Best Friends

God has blessed me - no not just blessed - rather, so very truly and richly blessed me with dear and precious friends.  As I am yet now making my way through one of the roughest patches of my life, I contemplated the story of Job.  Job lost so much; his children, his wife, property and even his health failed him.  Interestingly though, while his friends may have misunderstood his plight and criticized him undeservedly, Job still had his friends.  And unbeknownst to those friends, they actually helped Job through what must have been the roughest patch of his life.

Friendship is so important; stark proof of that is in the Word where Jesus felt so strongly about it that He told His disciples that He no longer called them servants, but rather He referred to them as His friends.  St. John 15:15.  I found some scriptures about friendship that struck a chord with me.  Proverbs 27:17 says, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:6 reads, Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

I am grateful for those individuals who have been able to look past my moodiness, flakiness and aloofness to see a "me" in need of their friendship and worthy of their continued efforts at relationship with me.  All of us need true friends and I am the benefactor of the truest and most loyal friends one can have in life.  We each need someone who can see" us" even when due to the circumstances of our lives we have learned to hide behind thick brick walls.  I thank almighty God that there are people who tap me on the shoulder every now and then to remind me that just because I'm still a little girl inside my mind hiding in the closet so my father won't find me and abuse me, that they can actually see the me that needs them and longs for healing through that tap.

I told a friend yesterday that my expectations of him had grown too high, but in fact God put him in my life to withstand my "me-ness".  I have a tendency to feel less than - no matter what I know and this particular friend always sees past that mess every time and challenges me to stay in my Word and to trust that all that has happened to me over the course of my life has not dug for me a pit into which I should through a party, but has instead created for me steps elevating me to a place of stepping over the challenges that could have and would have taken me out, had God not strategically structured my life in such a way that I would have friends at every step to encourage me to take the step and held me up as I placed my foot onto uncertainty.  Like Job's friends, my friends sometimes say things that reach into me and pull out things like prayer, deeper commitment, forgiveness and healing.  Those friends may not even have those fruit as their goal, but God put them in my path; nonetheless, to help prune me into spiritual productivity. 

So with today's blog I share that I very much cherish my friends and look forward to new friends that God will send my way and I pray that I can be as dear a friend as my lifelong friends have been to me; encouraging, lifting, checking in on, speaking life into, holding up, picking up, supporting, listening to, advising, reciting the Word of God, enlightening, inviting into a place in my life and my heart, reuniting and always reconciling, loving, hugging, ever longing for  belonging and finally, living a life showing that friendship is so important that the  Bible recites, that no greater love exists than that Jesus would lay down His life for us, His friends.

I encourage you as we approach "Best Friends" Sunday at Urban Empowerment Ministries, to connect or reconnect with your friends and appreciate them.  Tell them that you do appreciate them and show them.  Thank God for them and be ever referent of the relationship with them.  Most of all, seek to build a relationship with Him so that He will know you as His friend.  And don't just be His friend, but be the best friend to Him that you can be; faithful, loyal, trustworthy, thoughful, intimate and caring; obedient to His Word and open to His command; accepting of His will and every ready to befriend whomever He puts into your path for a divine appointment.

Is God Impressed with Your Press?

We find in three of the gospels the very well known story of the woman with the "issue" of blood.  As the story goes, this woman had suffered with her issue for twelve long years.  She had given all her living to doctors.  She had spent all she had.  She was an outcast due to her condition.  She was unable to live a normal life.  Imagine all that she missed struggling with this issue for all that time.  Interestingly we tend to focus on the woman's issue and perhaps we identify with her because we've got some issues of our own that are keeping us on the outside of the life we truly want to live.

