At ThE eND oF THe DaY

If you could look through my entire social media timeline for the past 11 years, you will see social media posts on relationship. It was and is to some degree one of my biggest struggles. I am positive that I'm not the only one. As big as this world is, it can often be small and cramped and we have to deal with uncomfortable things regarding our fellow human beings. We are exposed to things we don't want to know and we have to experience things that forever change us. On the flip side, we get to be a witness to some of the greatest highs and miraculous events of our lifetime. All this through the lens of relationships.

I have a beautiful wife of 21 years who is my best friend, three beautiful daughters and six incredible grandchildren who carry a world of potential. I have a mother who has literally been a life saver and is an undying support in the best and worst of times. She sacrificed much for me to have the ability to say what I'm saying freely and to be the man that I have become. That's a debt I cannot repay. All important relationships that have shaped my life and helped me grow significantly.  But placing any of these persons before God instantly puts them into an increasingly uncomfortable position: At odds with the Father for your affection.

"I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images." (Isaiah 42:8 ASV)

I simply decided to use an example that is very familiar to me. Insert your own here. Either way, we have to ask what place "it" has in our hearts and in our lives. At the end of the day, is God the Father a fallback option or the object of our affections? Are we single focused on him daily or do we visit him one day a week like we do a distant aunt or uncle?

To many people that we know and love, there is nothing more important than their children and their husbands or wives, their household, their personal comfort, and their money! It seems a tad insane to come home every day and use electricity to charge our I-Phones, keep our alarm clocks at the right time, heat our meals, and allow us to enjoy the pleasure of each others' company watching our favorite TV or a nice movie on the weekend and, with the same breath, curse the electric company for providing us with these advantages. Who would do that, right? Perhaps we do that just with some differences. I would go one step further and say that we are living in rampant modern day idolatry. We just don't use wooden idols anymore now they are living, breathing, fallible idols that we worship and place on a pedestal in our hearts that exceeds even God Himself.

Well, this could be the point where people are picking up their stones, or going back to their Facebook profiles where it is safe, comfortable, and there is no accountability. This is where people shut off their laptops. But a fact remains on the other side of our resistance. We have taken the breath and life that we were graced with and use that same breath to spat on the Giver of the Gift. I am not saying what you hold dear is not important but I question if it's deserving of the #1 spot above all else. I would retort that the #1 spot is reserved. We have taken places that are designated as temporary and taken up permanent residency in them. Did you find it strange that Jesus Christ as a child so readily left his family to go and preach in the temple to a people who would probably not hear him anyway? They marveled at him for being a child and holding such wisdom but was this just a special circumstance or a teaching for us all? When his parents finally located him after frantically searching for him, what was his response?

And he said to them, "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49 NKJV)

Ahh, children! Aren't they precious? This is a child we needed to take seriously. Purpose drove his response to his parents. He, to be fair, knew something that many of us do not. He understood three vital things: One - He knew where He came from. People ridiculed Him and cursed Him and made commentary on his hometown and his family and his knowledge base but He knew His value and His worth and He was undeterred. Two - He knew His purpose for being here. If He had not, He would have been confused by the spiritual struggle and given in to temptation and lashed out and perhaps even called a legion of holy angels to remove Him from Calvary's death sentence scenario. He would have forgotten the importance of why He had to stay there and carry our sins. Three - He knew where home was. He spoke of it often and reminded the disciples and those that would listen that a place was being prepared and this is not our destination but only a momentary location.

We have as people become so disconnected that we think this temporary situation is the perfect place for a permanent home.

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

Our priorities are in the wrong place and it cost us greatly when we are out of position spiritually.
Paul made a strong point on this in the book of Colossians.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

What's wrong with the things on Earth? Why can't we focus on them?

At the end of the day, the things that we hold tightly to don't amount to what matters most.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36 KJV)

I can't think of anything. Can you?

I hope this was a blessing to you. That was my intention. 

Do yOU KnoW wHo YoU aRE?

You have to verify it when you step into foreign territory.

You need it to obtain a heritage rightfully yours.

You must wield it when your whole life comes crumbling around you and you question everything you know. 

It is essential to avoid eventual abuse of self, and mind, and spirit. 

IDENTITY. "The sameness that constitutes the objective reality of a thing; the distinguishing character or personality of an individual" (Merriam Webster dictionary)

If you would research this word in the Greek language, you would find that it is closely linked to the words, "breath", "personality" and "essence". It boils down to your D.N.A. Everything that is essential about you is wrapped up in your identity. We've been so misinformed that many of us could read this and might immediately start thinking our names when we hear identity.

Does anyone remember the name of the woman with the issue of blood spoken of in Matthew 9:20?

