Monthly Archives: June 2018

I Am Listening God

What In The “Pew” Are We Here For?

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What In The” Pew” Are We Here For?

Over the past year our world has changed in ways I could have never imagined. Anger, hatred, violence, racism, discrimination and evil seem to have taken over our streets and hearts like a plague cast on Egypt. The love for our fellow brothers and sisters seems to be at an all time low. For some reason my soul just simply can’t yet conform to the new days that now lay before us.

A few weeks ago a good friend and someone I really look up to stopped in the middle of town on a street corner and spoke to me. We began talking about things and the state of the world today. In talking he said to me “ we seem to have forgotten whom the church really is. We are the church each and every one of us that claims to believe and serve The True Living God.” Even a few weeks later his words continue to ring in my ears. I too had forgotten that I am a church. Oh how I need to clean up the windows of my soul and repaint my weather beaten steeple. My church bell seems to be out of order and in desperate need of repair I am sure. I can’t remember the last time someone actually listened to me when I rang my bell and reminded folks that someday Jesus would be returning. Clearly those around me are unable to hear the ring and clammer of my personal church anymore.

I have been struggling the past year waiting for fellow Christians to sound the alarm against the awful things that are currently going on in our world. I have waited for church groups, fellow church members to stand up and unite in prayer and hope for a better tomorrow. I waited for calls to the altar for prayers of unarmed shooting victims, children and teachers killed in school shootings, women abused and mistreated, deliverance and protection for desperate immigrants, drug addicts, loved ones without medical insurance and sanity and civility within our own government again. Yet all I have heard are crickets. Very few sermons are being preached and very few prayers are being offered amongst the pews of our country each and every Sunday. Yet if a policeman is shot in the line of duty I often will hear certain preachers mention that. Honestly I don’t see the difference, each one mentioned is just as awful as the other. Why on earth are the others never mentioned? Do we God’s people not care about all of that? Shouldn’t we care about all of this? Have we lost our will to show compassion towards our fellow man? Have we ever stopped to think about how God truly feels about all of that?

What if God today in this moment decided to shut His borders? What if because of the state of our world today God decided we were not His people. Our behavior or looks no longer resembled someone welcome in Heaven? What if God turned His back on our desperate cries? What if He began to snatch away our children without justification, compassion or care? What if God took the mirrors of our souls and used them as reflections of Him? What if God chose to run His Kingdom like we do here on earth? What shape would we all truly be in then?

Church attendance around this country is at an all time low. People like me are desperate for a compassionate world. We long for a world that God Himself would be so proud of. Yet we walk amongst fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and some act like they are spiritually and morally dead. Each Sunday folks are feeling like they are attending a funeral. Absolutely no compassion being preached in the majority of the world. Very few shouting “We Are The World.” People holding on more tightly to political views and political parties than the teachings of Jesus Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthews 5:7-10.

Honestly people what and whom have we become? Have we forgotten to clean the windows of our souls that our little light might shine? Have we adorned our steeples with so much materialistic garbage that our steeples can no longer be identified or recognized? Have we unknowingly left our church within the pews of the thousands of building across our land? What in Jesus name are we doing? Why are we even bothering to attend church? Have we forgotten that we are the true and living church and not the brick and mortar?  Has it just simply become a bad habit some type of twisted ritual? Seriously my fellow brothers and sister…… What In The “Pew” Are We Here For?

Blessings Upon Blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's Do Better

Help Wanted Seeking Legions Of Rams In The Bush

Help Wanted Seeking Legions Of Rams In The Bush

This has been a troubling week for the soul of a woman like me. So I beg of you to allow me attempt to paint a picture for you all from a different point of view. I hope you don’t mind if I recall a few scriptures as I share this story with you.

Unless you have been under a rock the last few days, you know by now that our country is in a huge immigration debate. Some folks have decided to pick a side. Some are crying GOP while others are screaming Liberals for me! I am one of those caught in the middle. I am just sickened to my stomach grieving deep in my soul for the young children I continue to see crying on my tv.

