Feels like starting all over again

When I was a little girl, I used to listen to a gospel song whose title was, Feels Like Starting All Over Again.  The song was about redemption and getting another chance from God.  But I submit that there are times when it feels like I'm starting all over again and having to relive, redo and relearn.  Most of the time it is because I haven't made it through the transition or the process that God is trying to guide me through.  Somewhere along the way I gave up or gave out.  

Bishop Noel Jones once said, "Just because God makes a way of escape doesn't mean that you have to take it."  When we are in the press, in the struggle, in the process and in the transition we are there because God is trying to get something to us.  When we do not make it all the way through we cannot claim that as a testimony.  We cannot yet say we have overcome.  There are so many people claiming that God is moving them to the next level, but in fact they keep starting over on the same level.

If this sounds familiar fear not, I have some answers today.  I was talking with a friend earlier in the week and I asked myself why is it that in spite of my achievements in academics and education, in spite of my work experience and in spite of my years of dedication at working, it feels like I keep starting over?  I'm not experiencing promotion like I want.  I'm not moving at the pace that I want.  I'm not achieving like I want financially.  I'm not getting to that place of break through.  But if you are like me you have found as I have that God answers prayers and questions.  So God answered this one, while I was talking to my friend.

God shared with me that the reason that I have not been able to move forward in the past was because I refused to endure my transitions and my processes.  2 Timothy 2:3 instructs us to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  Over the last few weeks several people have said to me that I am in a period of transition.  People are telling me how it was for them when they went through their transition and what I can expect.  People are encouraging me and letting me know that I need to stay in the press because the results of making it through the transition are that I win and I come out better than when I went in.  What I have learned of my God is that He will keep dealing with those who have retarded growth-as Bishop Woods advised us Sunday; preaching about the man who was made whole at the pool of Bethesda.  See what I learned from that sermon is that some of us are not getting our wholeness because we never make it through the transition period.

It is the transition, the process and the press that is the vehicle that takes us to our next level.  So if we cannot stand the transition, there is no way that we will be able to survive at the next level and because God is our Father and cares about our well being, He will not allow us to move on to another level that we cannot survive.

If you have ever played a video game, I'm sure you can identify.  Video games have levels and each level has challenges and enemies that must be defeated.  But if you fail to make it through the challenges or to defeat the enemies, you wind up having to start the level over again.  The interesting thing is that you can keep practicing until you get good at meeting and beating the challenges and the enemies.  

Dedicated video gamers learn that there are cheats that help us to move to the next level without having to face all of the challenges.  The cheats instruct one on how to manipulate their controller in order to push the right keys in the right sequence in order to pass up some of the challenges and move on to another level and it is counted to them as though they had the experience that they were supposed to gain.

Christians have the same opportunities available to us.  Our secret moves involve, prayer, praise, thanksgiving and worship.  I have learned that the fastest way though my trials is to keep my face to the Lord in prayer, supplication and worship; to seek Him first.  

Having the cheat codes doesn't mean that there won't be any challenges, it just makes the transition easier.  Matthew 16:19 puts it like this:

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Ephesians 3:20-21 puts it this way:

20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,21. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

This scripture indicates to me that I can make it through my transitions and I can withstand the press according to the power that is in me.  The power to pray, to worship and to offer up thanksgiving.

So consider this today, if it feels like you are starting all over again, are you using your cheat codes?  Do you have the keys?  Do you have the power to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ?  Of course you do.  Make every effort to give God the praise and adoration He is due; to worship Him in spirit and in truth and to pray to Him; all the while keeping your eyes on the hills and your mind on kingdom work.  You will get to your next level, where not only will you survive, but you will thrive!

God's got some new new for you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 reads, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

There's a popular saying that the definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same behavior again and again, but then expecting different results.  If we continue to conduct our lives the same way hanging with the same people and doing all the same things then we will continue to have what we currently have, but how many of us realize that God is trying to get something new to us?  He's trying to get us a new mind and a new outlook.  He wants us to have a new perspective. 