How about the widow woman who was deep in debt in 2 Kings 4:1-7?

What about the demon-possessed man in Matthew 8:28 or the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19?

I won't presume to speculate on why these and so many other hundreds of persons have gone without names. A basic assumption would be that these persons were not important somehow or insignificant to the account being told but that's basic and untrue. They were critical to the point in nearly every single case. I believe that these persons, the woman with the issue of blood, the widow on her last meal, and others were identified more by their situation rather than who they actually were. It had little to do with their name and more about the essence of who they are where it really matters. Sermons have been preached that have been life changing for millions of people and they usually consist of a subject with no name. The only thing we know about many of them is their country where they lived and their affliction. I doubt that's a coincidence. Where you are from and what you are dealing with. Isn't that what people from your past or that casually remember about you anyway? They remember where we come from and what our lives were like. Remember this?

"When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did his man get all these things? And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home."

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (Matthew 13:53-58)

That's a pattern that we still find today. Isn't that Irene from 39th St? That's that Reilly boy from Westport! I know her mother. His father is that same guy that can't hold down a decent job. Everybody has a story. But it doesn't have to be the whole story. It is only a moment and a season. 

Do your neighbors really know your identity or do they know you by your situation and your affliction? 

It's really not hard to find someone who will poke their chest out and tell you they know who they are but their frequent speech, their body language, their thoughts, and even their subsequent actions tell a different story. They are consumed by their circumstances and in that seemingly all consuming sphere, they lose sight of themselves. They forget who they are. Have you forgotten who you are? Is your situation so consuming that you have gotten away from your faith? Peter did the impossible and the unthinkable, and yet, when he faced strong winds and heavy waves, and was unable to see his hand in front of his face, surrounded by uncertainty and trouble, he forgot what he was supposed to be concentrating on. He took his eyes off of what mattered and like most of us regularly deal with, Peter began to sink.

I know what it is like to be a witness to a divine miracle and the next moment, I am failing and falling. I forgot who I was. I forgot my heritage. I forgot the promise. 

Once we lose our identity and consciousness of who were are at our very core, we lose something we cannot readily replace. Knowing your identity affords you a prime opportunity to avoid making permanent homes in temporary places.

HoW DoeS YouR GarDEn GroW?

Listen to the so-called gardening experts and you will see everything from some kind of super organic seed to high powered dirt with steroids in it to fresh dung. I won't say these things are not successful but I have a small garden that has yielded incredible results. I tried some of the off the wall ideas such as putting old bread, cutting off the roots of vegetables and planting them and some other "new age" ideas. What my wife and I have discovered is that some good old fashioned soil, sunlight, and a lot of water has yielded amazing results as shown in the picture below. 

I am not saying that these results could not have been better and brighter but I can say that my family is very satisfied with the taste of our salads and we are highly satisfied with our grocery bill.

If you thought this blog was going to be about lettuce and Cherry tomatoes, then you clearly don't know me well enough to know better. 

I believe that it is not accidental and by specific design and detail that many passages in your Bible speak to agriculture. As a matter of fact, it is literally one of the scripture's strongest and most recurring themes. Why do you think that is?

Do you think it's because the Author wants to emphasize the idea that everything begins as a seed and it, if not properly treated, will not grow to its fullest capacity? Is it perhaps that everything in this life follows the same process and requires a healthy dose of sunlight, soil, and water to produce fruits? Is it indicative of a formula for God's view of a successful life? It could be any of the above or perhaps none. But what I do know is that the abundant (that picture above was merely an eight of what comes out of our garden on a weekly basis) crop of vegetables that we yielded was possible because of consistency, a persistent effort, loving care, and learning from our early mistakes. 

The garden of our lives can often resemble the examples from the Parable of the Sower in Matthew chapter 13. Some seeds are eaten by birds because they were scattered in unfruitful places. Some seeds are burnt by the sun because they were not planted deep enough. Some seeds are choked out by thorns. Some seeds will produce a hundredfold return. Those "seeds" would never be ignored by the "farmer" who understands that his livelihood relies on how and where his seeds are planted. That "farmer" potentially cannot feed his family if careless mistakes are made. The fool will say "Well, I'm not a farmer so this doesn't apply to me." But this does apply to you because you plant seed and you water seed and what grows is a direct result of what you put effort into. I think those agricultural examples in the Word are more appropriate and life-changing than we first thought. 

What seeds are you planting in your local ministry? What seeds are you watering in your household and community? Have you taken consideration to where they are being planted? Is the ground fallow or fervent? Are you giving your seeds enough SON-light to survive? Does your attitude reflect a FAITH-full seed or is there weeds at the core of our behavior? 