A few nights ago when this story broke I sat on my couch literally frozen. As a mother and as a woman I honestly began to truly grieve. I could not help but think what if  my kids had been taken from me upon desperately entering a foreign country. Not a vacation for which I had paid lots of money. But upon entering a place that I had prayed out to God along the journey to find safety and a better life for my children and me.

I sat imagining if my kids and I had been traveling for months by foot with barely any money or food to eat. Fleeing from a corrupt government that wished to kill me and my husband. Evil people prepared to murder or enslave my sons. Monsters eager to rape my young daughter or send her into prostitution.

We had crawled, begged, stolen along our path to a promise of freedom. We didn’t have the luxury of a cell phone, GPS or access to internet when we started out on this journey. Yet we knew we must head north if there was any hope of escaping this life of cruelty and bondage! We had left a Legion of Herods behind us and unbeknownst to us a Legion of Pharaohs were eagerly awaiting us up north at the border.

We have absolutely no idea we are about to be separated from our children. We had considered being turned around or perhaps detained for a short period of time, but never in our wildest dreams separated from our beloved children. Had I known what lay before us here I would have rather died in the hills of suicide side by side with my children. At least I would have known what had happened to them.

Alas, I sit here in a cage with other women and I have no idea the whereabouts of either my husband or my children. All I have in this moment of time are the prayers choked down in my heart by my tears and sobbing. In this moment the darkest hours of my life, I cry out to the Lord for a ram in the bush like He had given to His beloved Abraham in the book of Genesis 22:9-13. An unexpected blessing in a bush to save my children.

I lay praying on a cold floor. Praying to God to send an angel to protect and save my children. Might God be so kind to grant me grace and mercy one more time. Might He send forth an angel to hear my children’s cries? Someone to rise up and save them. Might God send some women from Pharaoh’s country like He did for Moses when He sent Shiphrah & Puah to do His will not Pharaoh’s bidding.  Just like He did in Exodus 1:15-21. Might God be merciful to send us a few of Pharaoh’s daughters that might hear the cries of our children and feel sorry for them just like in Exodus 2:5-6?

Ladies of these United States might we find the courage to rise up and fight for the protection and rights of a stranger’s children? Might we do what is humane and morally right in this moment. Can we stand up to the heartless folks in our country? Can we unite as a Legions of Rams in the bushes? Perhaps the Lord might see and feel our compassion. When our vapors of life have come to an end……… He will swing open wide the Mighty Gates of Heaven saying “ come home my Daughters of Pharaoh.  I am grateful for what I witnessed you all doing for My children. Come on across My border you all are welcome here.”

Blessings Upon Blessings

 

Wow Wow Wow

The Upper Room

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The Upper Room

Over the past few weeks I have noticed a growing spirit of depression, grief and anger amongst my friends and loved ones. Honestly it’s like nothing I have ever seen before. I know that the sometimes harsh and devastating news reports can weigh a person down. I also know that the political climate in our country right now is not for the faint at heart. Everywhere we turn there just seems to be death, anger, hatred and depression. This is so not the world that God envisioned for any of us. Alas we all know the stories found in the book of Genesis. Most of us have some idea of how sin was born. Unfortunately when Adam and Eve passed the baton of sin mankind grabbed it and took off running. So it is my friends that we live with so much hurt, hatred, frustration, evil, division and depression. Our God is merciful and it truly never was His intent for His Beloved Children.

When I was a child growing up in Chicago Mahalia Jackson was a famous gospel singer. You could drop in to any African American Church on Sunday and probably hear a song by Mahalia.

I was already familiar with her music because my grandmother and her sisters would sing one of those songs whether  riding  in the car, at Christmas dinner, while sitting at my great grandmother’s house while holding vigil over her, while cleaning their houses, cooking dinner or even during a family reunion. One of Mrs. Jackson’s songs was “In The Upper Room.” Lord my great aunt Pansy was blessed with a voice that could sing all of Mahalia Jackson’s song. When she and her sisters would talk about troubles, trial and tribulations often times they would just start singing that song. They always talked about the power of stealing away to God in the upper room. I was young, I just liked those songs. I had no idea what the lyrics to any of the songs meant. Thanks Be to God that now I know the meaning and importance of each and every song.