But my instruction today is to reveal to you how impressed Jesus was with this woman's press.  Imagine, if you will, the pressure on her mind and on her heart in dealing with her illness over such a long span of time.  Some of us can't go through anything for two minutes, what if you had to be separated from everybody for twelve years!  What if you couldn't get out and go shopping or go to work or to school or to church even?  What if the issue that you were wrestling with brought so much shame and grief to your life that it kept you bound for 12 years?  That's the place this woman found herself.  She was broke financially.  She was tired physically.  She was drained emotionally.  She was just spent entirely.  But note that it was the very thing that she struggled with that compelled her to seek out Jesus.  She had become desperate for a change.

Are you at that place?  Are you desperate for change?  She was.  She was thirsty for a life altering divine appointment that she never imagined would impress Jesus.  This woman was so desperate that in spite of her condition and the law that made it illegal for her to be in the crowd of folks she pressed her way.  Can you see her?  Can you see her squeezing through the throng of people all trying to touch the Master?  Can you imagine her falling to the ground and crawling?  She's made it up in her mind that she doesn't need to get His full attention even.  She just wants to touch the hem of His clothes.  She just wants to reach out to Him.  And so she does.  So much so that Jesus stops turns and says , "Who touched me?". The disciples were confused. They looked on the crowd and saw a crowd of folks all "touching" Jesus, but they failed to see the one whom He had touched as a result of her faith.  The disciples saw many, but Jesus looked at the crowd and saw one.  One impressive woman who exercised great faith!

He said to His disciples that He knew that someone had touched Him because virtue went out of Him.  Does your press compell God to act on your behalf?  Does it compell Him to bring attention to your faithfulness?  In spite of the millions upon millions that pray to Him daily does your press cause God to pause and to respond to your situation?  When we get desperate enough and when we have no more means to try to make something happen on our own maybe we will press our way into the presence of an awesome God.  Maybe we will lift our hands to the Father for Him to pick us up like a child does with her parent.  Maybe we will press our way with our faith into a place in God where He is compelled to heal and deliver us.  Today be determined to impress Him with your press.  Don't stop trying to touch Him because He so wants to touch you too.  If you have got to crawl, do it.  If you've got to just touch the very hem, do it.  Whatever you need to do to impress Him with your press, do it! Get to the place in your Christian walk where your heart is fixed and your mind is completely made up that it's for God you'll live and for Him you'll die.  Don't allow your issue to keep you from the Master; rather, allow it to draw you to Him seeking the life altering change you need.  Healing is one press away.  Keep pressing your way!

Listen up

It's so awesome to see a new year. For the first time in many years I made no New Year's resolutions. The only thing that I'm resolved to do, for the remainder of my life, is to be absorbed into God's perfect will. In the words of the Psalm , I wish to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God. To that end, I've made up my mind not to make any moves without hearing from God. Yesterday, a friend admonished that so often people hear what they want rather than what the person is actually communicating. I agreed. I think not listening is at the center of so much miscommunication and hence ruined relationships.

 Consider the eleventh chapter of John. It is the well read and well known story of Jesus' dear friend Lazarus. As the story goes, Jesus was informed that Lazarus was ill and it was feared that without Jesus' intervention that Lazarus would die. Upon hearing the unctioning for Him to come, Jesus stated plainly what was going to happen. Here is where my friend's statement comes to life. No one really listened to what Jesus said. Jesus was clear that Lazerus' condition was not about his dying, rather it was about showing the power of God. So folks went their way with the hope that based upon the love that Jesus had for His friend and the relationship that had been built, that Jesus would come quickly and address the matter, make Lazarus whole again and all would be right in their world once again. But this is why it is so important to listen and to accept what is actually said. It must have pained Jesus greatly to fully realize that His words were entirely mistaken and that as a result people whom He cared for greatly would wind up hurt, disappointed and frustrated. But Jesus knew the greater purpose of His work and in spite of how much it must have pained Him, he stayed away, allowed His friend to pass and for people to feel toward Him as they must. The Bible says that Martha met Jesus and advised Him that Lazarus was dead. Jesus' response was to "groan" inside Himself. Why? Because He already recognized that there had been some mis-understanding. Before He could get into the town good, folks were mad and hurt, Mary-that same Mary who had anointed Jesus' feet with oil and washed His feet with her hair, was among the most hurt. She didn't even go out with her sister to meet Jesus when her sister went be ause she was dealing with her hurt and disappointment over her own misunderstanding. The issue? She didn't listen to Jesus' words. She heard through the filter of her own desires. I imagine her mind went through what most of us go through at similar junctures of misunderstanding.  She probably thought back to all she had given up and done, including washing Jesus' very feet with her hair!  Can you imagine her thoughts?  Sure you can.  She felt hurt because she hadn't really heard what Jesus actually said and all she saw before her was a missed opportunity for Jesus to have prevented her brother's dying.