How does your garden grow? Might be time to start inspecting what we have planted with a genuine evaluation of our life up to now. It's certainly possible that we have not tended to the garden God has blessed us with as well as we could have. 

I WiSh.....

1. I wish the words "To Be Continued" were barred from all of our favorite TV shows. The only exemption would be if the program to be continued was immediately following it.

2. I wish driving while texting and using social media were outlawed in every state. People were stupid before Facebook. They're just stupider and more emotionally numb now.

3. I wish our children can turn on "children's programming" and not be influenced to become arrogant, snobbish, hateful monsters.

4. I wish James Dolan would sell the New York Knicks and retire to Afghanistan. He isn't Donald Sterling but I want him gone just the same.

5. I wish the well didn't have to run dry before people realized how good that water really is.

6. I wish Saturday Night Live would just give up the ghost. You're fortunate to see two good sketches per episode. These sketch writers don't get good comedy.

7. I wish gardening was a pre-requisite in all city schools. It could be life changing.

8. I wish all "mean girls" were forced to live in a compound with no mirrors, no makeup, no cell phones or computers, and no television channels except National Geographic, BBC World News, HGTV, the Food Network, and infomercials from UNICEF and World Hunger Relief.

9. I wish the New York Football Giants can win one more Super Bowl for Eli. Having him tied with Peyton doesn't sit right with me.

10. I wish big business can't so easily displace and destroy so many lives for the sake of the dollar.

11. I wish we could bottle the enthusiasm and jubilation of a child and force hateful old people to drink it so their lives won't be totally lost.

12. I wish the Marvel Universe could hang around forever but once they kill off the originals like Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man, who's really going to care about it then?

13. I wish the Church awakened to the reality that prayer and anointing, not programs and big signs, changes things.

14. I wish I could fly.....not with my arms but on a plane back to New York....a little homesick. Flying with my arms is ridiculous.

15. I wish people would be more respectful and reverent than to take the premise of God's love and use it as an occasion to hate and abuse.

16. I wish politicians were not allowed to have social media accounts then I could imagine that they are intelligent, thoughtful, and have dignity rather than reading a post or tweet and eliminate all doubt.

17. I wish everyone would continue to dream big and reach for the intangible rather than settle for the limitations of the tangible.

18. I wish I could go to a New York Mets game at Citi Field and not get injured. It seems to be a thing around there this year.

19. I wish I didn't have to give up steak and chili and burgers.....The struggle is real.....yeah, real hard.

20. I wish participation awards were exchanged for hard work and dedication. Most of the sports stars you cheer and root so hard for will agree that adversity made them better.

21. I wish love was the premise by which we engage others, build relationships, and live privately and publicly.

22. I wish Manimal was never made into a TV series.

23. I wish neighbors would care more about the communities they live in and protect them like they used to.

24. I wish more libraries and bookstores would open up rather than close down.

25. I wish my grandchildren will out live me and not have to fear that their lives will be taken, just because they're African American.

It StaRTs WiTH a sEEd

I grew up in a place that many called the "Ghetto".

I grew up in a place that was considered a "jungle". (What that made me I don't know!)

I grew up in a place that was considered dangerous and often for very good reasons.

Now I have my own home for the second time. I have a beautiful wife and beautiful children and a small army of bright, intelligent grandchildren full of promise.

I have a very good job that allows me to do some things I used to only dream about way back then. 

I have more blessings than I can count and even with all that said, I realize that as much as I had to look over my shoulder on the streets growing up, I have to pause often even now, in the security of my office building....or in the very busy local Wal-Mart.....or within the confines of my local ministry....or even on a plane or a cruise ship. You name it. At any time, our entire lives can change dramatically.

I remember where I was and what I was doing when my heart stopped beating on September 11, 2001. I was on my job with tears in my eyes, staring at a television screen, wondering all kinds of things all in a dynamic, frenzied flurry of emotions. Why did I leave my hometown? Was it worth it? What if I was still living there and I got the job I applied for in that very same building? Was any of my family and many friends in the building at that moment everything went wrong? Is my mother alive?

The questions were dizzying and I felt nauseous. I don't believe I did an ounce of work after I slunk away from that monitor. All I could do was cry and attempt to make phone calls and think horrible thoughts that tormented me for days after the fact. My mother was supposed to be in the WTC that morning for an appointment but she cancelled it days prior. That was good news for her but my heart was heavy for so many others. I chose one of the most horrific moments in my history to make a point. The man or men in that plane that conceived such an evil plan have something in common with many people in our world right now that are shooting up politicians in Alexandria, Virginia, mass murdering fellow employees at a UPS facility in San Francisco, and murdering little children and faculty in a little elementary school in Sandy Hook (despite what some people say). If you dare to dig deep enough, you may find more commonalities even closer to home. Everything that we see fully developed into something vicious, heartless, and ugly all started with a single seed. 

