Overcoming Adversity A Spiritual Guide.

Generation Lost

2021-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

In today's world there are a lot of signs that indicate we are in the last days. For those individuals who don't know Christ this can be a disturbing conversation. Even for those of us who claim to be saved and know the Lord for ourselves there is something unsettling about this topic as well. One of the most prominent reasons is that most of us don't know enough about Gods word or truth on the subject to make an informed decision. As our society has advanced and become more informed or as knowledge has increased, we have become more and more separated from the truth which is Gods word. In the book of Daniel it says specifically that, "But that ole Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." It has become quite evident that knowledge has increased dramatically in the last 40 years. The Internet and other technologies has made access to information something unthought of before.

The downside of all of that is that we now have access to evil in ways that our forefathers never even dreamed of and travel which was inconceivable say over 100 years ago is also now possible. Living on one side of the planet will not prevent you from getting to the other side of the planet with air travel being a common place convenience Both of these invents are confirmation of a fore told prophecy concerning what our planet would become like in the last days. In the book of Judges during Joshua reign over the tribe of Israel after the exodus from Egypt, it says in chapter 2:10 "And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Isn't that the case today. It would seem to me our society is becoming more geared toward sinning without consequence more and more each day. It would seem as if there is now a new generation that does not heed Gods word and has found it more acceptable to do whatever we feel pleases us not God. At the present time it has not been made clear, but there will come a day when the truth will be revealed and this generation which could be considered lost will know the truth.

Peter made it perfectly clear what the mindset of this generation would be like when he said in 2 Peter 3:3-6 "3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" So just as in Noah's day as they watched Noah build an arc for 120 years they laughed and partied right up until the day it started to rain. This thought is made even more clear when the apostle Timothy says, in the book of 2 Timothy 3:1-7; But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days. 2People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud, haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreligious, 3callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, hating what is good,4traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5as they make a pretense of religion but deny its power. Reject them.6For some of these slip into homes and make captives of women weighed down by sins, led by various desires,7 always trying to learn but never able to reach a knowledge of the truth:"

The truth can often times be a painful experience depending on where we are in our spiritual development. But the bible says that the truth will set you free. I believe that one of the most immanent challenges that this lost generation should be considering is, what sayeth the lord? I have just briefly skimmed the surface of the apocalyptic language the bible uses in regard to this topic. If this lost generation is to have any chance at redeeming itself it must seek and know the truth for itself. All is not lost though because whom God has chosen to be kept will be kept. Jesus while he was here on earth prayed to the father that not one of the disciples be lost except the one to perdition. The end result for the world and this lost generation will be no different. We can all take comfort in knowing who God chooses to redeem will in fact be redeemed.

Four Seasons

2021-05-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

I live in the good ole state of Iowa and we are fortunate to be able to experience the changing of the four seasons here. I happen to love it even though each particular season presents its own unique set of challenges. There are four of them to be exact, winter, summer, spring and fall. I like them all but to me there is something nostalgic about fall, when the weather changes from summer time heat to cooler temperatures and then finally winter brrrrr cold. What i like most about fall is the changing of the colors in the leaves, there is nothing more breath taking than beautiful fall colors in Iowa.

The human life experience is comparable to the four seasons in this way. There are four basic time frames to the human time spent here on earth. There is childhood, there is a adulthood, there is middle age and finally old age. Each age range presents its own unique set of challenges for the human experience as well. But like the changing of the four seasons the human life experience changes with time as well. Childhood is filled with innocence and learning about our environment. I am close to the baby boomer age so I remember the turbulent times of the 60's and my childhhood is filled with memories of the rampant social change our country was going through at the time. One of the positive affects that came out of the sixties is evident in our country, evident by us electing our first African American president Barrack Obama.

We then reach adulthood and we take life by the horns and we know everything and we think we are never going to die. It seems love is always in the air as we find ourselves in pursuit of it through a meaningful relationship with someone of the opposite sex. We begin to form our own families and we start to find out that those stories our parents were telling us about life's trial and tribulations have an air of truth to them.

Next comes middle age and our perspective starts to changes we raise our children and experience the empty nest syndrome, and we realize we are not going to live forever and people that we know and love start to die. We also realize that all of our choices have not always been in our own best interests. So we plod on and for those of us who are wise we reconcile our lives with God and start to diligently seek his face, and guess what we find out that not only is he still there for us but had never left. You know like the footprints in the sand.

Finally we start to reach old age we watch as many friends and love ones pass on. Our parents are aging quickly now and we have to focus on there needs and our own. We have also probably got a crop of grandchildren running around and we realize that we have lived more years than what we have left. So we really start to value our time and how we spend it. We find that the suttleties of live really start to stand out and we notice the flowers in all of there beauty and we start to come to grips with the fact that we to will one day pass away. The bible says that if a man will walk upright and be obedient to the lord god will grant him three score and ten, which is 70 years. We hope and aspire to receive that.

To conclude life is similar to the four seasons, they are times that we love to appreciate for the qualities they bring in each one. There are good experiences and bad experiences that accompany each one just like life, and we must adjust accordingly to adequately navigate our way through it. Ultimately we realize that the amount of time we spend here is minimal compared to the eternity God has planned for us who are Christians. Our focus should not be on the changing of the seasons but to put quality of time into the years as they pass and earnestly develop a relationship with the almighty God, so that we give ourselves an opportunity to spend eternity with him,. nothing and I do mean nothing is more important than that.

Changing Demographics

2021-01-19T07:27:00.005-08:00

This is a post from 2015 but the content is still relevant and its five years later. I was watching meet the press this Sunday morning as I always do, David Gregory the moderator who replaced Tim Russet was having his usual round table discussion with different journalist who's views generally represent both the right and left wing of politics. They were discussing the political atmosphere in our country right now, of course our current President Barrack Obama was central to the discussion. Representatives from the republican party were as usual making deceptive comments about the president that could be misconstrued or interpreted in a negative fashion. For example Newt Gingrich who currently holds no political office but is positioning himself for a run at the white house in 2012, which I might add has been unsuccessful since Mitt Romney all but has locked up the nomination. Mr. Gingrich always has a host of skewed statements about the left that he likes to toss out as political thought to help set the agenda for the right. Mr Gingrich argues that the presidents political objectives have roots in Kenyan anti colonial behavior, meaning that he is advancing a political agenda that would be anti American. It also suggests that he is not American and his religious views would be anti Christian. I believe I can positively state that he is neither and I believe the public record on both will substantiate that.

I believe as Christians who are not of the world but in it we also have an obligation to be informed about our world and what goes on in it. One area that has always held my interest is the political arena of our elected officials who are supposed to have all Americans best interest in mind. Both parties, the democrats and Republicans have representatives who make statements that often times offend people on both sides. It would seem to me that there are fringe groups in the republican party who make a habit of making statements that are insensitive and down right offensive if not outright lies. This statement made recently by Mr. Gingrich would certainly fall into that category. What I find discouraging about all of this is none of the experts seem to be able to ever invoke God into the discussion, and you certainly will never hear any of the major media networks suggest this train of thought.

The difficult task I face as a christian when discussing these topics in my blog is how to make sense of it all as I attempt to put a spiritual explanation that has some viable relevance to God and Christianity. The problem I have with the republicans and these type of statements is it sends a message loud and clear that they are insensitive to the wants and needs of minorities and people of color in general. Their real motivation would become clear if they would just come out and say, "hey" we don't like you people of color." It would seem that every time a issue is being tabled in congress or the senate that would advance the cause of the less fortunate or minorities they are always and I do mean always on the opposing side. This can't be a coincidence. It is estimated that right now our countries population is approaching the 400 million mark. A new CNN census reports says: "By 2050, minorities will be the majority in America, and the number of residents older than 65 will more than double, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Minorities, classified as those of any race other than non-Hispanic, single-race whites, currently constitute about a third of the U.S. population, according to Census figures. But by 2042, they are projected to become the majority, making up more than half the population. By 2050, 54 percent of the population will be minorities." What that says to me is that in the very near future minorities are going to have the political clout to change the face of politics in America. I think that is what our president was suggesting in his inaugural address two years age when he said that the powers to be don't realize it but the political ground has shifted. It is going to favor people of color.

