visit Wordle to generate one for yourself.
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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Rick Pino - By My Spirit
via FoxyTunes

Testimony of a 14 year-old Healed @ The Lakeland Revival

2008-07-07T18:06:00.012-05:00

I read about this teenager's testimony a few weeks ago online post and was amazed. Then I stumbled upon a blog today called " which had mp3s of interviews with various worship leaders, but the one that caught my attention was called testimony of 14 year old who got healed. I listend to it. . . and when the girl giving the testimony identified herself, I realized this is the same girl I read about a few weeks ago!

Listen to her give her testimony, (right click and save-as if you want to save it to your hard drive), watch here as her healing takes place (at about 03:00:37 when Todd prays for her, and @ 3:38 where she gets up and reports her healing), and here is a video of her testifying at her church, IHOP in Kansas city.

The message bears repeating: God still heals today!!

The Earth is Crying Out -- Literally!

2008-07-06T12:43:00.002-05:00

I traveled to Dallas for the one night only impartation meeting with Todd Bentley with my parents and a friend of mine. One the way back home, I heard my dad (who I realize I get my quest for seeking truth, and bent towards "trivial knowledge" of things) say that scientists have found that the Earth is crying out. I was amazed, but didn't remember to look for this article once I got home.

I was searching through my list of Blogs and news items I subscribe to via google reader, when a headline from Breaking Christian news caught my attention: "The Earth is Crying Out—and Scientists have Recorded it". I instantly remembered what my dad said. Scientists have recorded "Earth sounds" which you can listen to. The sounds are blocked by the ionosphere, which they say is a good thing because "the out-of-this-world radio waves are 10,000 times stronger than even the strongest military signal, the researchers said, and they would overwhelm all radio stations on the planet".

I searched google for more information and found this news article on yahoo news: Earth's Cries Recorded in Space.

I also found this prophetic word released by Chuck Pierce. I took special notice of these statements: "There are sounds in the earth that you are not getting low enough to hear, and there's a groaning. All creation is groaning. Humble yourself and get low enough to hear the sound." and this "My earth has a heart that beats and you've not understood the power of creation. You have lost the beating heart of creation. Therefore, I cannot be creative in your midst. I've put My voice in every living thing, but it is your voice that rules".

Back in May, a friend of mine forwarded to me a word Judy Bauman received from the Lord concerning things happening in the earth called "The Earth Groans". All of these things serve to confirm the written word of God concerning His creation, which once again for me is proving not to be symbolic as traditionally taught in modern Christianity, but instead is literal: For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (Romans 8:22).

Pray for California!

2008-06-25T17:03:00.005-05:00

I find all kinds of things online -- some good, some bad, some of them I just "stumble upon". Lately, since the revival started, my focus on the internet is more about visiting sites that are about the Kingdom of God which includes the prophetic, the supernatural nature of God, sites with prophetic words, videos on YouTube of the revival in Lakeland, Florida, and ministers who are part of the Prophetic Movement. One of those sites I've been visiting frequently lately is
End Time Prophetic Vision which I discovered several years ago when I was living in New York, I believe shortly after re-dedicating my life to the Lord.

So I'm on End Time Prophetic Vision last night, and they get several words from different prophetic voices in the country and around the world and their latest update from June 22, 2008 has several words about California. I read one particular post that grabbed my attention, Warning for California . The warning has come through Sean Malone, who I have never heard of before, but I googled his name and found that this warning has been posted on a few other sites. Sean says that the Lord warned him about 9/11 and New Orleans before it happened and he was directed to pray for both areas. He is one of four prophets from IHOP in Kansas City, and heads an organization, CRI that responds to natural disasters.

One thing that stood out in my search on google was a 2 hour mp3 of Sean Malone speaking at San Jose House of Prayer about the warning for California most interesting thing I found. You can listen to it here (right-click and "save target as" or "save link as", depending on the browser you are using. The "talk" he gives paints in greater detail much of what is described in the warning.