Before I say this, please understand that this is not an examination into these horrific events. Even as a minister of the Gospel, I cannot provide insight into the hows and whys of these life changing events from either the perspective of the innocent, the guilty, or the bystanders that view this from a distance. I am just posing some questions to ponder because at this point, we really need to.

I am truly concerned about how much we can see in our world and become casual about what we see in our homes. We have become desensitized and I believe it has grown much worse since the last time I said that. Our children can be bullies and tormentors of other little children and we can justify it as just "kids being kids". Our sons can rape young college students and a parent can shrug it off as just "boys being boys". Now we have grown men and women who want to burn a whole country to the ground that they were perhaps blessed to live in, compared to some other alternatives. And every single one of those circumstances started with a seed. I have real questions about what the future holds for our youngest. They will likely bear the weight of all the missed opportunities, failed parenting, and in many cases, acts of willful blindness. I listen to my grandchildren being shunned because their classmates sit and play and eat away from them because their parents teach them they can't play with "brown people". They are threatened with "going to jail" or being "burned with fire", or with death. Threats made by little children and teenagers in some cases. My mother was adamant about me going to Catholic school for my elementary and intermediate school years because she thought it would be safer for me. Ha! Now look!

It took me years to understand why Scripture uses so many analogies from an agricultural standpoint but it is the heart and viewpoint of God. Imagine if we all thought like this BEFORE we committed acts or BEFORE we allowed an influence into our lives or BEFORE we made a major decision or BEFORE we gave into an inclination. How different might our lives and perhaps our world be. We can't play with matches and then sit back and marvel at how our world is set on fire! If we plant and water a seed (which can be as simple as a thought, a desire, or an inclination), and continue to give attention to it, it is going to grow. The question is will we like what comes forth. I'm getting the impression that it doesn't matter what's happening in the world until it begins to affect "their" world. That's becoming the reality of the world we ALL live in.

A quick, funny (in my wife's opinion - I'm not laughing) story: We have been cultivating a small garden in the backyard. We have everything from string beans to lettuce to the unstoppable collard greens (growing all year round through torturous weather conditions) to kale to green peppers. We have nearly twenty different plants and a half dozen different herbs growing back there but the biggest monster and bully of the garden is the tomatoes. I would guess they are the beefsteak variety. We planted a little seed (literally) but neither my wife or I realized that there were multiple plants in each seed. I still can't explain that very well. Needless to say, we have more than a dozen separate stalks with multiple, huge tomatoes growing. I don't eat those tomatoes much at all so we have a problem. The point is that we just planted very little and unbeknownst to us, it has outgrown everything else and has overtaken the rest of the garden. It was probably the smallest seeds we planted and the smallest amount but it has overrun everything else and has taken the spotlight away from the other plantings. The tomatoes are out of control. It goes without saying that we are not planting those again next year. We didn't expect it. We couldn't control it. We can either let them grow or uproot them so they can't.

If one would dare to take one of these infamous figures in our nation's history and peel back the layers of their life from now back to their childhood. You know what you'd likely find? A very methodically laid groundwork for who they have become today but a beginning similar to our own and generations before and since. "Normal" households with loving parents. Tragedy. Financial problems. Seed. Poverty. Lack. Neglect from a parent. Seed. Bullying. Rejection. Keeping secrets from your family. Bad influences in the neighborhood. Seed. Anger, self loathing, isolation. Water. Brooding over the unfairness. Why did he have to die? It should've been me. Water. Kids will be kids. They're just children. They'll outgrow it. She asked for it. She wanted it. Water. I agree with you. You should do something about this! Water. Oh, she was just playing! She wouldn't hurt a fly! Water. It's not fair! It's their fault! Water. They rejected you and turned their backs on you! Water. They laughed at you and mocked you. They think they're better than you! Water. If it wasn't for "them", this would be a better place and you would have a better life! You wouldn't have lost your loved one. Water. You would be wealthy but now you have nothing! Water. They must pay. They are the enemy! Water. Water. Water.

Whatever comes next but it all starts with a single seed. A seed that we are all susceptible to have "planted in our garden". None of us are exempt. Maybe your life doesn't resemble any of these things and you have had a marvelous upbringing, with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with it. Maybe you have it all figured out and generations after you will glean from your wisdom and your formula for success. The rest of us are in a daily struggle where our gardens are susceptible to seeding and watering, and of course, a harvest.

What kind of harvest do you want in your garden? Ponder this seriously. Protect your garden vigorously. 