We say we want to change, but what are we doing to evoke that change?  We say for example, that we'd like to lose weight, but we don't change what we eat or our level of physical activity so we must ask the question do we really want to lose weight?  Every change that we want will require us to go through a process and every process will have its good and its bad, but we must accept that in order to change.  We must be processed by submission to the power of God.

We approach every relationship the same way too-including our relationship with God.  We treat every new beau the same way.  We look in the same places for our good thang.  We act the same way with the new person as we did with the last.  We treat our family members the same way.  We go to work and perform at the same level and wonder why we do not experience promotion.  We go to church the same way. 

Actually, I'd even argue that we lower the standard of God in our lives and begin to just except anything for ourselves.  Elder Larisha Jones told us yesterday how important the banner or the standard of God is.  As long as we can see the standard we can prevail in battle.  When the standard is lowered we begin to go back to our own old ways and we forget the new that God has for us.

We need to stop.  Just stop.  Concentrate on the words of this scripture.  If any be in Christ, he is a new creation.  Our old things are behind us and all that is before us is new.  So we must find ourselves in Christ.  Not in a person.  Not in ourselves.  Not in our own world, but in Christ.  When we find ourselves in the secret place and in the Word and in a place of worship and praise then we will recognize that we have all things new new.  We have a new walk.  We even talk differently.  We treat God differently.  We have confidence that He will complete the work that He started in us.

God is a good God and what I like about Him is that when He gives me my new, it's just mine and all mine. I'm not borrowing someone else's new.  What God has for me is just for me and I am thankful and grateful for all that He has in store for me.

In God is the only place where brokenness is newness, where falling is a new beginning and where void becomes a testimony.  My God is beautiful in every way and He is teaching me my value and my worth.  He is restoring me.  He reminds me of the power that He put inside me. He reminds me of how He has always been right here with me never leaving me nor forsaking me.  He is asking me to share with you that He has something new in store for you.  He wants to make all of your rough places straight.  He wants to remove the spots and the wrinkles.  God wants to rescue you from sinking.

Today commit to God's new new for you.  Commit to reading the Word and to hiding it on the tables of your heart so that He can abide in you.  Commit to speaking the word of life over your own life so that you can abide in Him.  Ask Him to create a clean heart in you and to renew a right spirit within.  Ask Him to make it so that you will never be the same.

A tale of love, redemption and restoration.

Today's blog is based in the entire 4 chapters of the book of Ruth.  I want to share some of the characteristics of Boaz and that while on the surface this seems like a simply story of amorous love, it is in fact so much deeper than that.

When I considered what I am currently going through I really had to stop and ask God why He would give me this word to share at this time.  But He reminded me that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not like mine.  His ways and thoughts are as different from mine as the heavens are from the Earth so with that said, all I can do is be obedient. 

I am going to give some information about the story and then some specifics about Boaz and the general significance of this story.  When I started writing this blog I thought it was going to be a romantic story about a woman waiting on a man of God and from God, but as I write it out God is revealing to me even now that this story was more about redemption and restoration than anything else.  What seems on the surface to be a sweet love story is really a powerful reminder of how God moves people and crafts events in order to establish His will not just for our present but so that He can provide us with a hope and a future.  This reveals that God does know the plans that He has for us.

What I first found interesting is how the scripture makes note that Naomi and Ruth make their way back to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley season.  I asked God to reveal the significance of this to me.  He shared with me through my research that this was very significant because the Jewish tradition celebrated three major harvests.  The first was the barley harvest and this harvest which coincided with the Passover represented the over comers.  Barley was the grain of the poor man, yet it was the first crop given to the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt; therefore, it had and has tremendous importance and significance.

So Boaz grew barley.  And as the well known story goes, Ruth finds her way to the land of Naomi's kinsman, Boaz.  Ruth sets out early in the morning and begins to glean the barley that is left over after the harvesters take the best.  Her intention was to somehow find favor with Boaz. 