The religious connection I would like to assign all of this to is the story in the bible of the tower of babel. This genesis story is just after the flood and mankind had come together to build a tower that would reach into the heavens. Yahweh came and saw hat they were up to and said; "They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withhold en from them which they purpose to do." So Yahweh said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech." And so Yahweh scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel "because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the Earth."(Genesis 11:5-8). God recognized that when people learn to work together with a real sense of purpose there is nothing we can't accomplish together. He so recognized their abilities so much so that he scattered them and confused their language so they would have difficulty communicating. This also attributed to the forming of the races and made our planet a diverse community.

This confirms to me that God intended for our planet to have diversity as a part of his plan for earth going forward. Isn't it time that our political leaders realize this truth as well? America is a melting pot of all different races, this is a strength not a weakness. The republican party needs an agenda that can appreciate that not imply that it is a weakness. If its good enough for God our creator it should be good enough for all of us.

The Rainbow

2020-08-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

This post was written on the date indicated which is June 30th 2010 there was not a rain cloud in the sky. But for most of the early summer here in Des monies Iowa it has been raining cats and dogs as they like to say. Its has rained so frequently in recent weeks that there is now concern here in Iowa for major flooding in the main tributaries of the Des monies river basin. It is reminiscent of the floods of 1993 and 2008 that happened here in the Midwest. The 1993 flood was considered a 100 year flood. The flood in 2008 was bad, but not as bad as 1993. The fact is these were very adverse circumstances that the communities who suffered them had to overcome. Water in the form of a flood is a very powerful and destructive force. There are not alot of resources available to mankind to combat this force when God decides to unleash it as he sometimes does.

The analogy I would like to make today is that our life's are sometimes faced with flood like problems, and often times when we fail to recognize them for what they really are the consequences can be just as severe. When we decide to continue to live a life of disobedience and sin, we cause God to become angry with us and the impending result can be disastrous for our lives. Gods wrath is a troubling consequence for our disobedience, and men throughout their history here on earth have refused to conform and repent and turn from their evil wicked ways. Some 6000 plus year ago after God had created the earth and the universe, he became dissatisfied with his creation because the people had become wicked on the earth. He destroyed the earth with a flood. After he had done this he established a covenant agreement with mankind that he would never again destroy the earth with water. We are reminded of his promise every time we see a rainbow in the clouds after or during a rain storm.

The rainbow is a beautiful phenomenon that occurs after or during a rainstorm. It is the effect of raindrops in the atmosphere as they reflect the sunlight as the suns rays pass through the water droplets. There are always seven colors that appear in a rainbow. They are the seven main colors of the color spectrum. The colors are red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and violet. This is purely a scientific explanation for the rainbow. There is also a religious explanation for the rainbow that is the topic I would like to address today and how it is connected to a promise or covenant agreement between God and mankind. First the rainbow is another example of Gods perfect order. The number seven as it relates to God is a number of perfection or completion. We know God created the earth and the universe in six days, and when he saw that it was good he rested on the seventh day. The second part of this would be the fact that God destroyed the earth and everything in it by water during Noah's day. After he had done this it says' in Genesis 9:12-15, 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Finally The rainbow is a beautiful sign we see in the clouds after a rain. It is also the sign of a promise we have with God that he will never ever destroy the earth by water. We should take comfort in knowing God is not a man that he should lie. Thank God everyday for his promise and the opportunity we have been given daily if we have life, to repent, dismiss Gods wrath and have a lasting, loving relationship with him.

Overcoming Adversity A Spiritual Guide.: Contentment

2020-04-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

Overcoming Adversity A Spiritual Guide.: Contentment: To be content means to be satisfied with our present circumstance in spite of what we might be facing as challenges in our life, and for ...

The book of Daniel nebuchadnezzar dream.

2019-12-29T06:15:00.001-08:00

Most people have never even considered that the Bible and its content were one fourth prophetic at the time of its writing. It contains approximately 1000 prophecies concerning mankind and world events of which half or about 500 have been fulfilled with stunning accuracy. The historical events surrounding Kemet, Egypt and the mythological Greek Gods of ISIS', Orsiris and Horus in no way invalidate the Bible and its dire predictions for the status of our wicked world. In the book of Daniel the king Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a statue which looked like this. It was a dream of a great statue with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of mingled iron and clay. A great stone, not cut by human hands, fell on the feet of the statue and destroyed it, and the rock became a mountain that filled the whole world. This part is important. The statue represents the time frame of powerful empires or kingdoms that have existed on earth. The gold head is the babylonian empire 605 to 539 bc, the arms and chest of silver is the medo-Persian empire 538 to 331 bc, the belly and thighs of bronze are the greek empire 331 to 169 bc. The legs of iron are the roman empire 168 to 476 ac, the feet of iron and clay are divided rome and the world in its present day status 476 ac to the present. All of these powerful kingdoms have been or will be destroyed. The powerful rock not built by human hands represents the kingdom of Jesus Christ which is the only kingdom that will never be destroyed and will last forever. It's a historical truth that the babylonians used a lot of gold, the persians used a lot of silver, the Greeks used a lot of bronze, the Roman's used a lot of iron, in today's society what are the major building materials in use steel or iron and concrete or clay, which represents the feet of the statue. Yes we are right down to the ten toes of the statue, which simply means it won't be long before God establishes his eternal kingdom which will replace all the others forever and ever. What am I saying? Y'all better quit playing!

Spirituality

2019-07-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Spirituality is a common termed used to denote a deeper connection to our world, to our fellow human beings and ultimately God if we believe in a Divine creator. Spirituality is not something we can see or touch, but yet is something that we often times sense and frequently emotionally feel. Its like faith to a christian. Its is the substance of things hoped for but the evidence of things not seen. By definition spirituality is defined as, "the concept of an alleged immaterial reality, an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being, or the deepest values by which people live.

Every human being on the planet has the ability to be a spiritual person, but I don't believe it just naturally happens. It is possible for it to just naturally happen? Perhaps, but we must at some point in our lives define ourselves as having this possibility then seek it with every ounce of our being. For me spirituality allows me to experience my life outside the realm of who I am as an individual. My sense of who I am as a human being is expounded when I seek to connect to my world through being spiritual. In my opinion spirituality is something others not only seek, but can feel on a certain level when someone is operating from this perspective in life. Becoming spiritual is a mode of operating that connects you to the world in a way that nothing else can. It will provide you with insight to the human dilemma of what is life, and perhaps more importantly what is the purpose each of us has as individuals for being here.

Have I always viewed my life from this perspective? "No", Through the experiences of my life, and often times an attitude of indifference I have arrived here. Spirituality is directly connected to wisdom, they operate independently but are connected to each other. For it is first of all wise to believe in a creator. That our very existence is tied to a spiritual being, who's very energy is responsible for everything that exist. The bible speaks so often of the Holy Spirit, this concept that God through his infinite wisdom knew that simply allowing us to thrive and exist through a purely physical presence would not be enough. That we would need another way of confirming his existence by something else we could feel, but not necessarily see or touch.