RanDoM tHOuGHts iN tHE mAnCaVE

Hi guys,

Today is one of those days where we spent almost all of the morning in corporate worship in our ministry and we have praised, danced, sang, and heard an incredible message that is primed for the time that we are in. Excellent.

But the week before was exhausting and that is the nicest word that I could come up with. I needed the rest of this day to just...well....do nothing. That is not what is actually happening but come enough. I thought this evening would be a great time to share some random thoughts. I am strongly considering making this a regular piece once or twice a month. (I'd love your opinions on that idea too. Thanks!)

So.....welcome to my mind! (This is the part where you turn away if squeamish or you have anything more important to do!)

1. Honestly speaking, the NBA has turned into something that I can't stomach. The so called diehards will likely lambast me for this thought but I don't care. The current product might still be making money but it sucks....Not one of them can honestly say the NBA Finals (or even this year's playoffs for that matter) was remotely interesting. Unless their team plays in Oakland.
2. I am learning to enjoy my writing and my posts even if people are not reading as much as I had hoped. My little world isn't half bad.
3. I am really missing the NFL. A station that has the smarts to show reruns of old games all Sunday long will really have a massive viewership. All these other sports are just placeholders. 
   
4. I am really ready to find out who the murderous A.D. is on Pretty Little Liars. I have invested a lot of time in this murder mystery and I deserve to be satisfied. I'm not feeling good about it with only three episodes left before the big reveal. (I'm a sucker for murder mysteries.)
5. When I talk to my friends from my hometown, I am really conflicted about my allegiances in New York sports. My mother would tell you in a heartbeat that you are supposed to root for all New York teams and that is how she raised us. Some of my buddies think I made the wrong choice in picking one over the other. What is the right answer? Hmm...
   
   
6. I am over the top excited about the upcoming Marvel movie, "The Black Panther". It comes out next year. It's not a "Black" thing for the record but it will have Black people in the movie in leading and supporting roles. Hope that's ok.  😏
7. Man, do I miss home! I am wishing I can get a slice right now. And a beef patty. And a knish. And some White Castle. Oh yeah, I miss my mom too.
8. I hear it a lot around the water cooler and in some other circles that people think the 45th President of the United States is going to be impeached out of office. I got to ask this. What makes you think that? What precedent makes you think this is a viable possibility?
9. Does the news channels want us to pay attention to the actual weather news or to the female meteorologists? There is literally no way to do both.
10. How many times can you watch your favorite movie before you get sick of it? I don't mean you  "Tombstone". I'm asking for a friend. 
    
11. I'm reminded every Sunday how people view and understand commitment and how easy it is to use the name of Jesus Christ when it's publicly convenient but find it absent in our private lives. I think people really don't think He's coming back anytime soon. 
12. Matcha Tea was one of the best choices I have made this year.
13. More than a year ago, I was hammering out my first book. Now I'm sitting here waiting for my first book to be republished and I've already finished my second book with preliminary plans for my third. So, yeah, I'm bored. 
    
14. I am wondering how I would react if the Michigan Wolverines actually won the National Championship. I watched them allow a team they should have beaten (Ohio State) to win and it almost gave me a coronary so I could only imagine what a title win does to me.
    
    
15. The racial divide in America will never be repaired as long as people are still uncomfortable hearing how racist they are. It might sound like I am talking about Bill Maher but there are so many other examples a lot closer to home. 
16. My wife spends more time in the ManCave than I do.
17. Can a 27-33 team comeback to win a World Series? Beats me.
18. I'm developing a love for gardening. It has nothing to do with fresh lettuce, carrots, big beef tomatoes, kale, collard greens, tarragon, green peppers, rosemary, garlic, thyme, cilantro, parsley, string beans, cherry tomatoes, and green onions that I don't have to pay ridiculous prices for.
19. Charleston is known nationally for its friendliness. So the people of Charleston are friendly to everyone, no matter where they come from or how they look, correct?

20. I seriously question if I will see a New York Knicks championship in my lifetime. That would be epic bad if not.
21. I wonder if anybody even enjoy reading these pieces. I know I do.

WhEn NiGHt CoMes...

"I must do the work of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is approaching, when no one can work." (John 9:4 International Standard Version)

I love this verse as it consistently and effectively serves to ground me and give me that old kick in the pants reminder that we don't have time to lollygag and twiddle our thumbs. If you are a believer, if you are not a believer but are evaluating your life choices, or if you flat out don't care to change any aspect of your life and you intend to go out in whatever shape your soul has found itself in, we all have one thing in common: Time will determine if our works were worth it in the end.



This commentary on this powerful scripture fragment is equally as profound.