In her gleaning efforts, Ruth indeed catches the attention of Boaz and we see that he becomes genuinely concerned with Ruth's well being.  This is the first characteristic of Boaz. He advises those that work his land to allow Ruth to glean with the other young women and to even leave a little bit more.  He then advises them not to bother her.  So then Boaz provides Ruth a level of protection.

Boaz then addresses Ruth directly and lets her know to stay with the young women and to follow them where ever they glean.  He also lets her know that he has covered her with his protection so we see that Boaz comforts Ruth.  Boaz was also impressed by Ruth and her dedication and loyalty to Naomi.  Boaz fed her and allowed her to rest with his other maidservants.

Chapter 3 finds Naomi educating Ruth on how she should present herself to Boaz.  I found it quite interesting that Naomi knew the habits of Boaz, where he would be and what he'd be doing, but that revelation is perhaps for a different day.  The important thing here is that Ruth benefited from Naomi's wisdom and experience.  Naomi advised Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Ruth would find Boaz.  Ruth had been instructed to uncover Boaz' feet and to lie there until she received instructions from Boaz.  She obeyed. 

When Boaz awoke from his sleep he was startled to find Ruth, but Ruth went into action and carefully followed the instruction of her mother-in-law.  She advised Boaz of who he was to her and subtly reminded him of his responsibility.  Again Boaz praises Ruth for her dedication and loyalty.  Boaz showed respect for Ruth and allowed her to continue to rest.  Boaz was concerned about Ruth's reputation and advised her that she should leave before anyone would recognize her.  Before she left  Boaz gave Ruth more barley and he promised to uphold his duties to her and to her mother-in-law.  Boaz explained to Ruth what he planned to do and Ruth returned to Naomi with a promise.

Boaz wasted no time, but sought to redeem Ruth and Naomi.  We see from Boaz' interactions in chapter 4 that he was a man of integrity and he sought to do things in order.  He had shared with Ruth that there was a relative that was closer to Naomi than he was and that he would have to allow this relative the opportunity to redeem the land owned by Naomi.  From this passage we see that Boaz respected Ruth's value.  His strategy for dealing with the closer relative was wise.  He first advised that there was land to be redeemed.  I think he wanted to find out what the relative would do. He didn't immediately share that Ruth was part of the bargain.  So we see that for Ruth, Boaz took a risk.  The other relative wanted the land, but then Boaz said to him, "Well there's more than the land, you must marry the widow of the deceased relative and carry on his name."  Maybe it was the way Boaz said it, but the other relative did not want any part of that deal so he agreed to forgo his rights to redeem the land.

So the remainder of chapter 4 indicates to us that Boaz was concerned about Ruth's future as he vowed to restore the name of his deceased relative through marrying Ruth and providing offspring.

Some other characteristics of Boaz:

Boaz had means and the authority to carry out the commands that he gave concerning Ruth's safety.
Boaz had ownership and he was responsible.
Boaz was generous.
Boaz was patient.
Boaz was honest.
Boaz took a risk for Ruth.
Boaz was wise.
Boaz was available.  Part of the reason that the other relative was afraid to redeem the land was because he would have also had to have redeemed Ruth and he was afraid that would mean that his own inheritance would be ruined.  So we see that Boaz was available and did not have this fear or concern.

As a result of Ruth's loyalty and obedience and of Boaz' actions, the lineage of King David and of our Savior Jesus Christ remained in tact.

This story of love, redemption and restoration reflects God's care for us-His people.  We may find ourselves in a dead situation.  God wants us to remain loyal to Him.  He wants us to stay in position and to listen.  He wants us to hear and to obey the word.  In doing this, we will be rewarded.  He will bless us to find ourselves in a place of restoration and redemption.

Today consider your situation and consider all that Ruth did.  Have you remained loyal and obedient?  If so then expect God to provide you a Boaz to restore and to redeem you not just for your present situation but also for your future.