In light of the recent ruling concerning gay-marriage in California, I can't take this lightly or dismiss it as "it probably won't happen". I also found another warning about California: Prophetic Sign for California, the same message posted on another website with links to two news articles on FOX NEWS.com and MSNBC.com that spell out "what if scenarios" with a map of the area that expected to be hit the most -- Half Moon Bay near San Francisco and got this message via email today from Prophet Timothy Snodgrass. Pray for mercy, pray for grace -- pray that God's people in California will head the warnings and pray for the lost in California, especially San Francisco!

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Todd Bentley's Interview with Geraldo Rivera

2008-06-17T13:39:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Todd Bentley was interviewed by Geraldo Rivera on Geraldo At Large live for about 5 minutes. I missed the live show, but DVR'ed the program so I could watch it when I got home from dinner with my extended family.

For the most part Geraldo was respectful, although his emphasis on money (he asked Todd about this twice in 5 minutes) was a bit much for me, but then again I am biased. :-) Although I personally wouldn't get a tattoo, piercings and tattoos don't scream "flamboyant" to me. Todd handled the interview well and I applaud him for inviting the media to scrutinize the stories of documented healings that they have collected AND to inspect his financial statements, such as his IRS filings (he is Canadian, so I'm not even sure if that applies).

Here is the video as posted on, you guessed it, YouTube:

Blessings!

Todd Bentley responds to questions about Lakeland

2008-06-12T15:41:00.004-05:00

Please read his thoughtful, insightful and heartfelt response to the uproar in the blogosphere about the Lakeland Revival/Florida Outpouring that started on April 2, and is almost 70 days old. I've ready MANY blogs, a few posters out there are brave enough to say they are convinced this is of God and either received a healing or know someone who was healed either while watching the service online or on TV or from attending a service in person.

You can watch the services daily at 10 am and 7 pm ET. View the 10 am services here after registering first and the evening services here on GOD TV's website (registration required) or here on Fresh Fire's streaming page.

For several days now I chose to "stay out of it", but after seeing this posted on a forum that I visit, and reading it for myself I'm jumping in the "fray". I'm sure before long someone anti-Lakeland will post their opinions, backed up with scripture as to why this is not of God, and they are welcome to do so.

However, please know that all the rational, theological exegesis in the world won't convince me otherwise. God is demonstrating His love for His people in Lakeland and as soon as I can I'm going there to "get some"!

God uses a 9 year old boy to touch His people!

2008-06-12T14:20:00.003-05:00

Read about the service here and follow the link to view the video from the service. Be blessed!!

God still heals today!

2008-06-04T17:56:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how I stumbled on this video. I believe it was a link in a description of a YouTube video. Anyway, watch and be amazed and give praise to Jesus for the wonderful testimonies told here!

The Greatest Silence

2008-04-09T14:01:00.004-05:00

I stumbled across this today and it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go... and I struggled with whether or not to share this....I'm still struggling now as I watch a video clip of a young woman who described being raped as her brother was forced to watch and then in turn had to watch him be stabbed to death because he refused to rape her.

Words fail me right now...but I have to share this. The pain in the eyes of the women is palpable. 60 Minutes also ran a segment about this as well earlier this year, and the video can viewed here. A doctor interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper said the women there "have stopped living".

A documentary by Lisa Jackson was release last year about these atrocities and the film has been screened internationally and in select locations in the United States and also aired on HBO on April 8, 2008.

I couldn't help but wonder while watching the trailers and reading the articles on this.... where is the Christian Church in all of this? I don't believe I have heard of any prominent ministers mentioning this in thier please for money. I have a deep respect for pastor Rd Parsley who was instrumental in calling attention to the atrocities in Darfur long before this?

... as I'm typing this, I just recalled that Todd Bentley may have mentioned something similar to this in one of his messages online. There is a message called "Releasing the Virtue of Jesus" where he gives the testimony of Simon a man who was kidnapped as a child in the midst of war in Uganda and forced to be a child soldier. You can download and listen to the message here.

I can't see this and not do something . . . This website is dedicated to just that -- a chance to help and speak out for these women and children who have had these brutal and savage acts committed against them. I burn with the longing of wanting to help with more than just my finances...
Do these women and children meet someone who demonstrates the love of God through Christ? Will they ever find emotional healing for the damage done to their souls? But I have to appease myself by staying its a start... reaching out and helping those who can't speak for themselves or help themselves... its a part of the kingdom...