"Our life is our day, in which it concerns us to do the work of the day. We must be busy, and not waste day-time; it will be time to rest when our day is done, for it is but a day. The approach of death should quicken us to improve all our opportunities of doing and getting good. What good we have an opportunity to do, we should do quickly. And he that will never do a good work till there is nothing to be objected against, will leave many a good work for ever undone..." (Matthew Henry Commentary on John 9:4)

Throughout this blog piece, I compiled some of my favorite social media posts that speak to this same idea with the hopes that it will make you think about where you are and about where we are. Honestly, we can watch the news and hear and see the signs of our time and never even flinch.We have become desensitized and our hearts have grown cold. We don't run into the prayer closets anymore because they're filled with shoes and handbags. We don't hasten to get into the house of the Lord because we really need to have our java and bran muffin. We have gotten to the place where we hear the cries of injustice and see the suffering of others and we won't bat an eye or lift a finger. It's happening to us and around us and we are painfully, spiritually unconscious. Let this next passage marinate..

"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:1-4 KJV)

We are dealing with spiritual blindness and on a broad scale, it is not improving. People wag their finger at snicker at the idea of salvation and the judgment of God. They casually dismiss their health plans, chucking them away on a whim. They expose themselves and their loved ones without a care. There is literally nothing sacred. Catchphrases like "YOLO" and "You gotta die of something." have become the new normal. Our souls need more than just chicken soup. We need divine healing and a reorientation or we face peril on an epic level and set into motion damaging ripple effects towards generations to come.




I've shared some of my old posts in hopes they might inspire you. It's time to re-evaluate our life plan and think more solemnly about where we are and where want to be when our earthly account is permanently closed.

"We’ll have to fight for the good that we want. Want to see a stronger marriage? Healthier communication? Life-giving leadership? Harmony, joy, peace, reconciliation? A full heart? Justice? We’ll have to fight for them."


The weapons are there. Now we just need the will to fight. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

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You can't help "save" those trapped in worldliness when you are afflicted by the same disease. Get free first then help someone else do it." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

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Can you reach heaven by jumping higher? That's just as ridiculous as you're trying to get there by simply being a good person. (Romans 8:1-8)

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That awkward moment when you realize you have been putting all of your "valuables" into a bag filled with holes. (Haggai 1:6)

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If your RELATIONSHIPS (with God, friends, family, spouses) don't challenge you to grow beyond your comfort zone, humble you unto tangible change, and teach you to treat others like you want to be treated, THEN YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!

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For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:25-26)

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ALMOST doesn't count. MAYBE doesn't make it. HOPE SO doesn't hold water. KINDA doesn't cut it. Either you're saved or you're not : Don't die wondering! (I John 4:7-21)

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If there is any doubt about where you are but you honestly know where you would like to be, please join us in praying this simple prayer of salvation. If you pray this sincerely and believe it, and cling to strong people of faith and an effective local ministry, you would have made a quality and life changing decision. Thank you so much for reading this piece and for listening. God bless you!!

"Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I turn away from my sins that have separated me from you. I am truly sorry and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that Jesus Christ was born, died on a cross for my sins and was raised again in all power and I was raised with Him. I invite Him to be Lord of my life and to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. I accept the Holy Spirit as my comforter and consolation and proof that I belong to God. I want to do your will and love and serve you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."

wHaT iS LovE?

Love is a four letter word.
But when it's spoken to you, it builds you up. It should never tear you down.

Love makes you want to fly higher than you have before.
And still always have room in one's heart to fly with a partner.

Love takes a bag of lemons that you had to grudgingly sacrifice your last dime to buy and lovingly make gallons of lemonade that you give away to others for free. (Hint: This is not about juice!)

Love puts the dagger into the hands of a friend and trusts them never to use it on you.

Love doesn't withhold its affections until it's convenient. It's always a great time to love while you are still able to.

Love gives your only and your best even when you know the "receivers" will probably not appreciate your gift.

Love takes a lump of coal and squeezes out a beautiful diamond.
It does so without waiting for a "Thank You" or some sign of approval. Love just does it without condition.

Love always perseveres when it's easier to quit, keeps hoping that the truth prevails, protects without hesitation, and has no file cabinet for dirty deeds done against it.

Love covers a multitude of sinful deeds. It doesn't lie or cover up for the sinner but it loves the sinner without conditions for that affection.

Love is the only eraser for indelible ink when written on one's heart.

Love is seeing that you may not be at fault this time but you've been wrong plenty of times. That makes you reach into your bag of grace to share with someone else.

Love is authentic when it mirrors God's words, God's character, and God's example.

Love is not afraid to fail. Love will lay down everything that one calls valuable or indispensable just to save a friend.