Parental Advisory: Spritually Explicit Content "Under the Cover"

For the last few weeks I have been absorbing Psalm 91.  I have found myself longing to stay in the secret place of God; under the shadow of His wings and in His pavilion.  Lord knows I have been going through some things, but as my Bishop and spiritual father told me yesterday I Must be a VIP.  Then my spiritual mother came along and sang to me and reassured me that as long as I stay in the secret place with King Jesus, I don't need nobody else and I can't be touched.  She explained that there is freedom in God's pavilion.  Then God revealed to me that I have the choice to throw one of two kinds of parties.  I can wallow in the pit and have a pity party of one, or I can stand on the Word of God and have a praise party where God will inhabit and dwell; and where the spirit of the Lord is . . . there is liberty!

I called this Under the Cover because my Bishop reassured me that through my steps of obedience and of returning to serve that God has restored me and has kept me under His covering.  We must choose to stay under the covering and in position under the leadership and tutelage of those who God entrusts to watch over us.  

I thought and asked God what it meant to have position and to stay in position and He brought to my memory the story of Jacob and Esau.  Esau sold his position or his birthright for a pot of beans.  In other words he gave away the rights to his future to try to satiate an immediate feeling of hunger because the hunger had become magnified in his mind--that's the kind of thing that can happen to us when we are not under the covering and getting that reassurance from our spiritual parents.  

But God is looking for some individuals who can endure and who won't trade their future divine appointments to try to satisfy immediate flights of fancy.  He wants us to rest in Him for all our needs.  What we must realize is that our physical desires, needs, issues are temporary and must be brought under the subjection of the Holy Ghost.  We can do this through God's process for our lives, through listening to our spiritual leaders and through losing ourselves in the Word of God through consecration and dedication.

There's another reason that we must stay in position.  Consider the story of David at Ziglag.  David and the party that was with David could have just fell out because the enemy had stolen all of their possessions and had taken their families as slaves.  David cried and the men with him cried and considered killing David, but David sought God and asked God should I pursue this enemy?  God assured David that he should pursue the enemy and that he would recover all.  Now if David hadn't decided to head toward in the direction of the enemy when he did then he would never have run into the servant that they had left for dead.  That servant was in the position to help David to recover all.  David caught up to the enemy and got all of his stuff back and then some!

With what i have been going through I have asked God to just let me rest.  I keep telling friends that I need to lean on somebody for a change.  I'm tired for being the strong one.  I laugh to think about this all now because God has surrounded me with people who are not buying any of what I was trying to sell!  They told me to keep it pushing!  God told me that there is no time for slowing down, resting or stopping because kingdom work is still at stake.  He also told me that if I rest now, I won't be able to recover all.  I have to keep pushing in order to experience the richness of God's anointing for my life and in order to recover all and to be properly restored to my rightful place in Him.  

I knew this was absolutely true when I saw my pastor after a long time of not seeing her and the first thing that I did was fall into her arms and experience her mothering and nurturing me and giving me words of love and encouragement.  She may be younger than me in age, but her anointing is that of a mother of nations.  After she loved on me and bandaged me up, my Bishop gave me a hug and said, "Alright now, we are going to move forward from this Elder."  Isn't that just what fathers do!  They do not allow you to wallow.  They want you to brush yourself off and get back in it.  It is nurturing too, but in a different way.  See fathers know that in order for us to stay encouraged and to stay focused we cannot allow the fall or the subsequent bruise to become our focus.  For example, if we were learning to ride a bike, falling off of the bike and getting hurt from the fall are part of the process of learning to ride a bike.  It is not the full part, but we cannot deny that it is a part.  But the most important part of learning to ride a bike is getting back on and trying again and again until we are successful.

It helps me to know that I do not have the space or the opportunity to sit around feeling sorry for myself.  There is yet work that needs to be done.

Read Psalm 91 and get under the cover today.  Stay there and don't be afraid to go through some things.  It is all part of the process.  Not because God is trying to punish you, but because it is just part of the process just like learning to ride that bike.  Why is it that we can accept that we will fall and get hurt learning to ride a bike, but we fall out at the thought that we may have go to through something for the cause of Christ!  Listen to your spiritual father and shake it off, breathe, stretch and let it go.  There is kingdom work to be done.  