Context Does Matter!

2008-03-21T19:17:00.004-05:00

OK...making my opinions known about politic issues is something I don't usually do....and even while writing this I am still a little hesitant ..but since its in our faces constantly with this being an election year, and a historic one at that,...I'm going to go ahead and bite the bullet.

Like you, I've seen the clips played over and over on FOX, CNN, MSNBC of Senator Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, being played over and over, but the diplomat in me, who likes to be fair, found myself wondering . . . what was said in the rest of the sermon? After all, we were only seeing 30, 45 and 60 second sound-bites. I will admit I've never heard of "Black Liberation Theology" before all of this became news. I'm also hesitant to post this because I don't want to appear totally in support for any political candidate because I haven't fully made a decision yet. To be frank, I've gotten a little annoyed at emails supporting Senator Obama forwarded to me by friends because of the implied assumption. BUT, fair is fair!

In the comment section of an article on ABC news, someone posted a link to a video on YouTube that has a clip of one of Pastor Wright's sermons that has gotten so many people riled up...in its FULL CONTEXT. See here for your self:

Also, Roland Martin, a journalist who also appears on CNN as a political commentator has an article that appears on the blog of fellow CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper and on his own blog which again, presents this part of the sermon in full context:

I wonder and I ask you . . . why this isn't making the rounds on the broadcast and cable news networks?

More Perversion

2008-03-19T23:12:00.003-05:00

Another article on sex with robots... SMH! What I don't get is why I haven't seen or heard anyone prominent in Christianity mentioning this!

Black Pentecostal Discussion on Revivalblog.com

2008-01-09T14:21:00.002-06:00

I read this post one one of the blogs whose feeds I subscribe to via google reader. Very interesting to say the least, so interesting that I did what I rarely do -- post a comment online!

See the post here and join the discussion! I know my comments don't reflect the popular view of some of my fellow Black Pentecostal believers, and that's OK -- It's a chance I am willing to take.

Meet An Child Prodigy . . . Artist and Poet

2008-01-01T01:51:00.000-06:00

I just had to share this even before saying --- HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Welcome to 2008!

I came home from attending a "Crossover" service with my husband at a local church with my husband and tuned the TV to TBN The highlights of 2007 was on air, and a clip played of Matt and Laurie Crouch interviewing a young girl named Akiane Kramarik describing how a man who was a carpenter appeared at her doorstep after she asked God to provide a model of Jesus for her. The picture of Jesus is just amazing, and the lifelike eyes drew me in when I saw it. It reminds me soo much of a picture of Christ crying over the world ... and he is depicted as I believe he was... with olive skin looking very much like an Israeli Jew.

I googled her name and was amazed at what I found. She is truly a child prodigy who has been drawing, painting and writing poetry since the age of 4.

A chronology of her work is here. and its simply georgeous!!

A brief biography of her life thus far on this planet.

Interview clips on you tube here and here.

I believe more and more children such as this young girl will be "discovered" because of the times that we are in...more and more children will amaze us with their God given talents and their awareness of who they are in Him at an early age. They will boldly proclaim their faith and belief in God through Jesus Christ and walk in spiritual gifts and talents. as the Word says "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have Perfected Praise".

Does Anything Surprise God?

2007-12-26T15:29:00.001-06:00

I ran across a clip posted on YouTube by a brother (I believe he's a brother in the Lord) who discusses views on divorce in the Bible, women preachers, and the inerrancy of the Bible as the Word of God. I haven't listened to all of his clips to decide whether or not I agree with anything he has to say, or if any of it resonates with me. . . but while browsing through his more info section, a link to an article in Time magazine was mentioned, so of course I visited it to read the article, "An Evangelical Rethink on Divorce?" which was published on 11/5/07. It included another link to another article published in September which asked the question "Are Mega-Preachers Scandal-Prone?"