Love allows frequent excursions into the chambers of your heart, asking every visitor to keep what they see confidential and trusting them to do so.

Love is an old song that reminds you of you first believed when you need it most in your life. It is a sure shield when you are under attack from fiery darts and the warmest blanket on the coldest of nights.

Love willfully does for others what one would want done for them.

Love does good towards one's enemies, without any expectation of a return or a reward, remembering that the reward for this comes later.

Love does not fail....EVER.

cOnFeSsIoNs Of A sPoRtS jUnKiE

I confess that...when my wife talks to me when a football game is on, I don't hear everything she says.

I confess that...I can smell freshly cut grass and it takes me back in time to my first trip to a Major League baseball game.

I confess that...I have called out sick on MLB Opening Day. (Spoiler alert: I wasn't really ill)

I confess that...I used to sleep with a basketball in my bed.

I confess that...I'd watch a sport I don't even like just because it's sports.

I confess that...I'm addicted to fantasy football and am currently in rehab. Now I only play in three leagues instead of twelve. See, I'm getting better! 

I confess that...when I do watch a female tennis match, it's not just to hear them yell when they hit the ball.

I confess that...while the fans and the announcers are quiet during a golf match, I wanted to jump up and yell. I'm very competitive.

I confess that...I would want to see the NFL 12 months a year, showing no regard for player safety.

I confess that...I am still mourning the death of the NBA (1946-2013)

I confess that...I automatically drive faster when I hear sports broadcast on the radio.

I confess that...I do say "our" and "my" team and the word "we" excessively when I don't play for, own a team, nor am I on the Board of Directors for any professional team.

I confess that...an all sports network really sounds great to me as long as it's not ESPN.

I confess that...the day after the Super Bowl shouldn't be a holiday. That's just flat out ridiculous. Every Monday should be a holiday!

I confess that...I get mad when someone says sports are dumb and pointless. They clearly don't get sports are important in so many countries. It's dumb and pointless to try and explain it to them.

I confess that...hot dogs do taste better at sporting events.

I confess that...a life without sports in it is a life missing something amazing!

I confess that...I can life without sports but I just don't want to.

cHuRcH CLoThES

Ladies and gentlemen, it's almost opening morning. Time to put on a show to rival all shows before. Get out your Sunday best! Dress to impress! Make them haters jealous! All eyes on you! It's show time! It's time to go to church! Get your church clothes on! It's time to shine!

I'm being facetious. I am annoyed and perturbed that a sacred day has become a spectacle.

The big picture is clear: The world is waiting for the Church to step up. Not in affairs of the State or the Government but as representatives of the character of the Father in the earth. Lifestyle. Conduct. Character. Prayer Life. Speech. Relationship. Integrity. Holiness. These simply relegated to catchphrases nowadays. Somewhere "we" got sidetracked. All "we" care about is appearances. And that's exactly what doesn't matter. Whether you wear a silk suit or a burlap sack, God's eyes are not on your fashion choices. Every Sunday, we may dress for success but what are we striving to be successful at?

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7 KJV)




What's the state of affairs in the Church? Religious leaders support political candidates and stand up publicly as advisors because it enhances their professional portfolios and benefits them personally and perhaps, financially. Preachers and ministers calling themselves to the office, decreeing things to be good when the Word of God says they're evil, having direct knowledge of a leader's sin but rather than correcting and restoring them, they advise them to shake it off and get back to work. (True story) Its "leaders" have zero prayer life and they love the praise and adoration that comes with the position. More volunteers than you count but few that possess a servant’s heart. Fasting is what their personal trainers recommend so they can get into their bikinis for the summer, not the biblical kind we talk about. They disrobe and expose themselves at the height of a worship service, or physically strike fellow parishioners that they don't like and blame it on being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. But at least they look good....





Do you believe in accountability in your church leadership? How many visions do you have in your church at current? Is there a hierarchy or a code of conduct in your ministry? Have the aesthetics, the audio-visuals, color scheme, smoke, and the mood lighting more important than the invitation of the Spirit of God and the Word of God presented with an anointing that compels people to come to Christ? Slowly and subtly, souls are barreling down a path of destruction and sadly, very few seem to notice or care. And much of the responsibility falls in the lap of the church.

But the church I was referring to prior only cares about appearances, how the organization looks, how the people within it looks, how big the church and its campuses are, how attractive the sign or marquee is, and how much monetary giving is taken up every week. There is a Church that differs though. This Church isn't relegated to a building with a roof and a mortgage. This Church can't be bought. This Church doesn't vote out ministers who don't preach favorable, happy-feeling messages that don't challenge anyone spiritually but does increase giving. This Church doesn't blackball, prostitute, blackmail, bribe, and collude, understanding it would bring shame to the legacy of the Church and even endanger spiritual lives. This Church is about the Father's Business and not big business.