After watching the movie War Room with some of my friends I began to make a conscious effort to spend more time with God. Over Christmas Break of 2017 I desired a more deliberate quiet space in which I could perhaps spend time with God. I needed my own special closet but none was available to be had. So I kept praying and thinking and one day while watching TV with my spouse a corner of my dining area caught my eye. A few clicks online and a few shipments from Amazon and my prayer space was done. As I began to set up my prayer board, gather my books, invest in post it notes and light my candles I realized I needed music and some songs.

I went all across the music spectrum in search of passionate relatable songs. My first selection of songs included “Holy Holy Holy’ by Donnie McClurkin, Vashawn Mitchell, Chicago Mass Choir, Hezekiah Walker, Yolanda Adams, William McDowell, Crystal Yates featuring Michah Tyler, Joshua Sherman and Charity Gayle, Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Yet I knew I was missing something. I just could not put my finger on it. Well in a few days I began to feel the movement of God. By the end of the first week  I felt His presence so strong that I would hate to be interrupted and  I never wanted to leave my little room. I was thanking God for things, begging for forgiveness for my thoughts and my mouth, and I was petitioning God on the behalf of friends , loved ones, enemies and people I didn’t even know. All I needed was to hear about a need or read about a need on social media and out a new brightly colored sticky note would come. Within the second week I barely had room for a new one. I was hungry to spend time with God. I realized that even though I had been busy with church stuff and social stuff I truly was not experiencing the full presence of God. I must warn you now my friends………when you begin to truly spend quiet, intimate time with God be prepared for full blown worship. The tears begin to fall the hands begin to go up and the spirit of your Powerful Merciful Loving God begins to move all around. Peace begins to flow like a river. Thankfulness flows from your mouth. Blessings begin to rain down on those you have been lifting up and healing abounds all around town. You find yourself in such a content place that you finally realize that you can do all things through time well spent with a True and Living God.

So a few weeks in I was walking toward my special little room and Mahalia Jackson’s song began to ring in my ears as I crossed my kitchen…………..

In the upper room with Jesus

Singing in tears blessed fears

Daily there my sins confessing

Beggin for his mercy sweet

Trusting his grace and power

Seeking help in loving prayers

It is this how I feel the spirit

And I sat with him and pray

Oh, he’s in in the upper room

With Jesus

Oh, it’s in the upper room

When my lord and your god

When he’s in the upper room

Yes, he’s in the upper room

Well he’s in the upper room

Talking with the Lord

Oh my, Hallelujah, Lord

It was in that very moment that I realized what I had created. I had created that sacred space in which my Elders had song and talked about all those years ago. It had taken me this long to understand the importance of giving my mind and time to God instead of wasting it on the thoughts and ugliness of this world. I had totally retrained my mind to Him as opposed to the enemy. You know who I am talking about……that thing that gives us sad, ugly, hurtful, depressing and troubling thoughts. I had unknowingly made the choice to fix my thoughts on things other than this world for short periods of time.

Needless to say that after I got over the shock of it all…….Mrs. Mahalia Jackson made her way to the top of my playlist and her songs stay in my rotation. I make sure to listen to her often because you don’t find that type of wisdom floating around anymore. So today I encourage all of you that are in dark places to create a space in your hearts and minds to spend sacred time with God. If you have a space within your home or office create a place for God. I am telling you it can be each morning or afternoon right at the steering wheel of your car. Spend more time talking to and thanking God and that enemy I mentioned will depart from you. You my friends and loved ones are simply giving him to much of your time. He came to kill, steal and destroy your peace of mind. Tell him his time is up and that you now from this moment on simply only have time for God! Fix your minds my friends. It’s not about your hearts those are true, gentle and kind. You just need time in the Upper Room with God to heal and strengthen your minds.

Blessings Upon Blessings