Brain Washing

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8

There are other scriptures like these two passages that admonish Christians to submit our minds to a changing.  There is the idea that whatever we've brought with us isn't enough to get us where we want to go so we need to put on the mind of Christ and focus on virtuous things.

It's so funny, but I received a speeding ticket yesterday morning.  Someone that I work with who sits on the other side of the building sent me a message, "I heard you got a speeding ticket!"  I shared that I had and that I wasn't surprised by how quickly this bad news had spread-I think I used the term with lightening speed.  It's a shame that the gospel of Christ doesn't spread as fast or the fact that He's a healer; He's a keeper; He's the lover of my soul.  I wish this news was always on the minds of Christians and on the tongues of everyone I knew.

It's 3:00 in the morning and God has been waking me at this time every morning for a few weeks now.  I am beginning to see that He wants to wash my mind.  He wants to yet and again change my paradigm.  He wants to give me a lasting Word that I can hide in my heart and He keeps drawing me into the secret place.  You know when you are in the throws of a trial or tribulation that has the potential to take you out because God will call to you like He called to Samuel in the wee hours of the morning and He will hide you under the shadow of His wings.  He will show you Himself and allow you to stand still and see His salvation.

God gives us this safe place to dwell so that we can begin to receive a transfer of knowledge, power, strength and Word from Him.  He does this when He needs us to see things differently.  Plainly, God sees your struggle.  As a matter of fact He has allowed your struggle because He happens to know what you need to break the old you and to make you over into a vessel of honor that He can glorify in.  We as Christians need to learn that God speaks to us in more ways than one.  He reveals Himself to us in spite of our feebleness and ineptness or inability to see Him working things out for our good.  We want the power of God, but many of us surely do not want to go through what it takes to have it.  It takes a mind change.  It takes a washing away of me and an adaptation of Him.  It takes me accepting Gods will and to stop trying to fix my situation.  There are some things that cannot be fixed.  There are some things that you are just going to have to go all the way through so that you can experience the journey of overcoming.  Not for you, but for the edifying of the saints and for the glorying of God.  For the lifting up of someone else.  So that you can speak a true word from the Lord of how He is able and will deliver.

While you are in the middle of your situation, think about things that are pure, lovely, just and of a good report, think about virtuous things and of praising our God.  Think on the love of God for you.  Think about what He has already done and then simply rest.  Rest assured that all that He is taking you through is to renew your mind, to protect your heart and to make you over.  Today, let Him wash your mind clean.  Ask Him for the word of life to speak over your own family and over your own situation.  Stop trying to fix it and just go through the process.  Don't prolong it.  Let the Father reveal Himself to you and keep you in the secret place.  Think about the things of God.  Be encouraged that this too shall pass and you will be better for it.  Better for God's use and better for Kingdom work.

Weight Watchers

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. . .

For the past four weeks God has instructed me to change.  That change has come through a simple movement-walking.  I've walked with friends, I've walked with my daughter, and I've walked on my own, but all in all God says for me to keep walking.

As I walk He surrounds me with His peace so much so that when I experience hardship, I am now somewhat perplexed by how I'm not bothered.  Yesterday my car refused to start and I wasn't in a position to have it repaired immediately.  But God stilled my mind and I focused on Him as Jehovah Jireh.  When I did this I was able to rest.  I don't know how, but I do know that God will provide.

He is also showing me His love.  I am surrounded by people who pray for me and with me, who refuse to allow me to fall and stay there.  God has dispatched angels to tend to my needs and to make the way open for my deliverance.  Who wouldn't want to serve a God who loves like this?  He has hidden me in His secret place and He's keeping me there in spite of myself and an enemy intent on my destruction.  He is lovingly and gently taking me through a process that doesn't always feel good, but that is wholly meant for my good.