The article mostly centered around the Weeks' and Whites' marital troubles that made headlines news earlier in the year. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Time took notice...but I'm glad that the tone or the article was not one of mockery, scorn and derision.... I wish I could say that for so many of the other things I've read and seen online since these tragic events thing occurred for all the world to see. One can rest assured though as my dear mother wisely advised me earlier this year... none of this that has happened has taken God by surprise.... and He's not sitting on His throne trying to figure out what to do about it and wringing His hands!! In times of crisis, both personal and public, it would do us all a world of good to remember that, yours truly included.

Now playing on Windows Media Player: Robin Vincent - MEDITATION E
via FoxyTunes

China's New Bestseller: The Bible

2007-12-18T16:51:00.000-06:00

Saw this article on time.com:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1695279,00.html.

To God be the Glory!

A Few Updates

2007-11-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

Just some news to share....

Prominent Christian Ministers Under Fire

I first learned about this on 11/6/07 ago. I then found out yesterday Joyce Meyer was on CNN, defending her ministry I presume. I asked a friend of mine about another prominent, well-known minister, located here in Houston, where she used to attend church. She informed me that this pastor and his church pay taxes to the US government! No wonder their name is not about to be dragged through the mud.

Now, I don't adhere to the belief that a pastor or minister should be dirt poor, but as I said to someone the other day, maybe they need to read "The Millionaire Next Door" and learn not to attract attention by bragging on TV about how he/she has been blessed with a Bentley, Rolls-Royce and a 30,000 sq. foot house!

The New World Order?

I got this clip from a email my DH received.

Watching gave me much to think about. I'm sure some dismiss it as another conspiracy theory, but I think they would remiss to do so. Small wonder why the US dollar has declined so much in value over the past week or so.... How long before the \"Amero" is introduced?

The Height of Perversion?

2007-10-14T00:36:00.000-05:00

Sex with robots??!! I don't have many words for this one right now, but just had to post it. The threat against traditional marriage, and bestiality is bad enough, but this is a new low for mankind. Click here for more information.

Matters of the Heart

2007-10-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

"Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate." Psalms 143:4

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Psalms 147:3

So, its been three weeks...I'm back at home, adjusting into my new job, and although I didn't want too much time to pass between posts, I also didn't want to "force" things, such as posting something for the sake of posting. A few noteworthy items caught my attention, such as the visit of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Columbia University, and the resulting furor it caused. I considered writing about something that I only learned last year, which is this man considers himself the one who will introduce the world to the Islamic Messiah, the 12th Imam, or the Mahdi. I will explore that at a later time, because I'm certain many saints, especially in the US, aren't aware of this. Were it not for the ministry of Evangelist Perry Stone, who is great teacher of the Hebraic/Jewish roots of Christianity, I would probably still be totally unaware of this. However, I decided to reserve this for another time.

Which brings me to my topic ...matters of the heart, where to begin? ... The last few years of being single, I became a mini-crusader of sorts, and made it a point to encourage other single people I knew. I was on the email list of a few ministries that targeted the single audience, and their somewhat unique place in the Christian world. Churches often target married people, and young people, i.e, teenagers and college students, in specialized ministry groups within their local bodies, but singles in some church circles, have a weird place in that microcosm.

I still have a special place in my heart for single people, but I'm no longer at the place in my life where I can say I "totally relate" because I'm not single. Those years, however, even though they may have been few according to some people, were integral in my emotional, mental and spiritual maturing. My attention, after getting married, naturally turned to seeking out ministries that "cater" to married people ..but I haven't been as willing to share what I learn or come across with others, admittedly because of my own fear that it will arouse concern in friends/family at best, and suspicion about my marital state at worst.

But let me get back to the heart ... It is often used as a symbol of love... However, I like to think of it as having a dual role... both in the matters of love, but more importantly as a symbol of the soul, specifically the condition of the soul. The word heart is mentioned 833 times in the bible and many times the context in which its mentioned is that of the thoughts, intentions, motives. When one thinks of heart matters... relationships come to mind as well...