There is in itself something very empowering about seeking out a spiritual connection to our world. We become more in tuned with the planet and mother nature. Our ability to care for and appreciate others becomes more profound. The secrets of life that baffle us in our days of youth and ignorance start to become more resolute, and we find ourselves having moments where we simply say aha. Spirituality will also give you an energy that is found no where else on the planet. It is the source of miraculous healing and one having the ability to triumph over life threatening diseases. It can also be instrumental in defeating insurmountable problems. Tapping into the unlimited resource of energy that comes from seeking to become a spiritual individual is the only resource that has no limitations. How could it? when it comes from the only unlimited energy source in our universe and that is God.

Finally in conclusion, it should be each of our causes to seek to become more spiritual. But lets face it, it is not for everybody, but only because we choose not to seek it. There is after all a form of evil that exists on our planet that might be unseen, but there is nothing spiritual about it. That would be because being spiritual is about becoming something good, becoming something bigger than life that we are inclined to want to give away to others because we have experienced it for ourselves. Its about connecting to God who is solely loving caring and in total control, and because he has chosen not to make himself visible to us has to let his presence be made known through being spiritual. If we could all only learn to operate from a mode of being spiritual, the world could and would be a much more inhabitable and loving place.

The Winter Blues

2018-12-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

For those of us who live in colder climates, it can be come a real challenge to remain upbeat and not depressed during winter time. There is also a clinical condition called SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder or post holiday depression. it is attributable to the anxiety we feel because the days are so overcast and gloomy. In addition to the fact that we have incurred a lot of new debt over the holidays. The human body by design needs to receive a certain amount of sunlight on a regular basis. It not only warms us up but also supplies us with a daily regiment of ultra violet rays which contain vitamin d. It's purely psychological but we unconsciously find ourselves feeling depressed in the winter do to lack of this natural element. So what are we to do? Here's a list of ten things you can do to remedy the winter time blues.

1. When the weather allows get outside to take in some fresh air especially if the sun is out.

2. Exercise is always a good way to address depression it releases healthy neurotransmitters.

3. When outside take in mother nature and all of her beauty, old jack frost and mother nature are intricate artist and leave beautiful arrangements all over the place, enjoy them.

4. If you don't read develop the habit reading can relieve stress and exercise our minds.

5. Plan special events with your mate that includes activities that you don't normally participate in think outside the box.

6. Of course a dinner date and a movie are always refreshing.

7. Nothing improves the winter blues like that warm get away vacation, head to a warmer climate.

8. Pets are healthy for us at any time of the year they can add years to your life go out and get one especially if you live alone or are single.

9. Our frame of mind is especially important when it comes to depression think happy be happy, ya know don't worry!

10. Finally putting it simply become an optimist, the glass is half full not half empty. Optimism is key to overcoming all kinds of adversity in our daily lives, use to the fullest.

Winter time can be daunting but it does not have to be. Life is a gift, Often times the problems we face are self created just because it is winter and its cold outside does mean it has to be the end of the world. Dont worry be Happy. The Sun will come out tomorrow.

Overcoming Adversity A Spiritual Guide.: Martin Luther King Am I my Brothers Keeper?

2018-06-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Overcoming Adversity A Spiritual Guide.: Martin Luther King Am I my Brothers Keeper?: On August 28th 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous I have a dream speech to over ...

To Love

2018-05-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

1 John 4:19 says "We love, because God first loved us." In the 105 verses of 1 John, love is mentioned more than forty times. That is a lot of verses about love in a short period of time. But with seven words, "we love because he first loved us," the apostle John summarizes his teachings on this important topic. To love is to experience the greatest human emotion and gift that any of us has to give to another human being. Love when it is perfected in the manner that God intended it to be used is a very powerful thing indeed, and to experience love in the fullness of how we are to experience it requires us to do just that, to love. Not to love based on some condition, or emotional attachment or material thing, but simply because God has given all human beings the ability to do just that to love.

Love has its start and ending with God. He is its author, he created it out of his very nature, since God is love. It is his desire that we share and experience this wonderful gift to all humanity. Every good christian can quote John 3: 16, but what about 1 John 3: 16, " By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." So not only are we to love God before all other things, but we must also love our fellow human beings which pleases God.

When we look at the world as we presently know it one of the biggest problems we all now face is centered around our inability to love. High divorce rates are about couples falling out of love. Genocide in the black community is all about lack of love. Homicide, suicide, fratricide, are all about lack of love. Right now somewhere in the world there are wars being fought on every front and I believe most of them could go away if the countries involved would just learn to love. Take the Palestinian, Israeli conflict, this a race of two people the Jews and the Arabs who it would seem despise each other. Throughout the years they have slaughtered each other in a dispute over territorial rights to the small country of Israel. Historically if we look at the biblical genealogy of these two groups their beginnings have origins from the same father. We know that the Arabs are direct descendants of Ishmael who was Haggars son through Abraham. And the Jews have their origins from Isaac who was Sara's son from Abraham as well. Biologically they are related through their bloodline and yet throughout history they have despised and murdered each other for years.

All of the conflicts they have ever faced and will ever face towards each other would simply go away if they would only learn to love each other as God has proposed that we do in the book of 1 John. "Lets suppose that I understand the bible and am the greatest preacher who ever lived! The apostle Paul wrote that unless I have love, "I am nothing." There are many ways that we can see evidence of love existing in a Christians life. "Joy has origins in love, peace in your life is evidence of love, patience is evidences of love, kindness is evidence of love, goodness is evidence of love, faithfulness is evidence of love, gentleness is evidence of love. and finally self control is evidence of love." (Charles Stanley)

As we continue to grow and develop our relationship to God. An area that should shine through all the clearly is in the area of how we love our fellow mankind. To do anything less is an affront to our creator. Since God is love what better example do we need to show and demonstrate how we are required to love one another.

Martin Luther King Am I my Brothers Keeper?

2016-09-03T07:50:00.002-07:00

On August 28th 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous I have a dream speech to over 250,000 people. It was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. The Speech was one of many given that day by leading Civil Rights Advocates on the March On Washington, whose cause was to bring much needed attention to the plight of the American Negroes status in segregated America. Slavery had been abolished in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclamation, yet the American Negro still suffered at the hands of his fellow man with social, economic and oppressive living conditions in America. The ideas in the King speech reflect King's social experiences of the mistreatment of blacks. The speech draws upon appeals to America's myths as a nation founded to provide freedom and justice to all people, and then reinforces and transcends those secular mythologies by placing them within a spiritual context by arguing that racial justice is also in accord with God's will. Thus, the rhetoric of the speech provides redemption to America for its racial sins. King describes the promises made by America as a "promissory note" on which America has defaulted. He says that "America has given the Negro people a bad check", but that "we've come to cash this check" by marching in Washington, D.C. One of the most poignant moments in the speech would come when Dr. King said these famous words, "I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, 'We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal.' I have a dream . . ." We now know that on April 3rd of 1968 five years later Dr. King would be assassinated for this cause, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for the plight of the African American, as we look at the status of the African American male today would Dr. King be pleased with our progress, would Dr. King be pleased with the indifference and self hatred we now see that is so prevalent in our communities today?

In the book of Genesis the story is told about the plight of Cain and Able, they were the two first born sons of Adam and Eve. At some point in the story a conflict arose between the two brothers over a sacrificial offering they gave to God. Abel's was accepted and Cains was rejected, As is noted in this scripture one brother slayed the other prompting God to ask these now infamous words. "Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. This epic story from the Bible is central to our discussion today because as we look at the condition of the African American family and more importantly African American males, we know something is inherently wrong in our communities today. The African American males blood is daily crying out to God, as men who look like each other shoot, kill and maim each other for no cause. In almost every urban city in this country the most dangerous and prevalent problem facing African American males is the act of Genocide. The African American community still faces a host of concerns and problems as we continue to seek Dr. Kings idea of The Dream. Today we are much more likely to be killed by another African American male than any other act of attrition that would deny our right to freedom, civil liberties and social justice, which was at the heart of Dr. Kings cause.