There are a people worldwide that still believe and know the Church is still being assembled in expectation of the Master's return. (John 11:52) To them, it is as serious as life and death and it is their purpose for being here. He's coming back for HIS Church. I'm 99.9999999999999% positive that He's not referring to YOUR church. The mirror might say you look fine but what does God say? (Colossians 3:12-14)

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14)

pArT tImE LoVeR

Husband or wife, Boyfriend or girlfriend, raise your hand if you feel that having your significant other on a limited or part time basis is acceptable. In practically every case, you have given and sacrificed something that you might not be able to retrieve. But you entrusted it to the one that you vowed to love. In love, there is a point of no return. Once you love like this, you are never again the same. You are drastically and radically changed. You find yourself doing things you have never done and thinking about things that you have never done. You are a different person. You say words that you never said before. You have made sacrifices that you never thought you would have the heart to make for another person. You dream bigger and broader than you ever have when you were single and unattached. But now, your heart beats for another person. Can you feel that? They call that passion. You'll do most anything for that special someone. Depending on the depth, height, and width of that love, you might even die for that special someone.

There is a song that we love to sing in our worship service. "How He Loves" by David Crowder. I'm going to share some of the lyrics later on just to enhance the point of this blog. Hopefully, it will help some.




I am grieved today. I can't imagine how the Lord feels about this. I am grieved about something that you probably don't even care about anymore. It's normal to you now. You might simply be desensitized and see it as a small matter. Or you justify this because, in the back of your mind, maybe you agree a little. Quite frankly, the people who claim to be the Lord have forsaken the Church (and I'm not talking about the building). And I believe they have turned away from God Himself and they don't even realize it. I'll explain.

At this point, it's widespread and you don't see it because you don't want to. All around us, believers (presumably) have been relegated to part time status in ministry. My example isn't great for comparison but I was in a ministry for more than 10 years and even the idea of taking my family on vacation or taking a weekend off was frowned upon and subjected me and mines to a public rebuke and scorn. I served in nearly every function in the church with my role growing every month seemingly. I am not intimating that one should commit themselves to a local ministry like this because the cost I paid is not one I would wish on my worst enemy. I say that with all seriousness.

But tell me what your lives as believers would look like if the Father only provided some of His love. What happens if he was a part time lover? What if He couldn't be relied upon to be committed or to be faithful? What if when you needed Him the most, He was simply consumed with other stuff and didn't have time and then forgot that you had a need? God's not like that but that sure resembles us at times. I think we truly have the wrong idea about who God is and we take Him for granted. We can be faithful to our wives and loving parents and still be considered unfaithful to our calling. We can't get an "E" for effort there. At some point, God has to come first. (Luke 9:57-62)

It is unfathomable to me that some see the local ministry as an appendage. Wake up one Sunday and feel like shopping or going to the beach or going to see a movie or anything but...Do we really think we are serving God wholeheartedly when part of our heart carries a lack of disdain for what He is doing through the local church? You'll find and we have personally that changing ministries rarely solves the problem. People that see fellowship and faithfulness to a local ministry as casual and not worthy of a commitment usually carry that same dysfunction with them elsewhere. This is a heart issue.

Have you abandoned your first love? (Revelation 2:4) Have you escaped the defilements of this world and then returned back to them? (2 Peter 2:20-22) It might be time to examine where you are and do some soul searching. (2 Corinthians 13:5) This is a place that you do not want to be. (2 Timothy 3:5) God will not be mocked and He is aware of what is going on in our hearts. (Hebrews 10:26-31) Have you laid down your cross? (Matthew 10:38-39)

We need to seriously and deliberately re-examine three questions regarding our service to the Lord.

1- What is the reason we started serving God and within the Church in the first place?

2- What is the purpose of why you are here on Earth as a believer?

3- Were / Are you considered faithful?

God has loved us with a love that we can never repay. It was undying, unfailing, and unconditional. Is this how we truly attempt to repay Him? Serving him one or two days a week is a drudgery? We say we love God but we don't care about the community He wants to see set free? C'mon, people! Quit lying to us and yourselves. You're giving the adversary a place to hide in your life and wreak havoc! Be honest and make a decision. MYTH KILLER: If you are on the fence, that is not indifference. You have decided to not do what you are indifferent about so you have already decided! (Joshua 24:15)


He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all

And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way

"How He Loves" ~ David Crowder (Songwriters: John Mark Mc Millan)

Published by INTEGRITY'S HOSANNA! MUSIC (in part)


Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)