We've seen "matters of the heart" play out, unfortunately, in public all too many times. Recently, the national spotlight has been on the "heart matters" between two "powerhouse" couples in the Pentecostal/Charismatic vein of Christianity, much to the chagrin of many, that played out on the world's stage. Prophetess Juanita Bynum broke her silence two weeks after the much publicized beating at the hands (and feet) of her husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks. The very next day, Randy and Paula White announced to their church that they are divorcing after 18 years of marriage. I haven't read or heard much being said about Paula and Randy as I have about Juanita Bynum and Bishop Weeks.

Both Bynum and Weeks have been roundly criticized by "average joes" in the church, other ministries, and secular personalities as well. Frankly, some of them have made some valid points. For instance, this past Sunday, BET aired a hour program called Exalted and this weeks subject was Prophetess Bynum. Her family and close friends were interviewed, and they all had wonderful things to say about her. Of course, the recent events in her life were also profiled. I couldn't help but to agree with one minister's comment that above all else she is concerned about Bynum's public appearances since the beating and that Prophetess Bynum is not taking care of herself. A minister named Jonathan Walton also posted an open letter to her on his blog about her recent crusade as the new face of domestic violence. Read this post on his blog as well. Again, I'm not taking sides, but he does have some valid points, and openly asks what others have been saying in secret and in other blogs all over the web. Bishop Weeks apparently broke his silence recently as well at a recent press conference, as seen here. I have no doubt both thier hearts are hurting... and hurting both figuratively and literally ...

I remember the times when I experienced that fleeting, funny niggling thing in my heart times something hurtful was said or done in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. It dawned on me at some point that "heartbreak" is quite literal and really can be felt. It's no secret that marriage is under attack, and the fact that Christian marriages fail at about the same rate as marriages between non-Christians is disheartening to say the least. One couple, Mark and Kathy Davisson, have turned a horrendous marriage into happy, fulfilling one and now minister to other couples to help them do the same. Take a read through thier website, and see they are making a difference one couple at a time.

I'm on this couples email list, and have shared their newsletter once with other young marrieds like me, and also a few single people. The trials of the aforementioned couples have not escaped their notice either...but something in their most recent letter really caught my eye, and it got me to thinking about matters of the heart.. and as it turns out, that little thing I felt in my heart during times of deep emotional hurt, wasn't something to take lightly. They mentioned a recently published NY Times article which stated the findings of a recent study about how marital spats affect both men and women was published, and as it turns out, keeping quiet during an argument damages women, but not men.

Some highlights:
"But women who didn’t speak their minds in those fights were four times as likely to die during the 10-year study period as women who always told their husbands how they felt, according to the July report in Psychosomatic Medicine."

"'When you’re suppressing communication and feelings during conflict with your husband, it’s doing something very negative to your physiology, and in the long term it will affect your health,' said Elaine Eaker, an epidemiologist in Gaithersburg, Md., who was the study’s lead author. 'This doesn’t mean women should start throwing plates at their husbands, but there needs to be a safe environment where both spouses can equally communicate.'" -- a state the Davisson's call "being emotionally safe".

Science is proving what the Word of God has said all along -- one's emotional state not only affects the soul, but it also plays itself out in the body. Sinking feelings in your stomach, butterflies in the stomach, stabbing pains in the heart in response to emotional stress is the body's way of letting us know the mind-body connection is indeed real.

As I related in another post, prolonged states of emotional stress, shutting down own's emotions, stuffing your feelings, whatever you want to call it, affects us internally, and if not dealt with, not only darkens the soul, but afflicts the body as well. Pastor Henry Wright of Pleasant Valley Church of Thomaston, Georgia has proven this over and over in the ministry God has given him which addresses the roots of disease. On his biography page he states "Today, Psychology is the fruit of that frustration as an attempt to manage the diseases of the soul (emphasis mine) through therapy and drugs." Listen to a radio interview (week one) Sid Roth conducted with him over two weeks (week two), and you will no doubt come away enlightened about how deeply our emotions affect us. One thing that stood out to me -- unforgiveness is often the emotional root cause of cancer.

I've experienced some emotionally trying things in my own life recently, and get concerned about the unknown effects they may be having on my body. Because of what I've learned intellectually, I know I have to go the Lord, cry out to Him and allow His spirit to heal my figurative heart, and also whatever unknown damage has occured in my body. My prayer is that you, dear reader,do the same, not just for yourself, but for others, especially other women, who you know who have damaged hearts that have not begun to heal.