Lets take a hard look at some of the hard facts facing the African American male today, to get a better idea to not only his plight, but perhaps to better understand some of the underlying factors and causes. Here are some interesting stats. In Education, "Only 45% of Black men graduate from high school in the United States.• Just 22 % of Black males who began at a four-year college graduated within six years.• 69% of Black children in America cannot read at grade level in the 4th grade, compared with 29% among White children. 7% of Black 8th-graders perform math at grade level. • 32% of all suspended students are Black. Black students (mostly Black males) are twice as likely as Whites to be suspended or expelled.• 67% of Black children are born out of wedlock. In Employment/Economics, At comparable educational levels, Black men earn 67% of what White men make. 53% of Black men aged 25-34 are either unemployed or earn too little to lift a family of four from poverty. 45% of Black children live below the poverty line, compared with 16% of White children. White men with prison records receive far more offers for entry-level jobs in New York City than black men with identical records, and are offered jobs just as often - if not more so - than black men who have never been arrested. And finally most interestingly and disturbing are these hard facts for black males. In Incarceration/Crime, In 2019, the chances of going to prison were highest among Black males (32.2%) and Hispanic males (17.2%) and lowest among White males (5.9%). • Blacks account for only 12% of the U.S. population, but 44 % of all prisoners in the United States are Black. • Blacks, who comprise only 12% of the population and account for about 13% of drug users, constitute 35% of all arrests for drug possession, 55% of all convictions on those charges, and
74% of all those sentenced to prison for possession.• In at least fifteen states, Black men were sent to prison on drug charges at rates ranging from twenty to fifty-seven times those of White men. • In 1986, before mandatory minimums for crack offenses became effective, the average federal drug offense sentence for Blacks was 11% higher than for Whites. Four years later following the implementation of harsher drug sentencing laws, the average federal drug offense sentence was 79% higher for Blacks.• 1,172 Black children and teenagers in the United States died from gunfire in 2003.• A young Black male in America is more likely to die from gunfire than was any soldier in Vietnam.• The Justice Department estimates that one out of every 21 Black men can expect to be murdered, a death rate double that of U. S. soldiers in World War II. • 1.46 million Black men out of a total voting population of 10.4 million have lost their right to vote due to felony convictions.

In conclusion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr had A Dream, he believed in it so much that he gave his life and was martyred because of it. One of his famous quotes was, "The Arc of the moral Universe is long but it bends toward justice. The problems I have discussed in my blog today affect a particular race of people specifically, but in essence they are all of our problems, they are America's problems. Dr. King also said. "You cant never be the best you can be, until you allow me to be the best I can be." As a Christian I take very seriously my responsibility as my brothers keeper. It is every able bodied American and Christian's responsibility to combat the problems and stats I have listed here every opportunity we get. The Bible says, "How can I claim to love a God whom I have never seen, yet hate my Brother who I see everyday." Yes The American Negro has made some progress on the long list of problems Dr. king gave his life for, but as is evident by what we witness in our country daily in the news, courts, schools, and streets of America we still have a long way to go. One might even conclude that we have made progress but we have acquired a host of new problems that threaten the very lives of the African American male, and negate any future possibility of him ever becoming a viable part of the American future. I think if Dr. King were alive today he would be amazed at the progress and strides we have made as a race of people. Our current President Barrack Obama is a testament to that fact. But he would also be deeply saddened and distraught at our new status in social economic gains and the breakup of the traditional black family. The self hate and loathing young black males display for each other through gun violence would cause him to turn over in his grave.

Via Dolorosa

2015-04-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Good Friday is important for us to remember so we never forget what transpired on that day. We know our lord and savior Jesus Christ suffered a terrible fate on that day, but all of humanity reaped the benefits of his sacrifice. It is called Good Friday not because of the suffering, but because humanity was offered salvation and the right to eternal life. Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa. The Via Dolorosa is a Latin term for the way of grief or way of suffering. It also has Christian origins in that it is a real street within the old city of Jerusalem. It is the sacred path our lord and savior had to walk as he carried the cross to his crucifixion. Today as I think about the dark and burdensome task our lord had to accomplish on that day I am reflective. I am reflective about the fact that the bible says's in Matthew 7: 13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

This would certainly hold true for our lord and savior on that day over two thousand years ago. The Dolorosa was a road that no one else could walk to accomplish what God had predestined for our world, yet Jesus had to walk it to his destruction to offer up Gods salvation plan for every human being that has ever lived on this earth. It is sad, unfortunate and true, that everyone who is not saved and committed to living a secular life without Christ is presently walking their own Dolorosa, Some of you might be asking how so? You are walking your own Dolorosa, because first of all a life on this earth apart from Christ is diminished in its capacity to be fruitful, I am talking about fruitful from the aspect of those things that will last and those things that are temporary. Only what you do for Christ will last, and the fact that some people choose to live their lives as if God does not exists does not negate the fact that he is real. so you can obtain all the money, power, wealth and influence that this world has to offer but it is only temporary, it will not last. If you are finding that hard to believe think of it this way. If not for the fact that we have the earths history recorded by historians and scholars, we would have no idea or thoughts about the people who lived on earth prior to our own arrival. We can recount history through the written word and photographic evidence because someone preserved it for us. Most of us live in homes that at some point in time someone else lived in and yet we don't know their names or faces, and for the average person once the genealogy of their family line reaches 40 or 50 years those relatives are no longer mentioned or remembered. This is a fact.

Right now at this very present moment the earth, the planets, the stars and the heavens are headed down its own Dolorosa. For most of us our lives seem to be OK, yet it is unmistakable the amount of human suffering we witness on the planet everyday. It is estimated that during World War II anywhere from 55 to 72 million people were killed. For any human being to have to die at the hands of another human being is a Dolorosa. A very recent example of this would be the tragic death of Trayvon Martin to George Zimmerman for fitting into a stereotype of what he perceived as dangerous. We can also see Dolorosa affects in our world by the amount of people who die annually to famine, sickness and disease. We see Dolorosa affects in the amount of crime committed in countries around the world. It is estimated that in the United states right now the homicide rate is 5.9 per 100,00 people, it has been as high as 10.2 per 100,00 in 1980. These are human beings dieing at the hands of other human beings, the Cain and Able affect. This is a Dolorosa. I could list a lot of other instances of circumstance here on earth that confirm the earths Dolorosa status. As you reflect on your own life, do you have some Dolorosa experiences? I bet you do.

As ominous as all of that sounds, guess what all is not lost. Jesus had to walk the lonely road of Dolorosa, but he came out the victor when his task was completed. He claimed victory over death which had all of humanity in its grip since Adam and Eve and the great fall, and because of Jesus's victory we are partakers in the subsequent events that will result which will one day end all sufferings. It will one day end all sickness and disease, it will one day end all wars and rumors of wars, it will one day end all homicides and murder. It will one day end all envy, strife and malice. It will one day end all circumstances on earth that require us to cry, grieve and mourn. The book of Isaiah says's it this way, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— ³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.⁵ Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist." The shoot is our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

To conclude the Dolorosa is Latin for grief, pain and the way of suffering. The bible says's that trouble doesn't last always. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Yes, while we are here on earth we all have to deal with the circumstance of the Dolorosa, but thank God for Jesus and the price he paid at the cross, that gives us not only victory at the road of Dolorosa, but more importantly a right to the gift of salvation which all Christians will experience as eternal life. Amen

Remebering Micheal Jackson

2015-02-28T11:39:00.003-08:00

I wrote this blog some time ago, but the mark the legendary King of Pop Micheal Jackson left on the world is unquestionable. The spiritual aspect of this Blog is that Micheal himself was a spiritual human being. He possessed the innocence of a child even as an adult, and these are qualities men revile but God adores. As I begin to write this tribute I can recall from memories about his life since he was 51 years old when he died, I am currently 63 years old. I grew up with the Jackson Five, it was during the latter part of the 60's and 70's; and the black community had a lot of social issues we were dealing with and musical groups like the Jackson's helped even children of my age forget some of our social problems. We use to sing along and form our own little Jackson Five groups to emulate the boys from Indiana. Right from their first big debut on national television on the Ed Sullivan show it was apparent who the star of the group was, little MJ. The littlest member of the group with the big voice and the incredulous dance moves always stole our hearts and the show, and we fell in love with him right from the start. Long before Micheal Jordan came along and we wanted to be like Mike, we wanted to be like Micheal Jackson of the Jackson Five. I also might add that his musical genre transcended all racial, cultural, economic and ethnic barriers. He had crazy mass appeal.