When our will doesn't line up with God's will the result is misunderstanding on our part because every message that God sends to us gets garbled through the filter of our own personal agenda and desire. Instead of trusting God at His Word, which by the way is always meant for our betterment, edification and for His glory, we settle for the misinterpretation. God's Word speaks plainly and clearly. So as the story goes, Mary finally goes out to meet Jesus. She is visibly upset and says to Jesus that if He had only come earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Now, her statement is true, but be that as it may, and in spite of the anguish that she suffered, Jesus knew there was a greater good and purpose. So He did next, what He stated He would do in order to yield the results that He stated would come to pass in God's plan.

What's the lesson? Hear God's Word and then listen to it. God has plans for you. He has plans for your life and for your future. You don't have to stumble through this year blindly trying to figure out what God is doing in you or through you. You don't have to struggle trying to comprehend why you are experiencing the issues, trials or tribulations that you are dealing with. Because the Word of God is plain on its face. He has told you that if He is for you He is more than the world against you. No one can pluck you out of His hand. He will never leave you nor forsake you. All things work together for your good. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You are peculiar. You are sanctified for His use. His Words are clear! Did you hear them? Are you listening to them without filtering them for your own interpretation? If you want to make a New Year's resolution that you can keep, vow to be a sheep that hears and knows the voice of God. Vow to take Him at His Word. Vow to apply the logos to your life and to stand still and see the salvation the Lord. Make it up in your mind not to fall out and be hurt when tragic situations and circumstances come your way because it's for your good and for His glory!

Faith, Roots and Fruits

Hebrews 11:1 [King James] reads, Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  The evidence of things not seen.

Ephesians 3:14-19 [Amplified] reads, "For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15  For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].16  May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].17  May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,18  That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];19  [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

I believe that understanding the Word of God is a process.  As we experience Him and grow in our relationship with Him, He reveals His Word to us in a way that gives life and that has an everlasting affect on our lives.  Recently, I asked God for a more applicable understanding of Hebrews 11:1.  This is what He told me and I share with you.

The faith, hope and substance can be likened unto a tree planted by the rivers of water.  Faith is the roots.  In order for a tree to be able to stand strong and tall above ground it must have a strong root system under ground.  The roots must expand deep into the earth and sometimes we find that the roots wrap themselves around rocks in order to be anchored.  If you recall, Bishop Woods said, that faith holds you in place while hope brings the thing or the promise that you are expecting to you.

Now depending upon the kind of tree that you have, there is an expectation or a hope that if all is well, the tree will be productive.  All while we are waiting for the tree to mature, its roots hold it in place through storms, through hot weather or cold weather.  The roots keep pulling in the nutrients that someday we hope will produce something.  This describes hope.  We hope that things will turn out well of our tree.  If we get the roots right and if we withstand the storms and the rain; the good times and the bad, there will come a time when our tree will bring forth her fruit.

The fruit is the substance that we've been hoping for.  It is what someone else can pick from the tree and can survive on.  

Today, ask God if your root (faith) system is deep enough and is properly anchored.  Asked God if you are getting the right nutrients and feeding that potential or the hope of bearing productivity.  Then ask God to bless you to yield and to have substance that someone else can survive on.  Your understanding and getting the concept of faith is what someone else needs to come to Christ.

 

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.