Catching Up . . .

2007-09-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

. . . One of the reasons I hesitated to start a blog was I didn't want to end up putting myself under pressure to post updates everyday, or even every other day. I was however, hoping to do it at least once a week. Well, here I am two weeks later, with no posts in between. Oh well, its not like I haven't been doing anything for the past two weeks.

I was very busy helping my church finalize plans for our annual prophetic conference , which was wonderful, but as there are a few of us, we all had to wear several hats, and at the end of it, I was spiritually refreshed, but physically tired. So, here I am, a two days after the conference ended, typing this in a hotel room while away from home the first week on my new job! :-)

I'm late on reporting two things that were very noteworthy: Dr. D. James Kennedy, of the Coral Ridge Hour, moved on from this life on September 5th. The second noteworthy thing, the same day after I wrote about Juanita Bynum breaking her silence, I found out that Bishop T.D. Jakes broke his silence on the matter. I was also kind of disheartened to find in a related article on the same website, there were over 20 pages of comments left, much of them negative. The phrase "the harder they are, the bigger they fall", except in this case, it might be the higher they are, the bigger they fall; How easy it is for us to forget that the "big shots" in the Christian world are humans just like us, with flaws, failures. The one difference is as I said before, normally private matters have been exposed for all the world to see.

On the other hand, another article on the same subject had me laughing. Yes, its a little irreverent in its tone, but the author presents some basic truths, that frankly need to be heard more. Truths that the author says she learned attending a Black Pentecostal church in a tough neighborhood in Dallas. Truths such as "If you're in ministry, never travel without your spouse for any length of time." and "A woman shouldn't be calling another woman's husband without the wife's permission". Another nugget:
"But all of this makes me want to gather some of these big-name folks, stuff them into a rickety church van with “Holiness or Hell” stenciled on the side in crooked letters and haul them to South Dallas for a little Ghetto 101. Seriously: If more folks followed the wisdom that’s been hammered into my brain at the old school, we would’t be where we are today."

It's just like a woman of God and I were recently discussing, there is much talk in the Kingdom about integrity, honesty, and the like, but it comes down to walking the walk, there is much to left to be desired.

Finally, I want to share two inspiring items that were shared with me recently, both very thought provoking. The first one I received via email a few weeks ago, and rather than forward it to family and friends in the kingdom, I decided to post it here:

"Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, 'I love you and I wish you enough'.

The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom'. They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated.

Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'. 'I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said. "When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?' She began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone'.

She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said , 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

She then began to cry and walked away.They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them but then an entire life to forget them. * Only if you wish send this to the people you will never want to forget and remember .
TAKE TIME TO LIVE..... To my friend and loved one, I WISH YOU ENOUGH........ "

The second item, someone shared with me this past weekend. I met a minister who was a vendor at the Prophetic Conference hosted by my church. Although he came there for one purpose, he later told me that he eventually realized his "kingdom purpose" for being there and when his perspective changed, things opened up for him that weekend. He later told me and the other two young ladies who were working at the registration table alongside me about a story that someone sent him via email. A young man cleverly planned a touching, sentiment ail, well-executed, poignant way to propose to his finance. This is the story behind it:

R"ob and Keisha dated for about 4 years. And he knew that she was the one...but he had to save up for all that God had prompted him to do for her. So in short what you are about to see happen on April 28th....he rented out 10 rooms in the Ritz Carlton in buckhead and invited about 50-60 people to be there for this special night...Keisha had to go from room to room and in each room were people who were special to them....his boys...her girls...her Bible Study group....his parents...her parents..etc. and everybody in each room had questions that she had to answer to be able to move to the next room and before she left each room the people there would pray over her....so you have to watch each room to see how that goes...he chose roses because Keisha aunt who passed suddenly loved roses and he bought some of the dipped in gold because of the stories in the Bible about Solomon and how everything was dipped in gold and the song that you hear playing in the background was the same song that was played at Keisha aunt's funeral, she was like a second mom to Keisha.