We watched Micheal grow from a small talented child into a musical Icon of unimagined magnitude, it was mind boggling to watch. who can ever forget his legendary performance of Billie Jean on the Motown 25th year anniversary special. Women literally cried and grown men and little boys alike started learning how to do the moon walk, we were mesmerized beyond our wildest dreams. Now as great as all of that was that was only the beginning of his rise to stardom. Through the years as we followed him he would take us to even higher heights, Of course the first adult album was off the wall, next would come thriller, Bad, Dangerous and History. We were along for the ride and he could do no wrong and he held a special place in the hearts of people around the world.

There is enough negative press out there about him, a tribute should concentrate on the positive aspects of an individuals life so that will be my focus. The spiritual aspects of Michael's life escapes most of his skeptics. that he was a spiritual human being is confirmed in his music and his life. One very important aspect of the human experience that we all have to face is, the choices we make in regards to how much influence good has in our lives. In my opinion Micheal's life transcended the human experience of humanity to man. He was a good, kind, caring and decent human being, and he was concerned about our planet and children. He was also concerned about the elements of our society were we have developed a habit of mistreating each other. We know he was concerned because in the latter part of his career as he matured he wrote songs about it, like The Earth Song, Human Nature, We are The World and who could ever forget Man in The Mirror, and we could feel his message in the words and his voice and it gave us goose bumps, and just for a moment while we listened to his music, our hearts were all in the same place. He is on record as being one of the biggest philanthropist the world has ever know. He gave untold amounts of money to charitable causes.

Finally it is sad but true that the world that we live in has made a habit of destroying human beings who it would seem are concerned about the welfare of others. Micheal Jackson in my opinion was a kindred spirit like no other we will ever have the opportunity to know. His passing like others before him, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr and other notables has left the world a less hospitable place, All of our abilities to be at our best has been lessened and we will all suffer to some extint because of it. Rest In Peace Micheal we will miss you so very much.

Excellence

2011-02-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

Being a christian is a big responsibility. It can and should be one of the most important endeavors we take on over the course of our adult lives. It requires excellence. Excellence by definition means to excel to have an innate quality that is unusually good surpassing ordinary standards.The problem with Christianity today is that most of us have our own agenda about how we are to operate as Christians. Unless we decide to totally commit our lives to God we will always be coming up a little bit short. The world in its present state is crying out for the need of godly people on the planet. Some people would disagree but I believe we have a desperate need for godly people in our homes, at work, among our friends, and for the leaders in our land. What exactly are the characteristics of a godly man who has excellence?. Psalms 1:1-3,Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

I believe it was Henry Varley that said; " The world has yet to see what god can do with, and for, and through a man who is full and wholly consecrated to him." To achieve this level of commitment requires excellence. In the bible one of the best examples of men who lived their lives up to the standard of excellence would be Daniel and Joseph. In the word of God nothing negative is written about Daniel or Joseph. They were both living examples of the kind of excellent commitment that is required to have Gods favor, even in the midst of adverse circumstances. Joseph was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery and suffered imprisonment at the hands of his adversaries for non offense. Daniels as we know refused to bow down to other idols at the expense of his life because of his excellent commitment to God. He was thrown into the lions den. They were both Godly men, that exhibited Godly character, they never once backed down on their commitment to excellence in their relationship with God.

We should try to follow their example in our christian walk and our commitment to excellence. We should seek Gods face daily, learn to pray without ceasing. We should meditate on his word both day and night. To do anything less is just a feeble attempt at representing our own ideas about Christianity and its content. This has always been a struggle for me in my own christian walk. to operate at a level of excellence that exceeds anything else I have ever attempted in my adult life. I am not ashamed to tell the world today that I love the lord. Finally, "let any man turn to the lord in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him see to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility. and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped for in his leaner and weaker days." (A. W. Tozer)

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Wisdom

2010-12-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Wisdom is knowledge used for its intended purpose. In reality wisdom is also looking at life from God's perspective to do anything less is foolishness. Time has a beginning and end. We all know this, yet we often live our lives as if we are going to live forever. Today in the small town of Des moines, Iowa a 21 year old young mans life was taken as the result of senseless street violence. So we all know that life can end suddenly at any given moment for each and everyone of us. Last year in my church family we have taken a pretty hard hit in our members. We are not a big church but we have lost 6 members last year. The bible says that a man's life is comparable to a flower, the sun shines on it and causes it to bloom, that same sun continues to shine on it and that flowers petals wilt and fall delicately to the ground. To return to the dust from which it comes. So is the fate of every human being that walks on the face of the earth. To ignore this is simply not wise. So knowing this information we can now make an informed decision, which in mym opinion is the best way to make any decision. Ephesians 5:15-16 says," Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

Wise men and women make the most of their time, wise men and women waste no time. They also take advantage of every opportunity to do what is right. They look for opportunities to move forward in their faith and service. Paul says in Ephesians that the days are evil because he was concerned about the moral climate of the day. Isn't this the case for us today as well? Evil is present at every hand in our lives today. I was just watching the news today and witnessed a man walk into a school board meeting and begin to try and shoot the board members because he disagreed with what they were doing. I believe in loving unconditionally, so I don't have hate for any human being on the face of the earth. I also am not homophobic and love my gay brothers and sisters as I would be inclined to Love any of God's children. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. Today we call it an alternative life style. It is an abhorrent behavior to God. The moral climate of today it is being advocated as a acceptable way to live, and it is acceptable, but it is a sin like all other sins to our father in heaven. Just as he hates the adulterer. But we must always rember he hates the sin not the sinner. You can be watching your television and your much more likely to see this behavior than a conversation about our lord an savior Jesus Christ. In my opinion there is something inherently wrong with that picture.

We as human beings we need to wake up and smell the coffee, everyday we are getting very clear signals that we are heading for trouble. marriages don't last, children are killing their parents. Communities of children are shooting each other down like dogs. It seems every other week we discover a new and more vicious serial killer who has decimated a population of vulnerable females. Wars continue to be fought on our planet and no one seems to have a clue as to what to do about it all. Many issues we have to deal with on a daily basis are not mentioned specifically in scripture. Complicated issues can arise, and there seems to be no biblical parallel, it is in situations such as these that we are to turn to wisdom. We should ask ourselves what is the wise thing to do?

Finally wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools.... But to know how to use knowledge is wisdom. This should not only be our goal as Christians but one of our purposes in life.