During this past four weeks of walking in my change process I have lost nearly 20 pounds!  God brought this scripture to my remembrance.  He said any time we as Christians begin to exercise in the discipline of faith, the Word, prayer and praise the weight of the world will be released from us and we will no longer be tethered by sin.  God showed me that as much as I want it, I can't lose the weight any faster than the process will allow and even during the process I will make mistakes, but the goal is to keep moving forward.  Forward means continual improvement.  It means change.  It means I'm obeying God's commandment for me.  And in this time of change there is so much freedom in my praise.  My sister, Minister Cheryl Cheadle, sang of how my praise is not your praise and there is a story behind my praise.  Whew!  I'm shouting.  I hope you are too!

God said to me that the process of dropping the weight is inclusive of all of my tears, my apprehension, my hoping, my doubting, my highs and my lows, my happy times and my struggles.  It includes my new experiences and my past sufferings.  God assured me that with each step, each time I pick my foot up again and place it back down there is a little less of me-the weight-and a little more of Him-the great I am.  Last, I have to tell you that you missed it if you were not at Urban Empowerment today.  Bishop Peat preached about living the double Dutch life.  There ate always multiple things going on in our lives.  We must start out slowly.  Sometimes we'll mess up and we can't jump in.  But we will progress through discipleship and developing trust in God that He will do what He said He would do.  This allows us to drop the weight and double Dutch like a pro!

Today pick up the commandment of God for your life and watch the weight melt away.

Net Work Part 1

Being Christ like sometimes becomes thwarted and clouded by personal agenda, tainted opinion and/or a judgmental attitude.  At it's basest definition Christianity is taking on the mind of Christ in order to pursue His example and to mimic His character.  It requires an attitude of humility, a determination to obey and a vivacious desire to embrace change.  Fortunately for us becoming Christ like doesn't mean losing our own identities.   In fact when we read about a Peter, or a Paul or a John we can see that God used who these men were at their core.  He just shifted their paradigm.  I have been a Christian for most of my years.  Yet, I am now learning what it really means.  I went through a judgmental phase where I watched everyone's behavior closely and applied the Word of God to their lives for them in my own mind.  But there is a saying, just keep living.  The things that we may judge someone on today can easily become our issues tomorrow.  For today's blog consider St. John chapter 21 and Hebrews 11:1.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence go things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). 

The above well known scripture should excite and ignite every Christian into ministering to the needs of others. The passage holds within it the keys to the kingdom and the opportunity to access and to operate in the power of God in order to loose things and to bind things.

Chapter 21 of St. John is the well known story of when a few disciples were fishing and had caught nothing--seeing that they had caught nothing, Jesus advised that they cast their nets on the right side of their boat.  Upon obeying they were instantly gorged with so many fish that it became difficult for the disciples to pull the fish into the boat.

These passages are related in that they help us to gain an understanding of what faith is and how it should be applied within the context of becoming Christ like.  It's almost a simple equation.  Peter, Didymus, Nathanial and the other fishermen hoped for fish.  They worked hard for the fish only to turn up with nothing to show for all of their hard work.  Jesus came to them and gave a command to try the other side of the boat.  The men followed the command and their nets were filled.  In this instance the obedience that the men exercised when they followed Jesus' command proved their obedience.  So the equation would look something like this O(F+W)=H.  O = obedience, F=faith, W=works and H=things hoped for.

In our quest to complete the equation and to experience those things that we hope for, there are some faith blockers.  The biggest faith blocker is disobedience to the Word of God for us.  When we fail to obey our work is in vein.  There is no yield.

Another major faith blocker is something not in the above equation, but that does appear in chapter 21 of St. John.  It is a failure to mind our own process with Jesus.  Observe verses 20-23 which discuss Peter's concern over another disciple's relationship with Jesus.  Peter saw another disciple talking to Jesus, asking Jesus questions and communing with Jesus.  Peter asked what was going on.  Jesus basically told Peter to mind his own business.  Each Christian has his/her relationship with Jesus and Jesus knows what to do in each of our lives to bring us to the place where we can be used by Him for His glory.  He knows what to say to us and what we have to go through.  He knows how to get us to experience all of the pieces of the equation.  He is God alone.