When Rob was asked what he was thinking and how it felt...he said that he was kicking and screaming all the way. not because he did not love Keisha and want to marry her....but because of the time, money, and stress that was spent doing this. Rob, put his house up for rent and saved for her ring and this night and he did it out of obedience... I have spent the past year of my life piecing together a vision given to me by God. On April 28th, 2007 that vision was fulfilled. My labor of love for the woman I love. "God Is Love...The Proposal"
(clink on link to view).

Satanic Messages in Hip-Hop/Rap? Say it ain't so!

2007-09-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this information in my first post, and decided to wait, but its so much on my mind, that I can't wait any longer. My DH told me about two weeks ago about a clip he came across on youtube in which a pastor talked about the subliminal messages hidden in a rap recorded by Jay-Z. He further went on to tell me this same pastor talked about another group who had a curse written in their album liner notes, the message was backward and one had to hold it up to a mirror to read it. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I knew about hidden Satanic messages in rock music, but RAP?

To be clear, I'm not a fan of RAP/hip-hop now and wasn't much of one when I was younger. I will admit that back in the early nineties, when Christian rap was coming into its own, my brothers and I would play CDs of some of the artists, some of them who even had a "hard-core" sound that reminded me of Public Enemy. As for secular rap/hip-hop there were a few songs I liked. This was mainly because I trained myself to listen to the lyrics of a song, and not just get caught up in the beat, as many of my peers would tell me they did, and many times I quickly got turned off by many of the artists and their songs.

So this past Monday, Labor Day, my husband found the clip for me, I played it, and couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing and yet I knew it was the truth!! This pastor even digs up the roots of the "thug" -- just like everything else around us on this planet, its has spiritual roots. Unfortunately, the clip on youtube has been removed due to "terms of violation", so I'm unable to share it.

This pastor, tells it like it is, and to be sure, he has his critics. His name is G. Craige Lewis, his ministry is EX Ministries, and he has traveled the world preaching to young people, mostly teenagers about the spiritual roots of the hip-hop culture and lifestyle. Not everyone is a fan, and a search on Google resulted in the usual that I've come to expect: web pages that claim to refute him and prove why he is wrong are listed along with message boards and other blogs that praise him for his crusade. The Dallas Observer even published an article on him.

His message is not just directed at the hip-hop artists. He also calls on the carpet many famous famous gospel singers who appear on the albums of secular artists, or have secular artists guest on their albums. He also takes to task black ministers, preachers and bishops who have in his estimation, compromised the gospel message in one way or another. The first reaction is to think, who does he think he is? But when one gets past their emotional reaction to his message, and really listens, and old saying may come to mind "It's tight, but its right".

His website has a page of testimonials from people, many of them teenagers who have been impacted by his mininstry, and a podcast page where you can listen to and download mp3s of Minister Lewis and discussing various topics that affect the Body of Christ from the recent Don Imus scandal, to BGLOs, and of course the influence of Hip-Hop on the culture. Listen as he discusses the spirtual power of influence (the true meaning of the word), and the difference between "stars" and "celebrities":

Aside from the spiritual ramifications, rap has recently also been under the microscope for the attitude displayed towards women, especially black women, in thier lyrics. The Imus scandal shed light on an issue in the black community that very few leaders have dared to deal with -- that of the mysogynistic lyrics, and the lifestyle it promotes. Bill Cosby has twice spoken out about social ills in the black community and how to remedy them, but his loudest critics have been other blacks.

This gentleman has also tackled the subject, long before the Imus debacle, in this well thought-out and written essay (A word of caution, song lyrics are quoted here and they are explicit). I discovered his article on this blog that belongs to a fellow believer in Christ. Take a look around there, you might find a thing or two that causes you to SMH.

I'm glad God has raised someone to inform and help bring deliverance and healing from the spiritual effects of the hip-hop culture. I'm also surprised that he has elicited the kind of reactions that he does. When truth hits one in the face, one has two choices: to accept it or reject it with a face of anger (masking denial) claiming its not for you. Unfortunately, this isn't anything new. After all, Jesus Christ, who is our example, said the Gospel is offensive, so its no surprise that this message, an off-shoot of the gospel, is offending people across the country as well.