Godly Endurance

2010-12-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

To endure means to stand, to tolerate and to continue. Over the course of our adult lives we have many opportunities to endure. We can endure hardships, we can endure through relationships if they our not healthy. We can endure pain and suffering. It is sad but true that if we have had to endure something in life it has probably not been a pleasant experience for us. This is not always the case but more often than not this would hold true. As Christians we should not only be equipped to endure but more importantly to turn a hard experience into something with which to glorify God. I have often found myself having to endure something. To endure my own shortcomings as it relates to decision making sometimes. To endure the disappointment I have felt when I have let others who are important to me down. Now most of us are uncomfortable being honest about it, but one of the common threads that runs through the fabric of all human beings in my opinion, is their ability to sometimes be the victims of their own bad decision making. Most of us love to discuss and brag about our accomplishments, but we are silent about our errors in life and maybe rightfully so. But endurance involves laying aside every sin and hindrance that burdens us, and from the beginning of time since Adam and Eve we have all been burdened with the problem of enduring sin. We did not ask for it, we did not seek it out but it is a very real consequence for the human experience and so we must endure it our entire adult lives.

So endurance is usually centered around and activity that is a unpleasant experience for us. But for us to have success at enduring, we need to surround ourselves with a group of fellow human beings who are willing to encourage us. One of the most pleasant experiences I get out of belonging to a church family is the fellowship we exchange on a weekly basis. Theses are people who are not my blood relatives but I have a family like relationship with. They have a front page seat to the activities of my life and so when there have been times where I was experiencing a situation in my life that required encouragement, they would be first in line to encourage me if the situation required it. We all occasionally need someone to say, "hey you did a great job." "I will be praying for you and your family." These words of encouragement from family and friends can often times make all the difference between success and failure in our lives. These carefully chosen words can help us endure.

The apostle Paul was always a good encourager. It was one of the most prominent qualities he exhibited as an spreader of the good news or the gospel. During the early years of the christian movement we know they were often times being persecuted by the Romans, and their fellow Jews the Pharisees and the Sadducee's. So early christian had to have the ability to endure. It was often times compared to being in athletics. Athletes had to train to build up their strentgh and stamina. Their eating was regimented, their sleeping as regimented, and their bodies were whipped into shape on a daily basis so they could perform to there highest capacity. We have that same responsibilities as Christian's, God expects no less of us so we may also endure this christian race.

Finally in a letter to Timothy Paul wrote instructions on what it takes to endure. It says "And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hard working farmer must be first to partake of the crops..... remember.... Jesus Christ.....I endure all for the sake of the elect.... If we endure, we shall also reign with him." So he makes it clear what is required of us as Christians we must train to equips ourselves to endure. Some would say even to the extent that our lord and savior did, which was all the way to the cross.

Heavenly Thoughts

2010-12-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our thoughts are such a powerful tools. They help define us they help describe us, they are instrumental to the success and failures in our lives on a large scale. When we look at the human experience over time and throughout our history, the way we decide to grow and develop our thought patterns place us in one of two very important categories, either good or evil. As we become more spiritually mature our thoughts should become more heavenly. We should strive to be ever closer to God and since we can't see him physically we have to learn to connect with him in spirit and in truth and this can be done through our thoughts.

By definition thoughts are, "mental pictures and ideas passing intentionally and unintentionally through the consciousness." The power of the mind and thoughts is awesome, the mind is the control tower of character, conduct, and conversation. We can think rightly or wrongly, we can think positively or negatively, and the rest of our life will be influenced by our thinking. That is the power of the mind. You can't think evil and live a righteous life. Things just don't work that way, Godly living is the result of godly thinking, it is just that simple. George Sweeting once said," God's cure for evil thinking is to fill our minds with that which is good." So a question comes to mind, are our thoughts really that powerful? and I believe they are. How do we deal with problems in our thinking? The one thing that all humans have in common is our erroneous thinking and ability to make mistakes, which are directly tied to the way we think.

Our thoughts are also directly tied to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. We can literally think ourselves into mental and physical distress. Doctors attest to the fact that a large percentage of physical illness has a psychological basis. People have been given a dim prognosis concerning some illness only to defeat the disease based primarily on the positive way they attack it with their thought patterns. The wise king Solomon wrote, " A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Prov. 17:22)

Finally the apostle Paul had a profound experience with the human thought and how they influence our lives. He says in Philip. 4:8, " Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. Plus we would note that Paul thought about such things when his circumstances were not very favorable. Paul wrote this verse while sitting imprisoned for promoting and spreading the Gospel. So we can become closer to God by what we think. Keeping our minds focused on him and what we inwardly know he wants us to do with our lives will go a long way toward developing a thinking pattern that will bring us ever closer to God. Today let us fill our very minds with higher thinking that is aquainted with a connetion to God. After all God is not limited by earthly circumstances as we are, he resides in the heavens which are limitless. May our daily thoughts and ideas be where he is, which is amoung the stars. The affect this has on the human experience and existence is beyond words to describe..

The Armor of God

2010-11-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

Well 2011 is over and we are getting ready for a new year 2012. This past year has had both its up and its downs, such is life and no one avoids this fate. It is a part of the human condition and is something we all must face, christain and non christian alike. and we will continue to face it until we leave our earthly exsistance behind.One of the most challenging obstacles that a Christan faces is overcoming and defeating temptation. I have been saved for over 16 years and during that time period have found myself being defeated in my Christan walk by this adversarial tool utilized by Satan to try and keep Christians in a Temporary state of being defeated. I say temporary because God has provided the Christan with a number of spiritual weapons we can use to overcome and defeat Satan.

First and foremost we must realize that the battle is not ours it is the lords. Over 2000 years ago when our lord and savior Jesus Christ died and was crucified, and then resurrected he took the penalty for sin out of the equation. The penalty for sin is of course death, but as a direct result of the grace provided when Jesus went to the cross, all humanity is given the opportunity to escape judgement and death. If you asked most believers whether they would like to know how to stand firm against temptation, the answer would be a resounding yes. Most of the problems we encounter as christian are created as a direct result of our inability to say no to certain temptations. That has certainly been the case for me at times in my Christan walk.

You see the devil is very good at what he does, he does not go about his work haphazardly. He has a plan. His plans are relentless, direct, and specific. They are always perfectly planned, and tailor made for each individual and his or her desires. What is unfortunate for most of us is they are often times successful. The problem for most of us is our defenses are generally sloppy, a little prayer here and some bible reading there, usually just enough to make us feel good and secure about ourselves which makes us more vulnerable. We take plenty of time to prepare for other activities in our lives and end up giving God our second best, its no wonder we repeatedly fail at standing firm against temptation. When it comes down to preparing for the wiles of the devil most of us are downright lazy. The apostle Paul had this in mind when in the book of Ephesians chapter 6: 10-11 he wrote, "Finally, my brethern, be strong in the lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

The pieces of armor Paul is referring to mirror those worn by Roman soldiers in that day. By making this comparison, Paul provides the perfect illustration of how spiritual defenses work. He says to put on the breastplate of righteousness, to girth your loins with truth, to shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel. Above all taking the shield of faith, which will extinguish the fiery darts of the devil, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god. Finally as Christians going forward in our attempt to walk upright and obedient for the lord, Paul has given us the perfect instruction. He has told how to overcome temptation and ultimately defeat and frustrate Satan, which should be our goal, in this way we know we please God. So as 2011 comes to a close, we can best prepare ourselfs for this upcoming year 2012 by Putting on the whole armor of God saints and experience complete and total victory, this is Gods earthly plan for all Christians. Believe it and receive it.

A Distant God

2010-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

God is real no matter how you feel. It is easy to worship God when things are going good in your life, but what about when things are not going so well. This past two weeks has been pretty trying for me. I have encountered some of life's difficulties and don't know what I did to deserve it. Trials and tribulations are an everyday part of the human experience I realize that. As Christians when we walk outside the protective hedge of Gods grace, we can often times find ourselves with real problems of our own making. That has been the case for me over a good portion of my adult life. I am not ashamed to tell you that a lot of the problems I have encountered have been of my own making. But these past two weeks that has not been the case I have been walking upright and obedient before the lord, living my life on a daily basis in a way that I hope he has found pleasing. That is why I am somewhat puzzled about theses new trials, this time they are not connected to some disobedient behavior. So right now for me Gods seems distant.

One thing that life has taught me is that it is not always pleasant. The question then becomes how does a good christian continue to worship God when things are not going as planned? More importantly when it seems all of the wonderful promises the bible says are ours even while still here on earth suddenly become invisible. So what do you do when God seems a million miles away? I believe the deepest level of worship we can have is continuing to praise and worship God even when things are not going well. We should thank him during a trial, we should trust him when tempted, we should surrender while suffering and love him even more when he seems distant.

One of the strengths of my Christan walk has always been my ability to not only seek Gods face when i am doing well, but more importantly to see his face when i find myself confronted with some major life crisis, and believe me I have had my share of them. But who hasn't? So the trick becomes remaining in a viable relationship with God in spite of adverse circumstances. The book of Isaiah describes it this way, 8:17 " The lord has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hopes in Him.'

When things are at there darkest, When your trial seems to have no cause. When your putting your best Christan walk forward and the devil is attacking you anyhow. It is at time such as these that you should continue to call on the name of the lord. Rember, You are more than conqueror and no weapon formed against thee shall prosper.

Heaven vs Hell

2010-10-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what some people might think Hell and Heaven are two very real places. Sometimes people like to use the term hell on earth. As we go about our daily lives we go through circumstances sometimes that put us in the mind of hell. We are reminded of hell here on earth when we face difficult circumstances, but hell is a real place that awaits all who don't believe. One description of the place Hell would be,"The final abode of Satan, his angels and anyone who dies without trusting Jesus Christ as savior," Another way of describing Heaven and Hell by the The famous writer Richard Baxter is, As the enjoyment of God is the heaven of the Saints, so the loss of God is the Hell of the ungodly. And as the enjoying of God is the enjoying of all, so the loss of God is the loss of all."

All of humanity fits into one of three categories when examining this sensitive topic that most of us don't want to discuss. who wants to think about the fact that as a direct result of your choices you might have to spend eternity in a place called Hell. The first category would be believers, Second would be unbelievers or atheist, finally some might be agnostic meaning you don't believe one way or the other. Depending on which category you fall into will determine where you spend eternity it is as simple as that. Lets examine the term Hell for a minute. the term Hell comes from the Greek word Gehenna. Gehenna was a valley south of Jerusalem where locals dumped there garbage. If you have ever been to your city dump you know the kind of undesirable things one can find in a dump. It is a place where people discard their unwanted items and things. It is sad but true that it will also be the final resting place for all humans beings who Gods discards as a result of unbelief.

Another term used for hell is hades, but unlike hell hades is a completely different place it is torturous none the less, but it is a kind of loathsome holding tank. It is best described as the place where deceased unbelievers go to wait for the judgement. The book of Luke chapter 16: 19-31, "Hades is a place of torment and agony. At the judgement unbelievers will receive their sentences. Only then will they enter into Hell. The Bible says' to be absence from the body is to be present with the lord, but this only applies to believers, which brings us to an interesting point. Since the judgment is still in the future, and hell is reserved for those who have been judged and sentenced, we must assume that no one is presently in Hell. Everyone who has died in their unbelief is waiting in hades for the coming judgement, their wait is torturous.

You probably noticed that I did not spend alot of time describing heaven, rightfully so. heaven speaks for itself, it is a desirable place that we all seek to go. It is Gods reward for believers. Sometimes even in this God forsaken place that we live called earth we can at times experience heaven. People use the term heaven right here on earth. It is usually referring to some blissful event that we are experiencing where everything seem to be going all right. We are enjoying our earthly experience. heaven is also described as a place where there will finally be no more wars, no more tears, no more pain and suffering. God initial plan for the human race will unfold in all of his planned glory, majesty and omnisciences.

I believe that the most important decision any human being has to make is where are you going to spend eternity? Even if you don't take the time to consider it, even the consequences of that will one day be very real for You. In the book of Matthew it describes it this way, Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Enough said.

Fellowship

2010-09-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer on a beautiful weekend in the good ole state of Iowa we celebrated what we call Iowa Days. It is a time period when those Iowa residents who have left our great state for various reasons, come back to the State to celebrate and fellowhip the heritage of growing up in Des moines Iowa. It is an exciting time because people who you may not have had the opportunity to see, and engage for perhaps decades, you get an opportunity to fellowship with. As I have aged and been afforded the opportunity to grow older, I realize just how important this unique opportunity is. This idea of the coming together of fellow human beings for a common purpose. getting reaquainted with long lost friends through conversation, back slaps, and reassuring hugs and well wishes. Like two ships passing in the night, we should all cherish these fleeting moments, for perhaps time will not afford us to pass this way again..

The definition of fellowship is an association of persons who have similar interest tastes etc... This would certainly define the social relationships of people who attend a social activity like Iowa Days. or a socially engaging activity like a church event. The difference between the two of them is Iowa days is a secular social event, where as church is a place to learn to have a personal relationship with god, to actively be a part of his salvation plan, and to fellowship with others who have the same goal. Being a part of this not only brings us closer to God but it also gives each of us an opportunity to work on our spiritual growth which is tantamount to having success at becoming a viable christian.

It is sad but true that the world that we presently live in has an unlimited amount of examples of people who are out of fellowship with each other. The consequence of this behavior can be disastrous for everyone involved. One of the first examples the bible gives of this would the relationship of Cain and Able. As we know from the story jealousy and envy played a part in the destruction of their relationship when the offering of one of the brothers was found to be unacceptable to God. The resulting rage he felt caused him to slay his brother and to cause god to ask, "And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he [God] said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.--" Genesis 4: 9-10 (KJV)

This failed relationship among two of the first sons of Adam and Eve would be our first example of human rivalry and hatred among men and would lead to a new invention, murder. Obviously it would be in all of our best interest not to follow their example. We each have an obligation to follow the second of the two greatest commandments which is, " To love thy neighbor as thy self". Fellowship is key to having success in this area of our Christan walk. All this weekend I have been given yet another opportunity to demonstrate my love and fellowship with my common man. It has enriched my spirit and given me a new and more profound appreciation for this wonderful gift we call life. others have gone on home to be with the lord and so have gone on to a different type of fellowship. One that is perhaps more spiritual than anything we could ever experience here on earth. But today I simply thank God for each and every given opportunity to fellowship. It has helped to make me the man that I am, I believe that we are all the better simply because of it..

Temptation

2010-09-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Temptation is a word that usually describes an act that indicates lack of self control. If we are tempted by something we are probably talking about something that is not good for us. This of course is a secular view for this term. You know it would be easy to leave it there, but nothing is easy about trying to live a righteous life, so what does God think about Temptation? The beginning of this problem for the human experience has its origins in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, they were tempted by the serpent to eat the infamous apple and hence the introduction of sin into the world as a problem for human beings.

For Christians temptation is a word that indicates the participation in an act that leads to sinful behavior. In other words we are being lured away from our commitment to living a life outside of sin by some type of temptation. When I say live outside of sin I mean that we are never completely free of sin, we can only do our best through the aid of the holy spirit and gods word not to be succumbed by it. Having said that falling victim to sin can pose real problems for us in a few ways. For one when we turned our lives over to Christ we made a commitment to change our lives. "If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creation, old things are passed away and all things become new." God has now placed his holy spirit within us to lead and to guide us. So any act of purposely committing a sin grieves Gods holy spirit and we should be convicted by it. Finally God says the penalty for sin is ultimately death, first physical and then spiritual. Temptation has very serious consequences in the eyes of God.

As I indicted earlier temptation is a problem that all individuals have to deal with on some level Christian or not. But for Christians it is a tool utilized by Satan to keep us bound to a life of religious mediocrity. In other words we never reach our full potential in our Christian walk because we are constantly being subdued by sin. To the mind that is ill informed about Gods word and the battle being waged right here on earth between good and evil this is a lot of nonsense. The bible says in Ephesians 6:12 "12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So our adversary Satan is as real as the nose on your face. His intent is to destroy you, both physically and spiritually in your sin so the same fate that awaits him will await you. What awaits him is being condemned to eternal damnation in hell.

Finally the bible says, that god does not tempt us nor can he be tempted. We are tempted when each person by his own desires and thoughts is lead away to commit an act of sinfulness. The bible also says that God will not allow any of his chosen or the elect to be tempted beyond what your capable of with standing. In other words he will provide a way out. But we must properly equip our lives with his word and with the assistance of the aid of his holy spirit, with these tools properly utilized we can overcome any and all temptations and ultimately experience success in our everyday battle with temptation.

Quiet Time

2010-09-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I went with a childhood friend of mine to spend some time with his dying sister. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer some time ago and is currently reaching the last phase of the disease. Ultimately this means she will pass from this life to the next. As I think about our visit this morning I can see no better use of my time. Our entire lives are spent pursuing all kinds of goals and objectives, most of them centered around self interest. They have there place but taking some out of our day to reflect and have quiet is crucial for spiritual development if that is important to us and today for me it is. As we sat and waited and watched his sister come in and out of consciousness I was reminded of the importance of quiet time.

How often during the course of any day do we take the time to reflect and thank God for the present moment. tomorrow is not promised to any of us and we all should realize the importance of being grateful for the good we presently have in our lives. Like are we healthy? Is our family intact, Do we have full use of our mind and extremities.? These can seem like small insignificant events until something happens that turns our world upside down, especially since we are living in a world full of uncertainties. When we see others going through life's problems, we should think if not for the grace of God that could be me.

The bible says that a man and woman's life is comparable to a flower or grass in this way. "15As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16for the wind passes over it, and( it is gone,and its place knows it no more." Each one of us must reconcile with the fact that we have a date with death. It is a reality of our existence in the human condition. Christians can take comfort in the fact that we have been given a reprieve from the finality of death because we are saved. We have been redeemed. Today I am thankful for quiet time. A time I can take out my day to just be quiet, reflect and appreciate the sanity of the here and now. all the while knowing trials and tribulations come to all of us but with God as my refuge and taking some quiet time I have the strength to endure them all.

Addiction

2010-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Today's topic is about the illness of addiction. This is a social disease that transcends all racial, social and economic barriers. Most people who are suffering from the disease won't talk about it because they are still suffering. When one thinks about addiction the first thing that comes to mind is drugs and alcohol. People who have addicted personality traits can become addicted to a lot of things. They generally have type A personalities which makes you more vulnerable to this type of behavior. But you can become addicted to gambling, pornography, shopping and a host of other unmentionables. But for the purpose of our topic today I will be discussing addiction to drugs.

I am currently a recovering addict, I am not concerned about the social ramifications of revealing that in my blog. Whats more important to me is having the opportunity to give a testimony about my own experiences with the disease in hopes of helping someone else. It is estimated that every one in four Americans is suffering with the choice of using some kind of drug. Whether that be alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or something much harder like heroin, cocaine. The fact is that the United States economy generates approximately 14.4 billion dollars annually related to drug sales of some kind. That's alot of money folks. The cost of all of this illicit drug usage is not only visible in dollars, it also has very real costs in health related issues, incarceration rates and a host of other related social issues like prostitution, incest, communicable diseases and mental disabilities.

The disease of addiction is often times passed down from generation to generation through genetics, it can be passed on through observed behaviors which are learned and passed on. It is also directly related to poverty and being under educated since both of these put individuals at a disadvantage and makes them more vulnerable to the disease. The cost of all of this in quality of life and the human experience is staggering. It is a known fact the the world would be a much kinder and gentler place if people did not use drugs. For one thing God did not create us with a mind that requires drugs to function at its best. As a matter of fact our minds work at their best when we can think with a clear and unclouded mind. i would not be able to have the capacity to write this blog with any degree of clarity if I was still under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Today I thank God that he has kept me and afforded me the opportunity to come back from the brink of ruin and insanity, that can accompany the abuse of drugs and alcohol. As a matter of fact one of the driving forces behind my need to write this blog is that it is a therapeutic part of my recovery. It helps to keep me sober.

So to conclude addiction is very real problem for most Americans. As i mentioned earlier the amount of money Americans spend on illicit drugs is staggering. It is a symptom of a much larger problem. Most of us are having some type of identity problem. We don't really know who we are or more importantly who God created us to be. People whose lives mirror success on a high level are acutely aware of the danger of abusing drugs of any kind. It would be hard to look in side the interior of American families and find one whose solvency is not being threatened by a family member with a drug problem. This is unfortunate for our society as a whole.

To have any real chance at ridding our society of this scourge has to start with the individual. If we can educate our young and exemplify the position one should take on illegal drug use of any kind by what we do not what we say. I think we can have some success. The bible says to swear by neither heaven or earth, because heaven is gods throne and the earth is his footstool. Simply let your yes mean yes and your no to mean no. Be a man or woman of your word. Today August 24Th 2010 I say no to drugs and alcohol and hope and pray the same for all of America.

The N Word.

2010-08-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today's topic is about use of the word nigger, yea I said it and even spelled it out now what? It is a word that can be divisive depending on who is using it and why. It stirs up a mixed bag of emotions in Americans from every color and background. It comes with a lot of baggage because of its origin in American culture and history. The African American experience with it has been a love hate relationship. On one hand some of us don't like use of the word under any circumstance. Then there are others of us who use the word as a term of endearment in certain circumstances. It would seem that the more time passes that separates it from its ugly inception in slavery days, the more we have become accustomed to comfortably using it in our communities.

The most insensitive aspect of it occurs when some one from another race uses the word under any circumstance, most African Americans find this to be completely unacceptable and rightfully so. The most recent controversy surrounding the word occurred when Dr. Laura used the word on her radio talk show reportedly 11 times. How dare she. Doesn't she know that it is not only politically incorrect but whites under no circumstance have the social clout to use this word, even if it is just in an abstract instance as in this particular case. To make matters worse then you have an racially insensitive loudmouth like Sara Palin jump into the fray and say it is a violation of Dr. Laura's right to free speech and that takes it over the top. The problem I have with both of them is the fact that their life experience does not allow for empathy for the African American experience, how can it, their white. That disqualifies them from the start in my opinion. Couple that with the fact that neither of them seems to be capable of considering information that refutes their position on topics like this. They seem to have all the answers and the hell with information that does not support that. There is a wise saying that says, "It is a wise man or woman who knows his or her own ignorance and it is a fool who thinks he knows everything. I wonder what category these two idiots fit into?

Finally I suppose we could go into the history of the word and determine how it was coined as a term to begin with. To me that is not of particular importance. After all it is only a word. what is important is the feelings that are implied when one uses the word when describing others. That is where the implied racist overtures are hidden. For certain segments of the American population it is a way of unmasking their true feelings about people of color or revealing that they are racist. That is the problems most African Americans have with use of the word. Your telling us you don't like us, and in most cases those feelings are unprovoked. That's why people like Sara Palin and Dr. Laura can't use it because deep down they don't like us. Even though they don't have the moral fortitude to just come right out and say so. First amendment rights or not Sara Palin and Dr. Laura's use of this word is off limits for anyone not of color who is as disingenuous as these two boneheads. That's real Talk.