It Remains To Be Seen

Many of you know that my favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 2:9, "...eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." This scripture reminds all of us that God has so much more in store for us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Be encouraged today and know that regardless of how difficult life may seem for you right now, God has plans for you. Plans of blessings, plans of prosperity, plans of peace. During days of challenge (we all have them), these scriptures encourage me by reminding me that God has not forgotten me. In fact, I am always on God's mind as he prepares and plans my future blessings. The same truth applies to you and all who love God. Your best days are ahead, not behind. Go forth child of God. You're on your way to your blessing place.

My Superwoman

I think our church has a pretty good pastor. However, I know we have an awesome first lady! Congratulations to my wife, Dr. Cynthia, for being appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to serve on the state Board of Pharmacy. In this four-year position, she will be responsible for licensing new pharmacists in the state, as well as reviewing and managing the professional standards that govern all pharmacists. Our daughters, who are both pharmacy majors at FAMU, may have the privilege of having their mom review and approve their application for license once they finish school and pass the board exam. God is an awesome God. In addition to all of her professional accomplishments, she is a loving, supportive wife, a terrific mom, a wonderful first lady, a prayer warrior, a community volunteer, a role model for young women, an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the list goes on and on. God has blessed me with much more than a wife - He has given me a Superwoman!

Random Acts of Kindness

Do you remember the days when almost everyone was nice? Back in the day, people spoke to each other, even if they were strangers. Men opened doors for women, and assisted the young and the elderly. I remember growing up in church during a time when an adult churchgoer would give a child a quarter for no reason. Let's bring those days back! Let's find a way to be kind. Pay for someone else's lunch. Allow the car to merge in front of you. Say good morning to everyone you come into contact with. Give a compliment. Call someone just to tell them you appreciate them. Send a card. These are just a few ways we can show kindness and the love of God to our brothers and sisters. Have a blessed day. Now go out and be kind!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, which signifies the beginning of the Lenten Season. Today is the day that we, as Christians, begin to travel with Christ on His way to the cross. In the bible, ashes were a symbol of mourning. Esther 4:1 (RSV) says, "When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry." While we are thankful that Jesus died for us, we are also sad that because of our sins, He had to. The Season of Lent lasts forty days (count the number of days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, excluding Sundays). Many people make a sacrifice, or "give up something" for lent. This is done to symbolize the awesome sacrifice that God have through His Son, and that the Son gave through His life. One should not give up certain foods for Lent because they want to lose weight. Whatever you give up, it should be done from the perspective of sharing in the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus our Savior. During this season, we should reflect on our spiritual walk with God, and vow to live an even better life for God's glory. May God bless you during this special time of the year.

Look Inside

What is it that you have been waiting for? Are you looking for a new job? A better financial situation? A stable relationship? Where have you been looking? Have you looked to others? If so, you have been looking in the wrong direction. Instead of looking outward, turn and look inward. 1 John 4:4 says "...greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." God has gifted you with everything you need to succeed. If God lives in you, He will lead, guide and direct you (in His own time) to your destiny. Don't loose patience when it seems as if everybody is progressing except you. Stay true to yourself and your God, and in due season you will reap, if you do not faint. You know you can trust God. Now you've got to learn to trust yourself. If God lives inside of you, in order to find Him, all you have to do is look inside.

What is God Saying to You?

Tomorrow is our day of worship. Praise, worship, singing and fellowship are all integral parts of the total worship experience. But nothing is more important than the Word of God. The man or woman who delivers the message is merely the instrument that God uses to speak to us. However, many people will worship tomorrow and remember everything about the worship service except the sermon. In other words, they will miss what God is saying to them. I have always been amazed about how hundreds or even thousands can hear the same message, yet God can utter a specific, tailor-made message for each person in the sanctuary. As you worship on Sunday, listen to what God has to say personally to you, your situation, your future, your destiny. Share with other readers what you got out of Sunday's sermon. You may include the name of your church and pastor (or whoever delivered the message) if you have positive comments. This blog is designed to lift up, not tear down. Let us hear from you. What is God saying to you?

T.G.I.T.

Congratulations! God has blessed you by letting you see another day! Many people woke up this morning thinking and saying "Thank God It's Friday!" It really should not matter what day of the week it is, for every day we wake up we should say "T.G.I.T. - Thank God It's Today!" There is a popular gospel song (GMWA Mass Choir) entitled "Everyday is a Day of Thanksgiving. My late father-in-law's personal definition of "grace" was time. He would always say that whenever God gave you more time, He was giving you grace. By waking up this morning, God has given more grace. Whenever I talk to a particular friend of mine, I usually begin the conversation by asking him how he's doing. He always responds by saying "Rev., every day is a holiday and every meal is a banquet." He always has such a bright outlook on life, even though he has been through many trials and tribulations. This friend is not a minister, and would admit that he is far from being a perfect Christian. Yet, he has discovered something about the grace of God that many of us have yet to learn. Each new day is a blessing from God. Whatever you may face today, thank God that you have today. Someone who is smarter, nicer, richer, healthier and younger than you did not wake up this morning - but you did! Thank God It's Today!

Church Anniversary

We will celebrate our 127th church anniversary at Wayman Chapel this weekend. Tomorrow night (7pm) Pastor Tann Moss of Greater Payne Chapel AME Church of Jacksonville will be our guest preacher. He is relatively new in Jacksonville, so most people have not heard him preach. Trust me - he is an awesome preacher! We will have a day of fun on Saturday, with a talent show at 4pm. Our anniversary weekend will conclude Sunday morning at 10am with Bishop McKinley Young as our guest preacher. Come and share with us this weekend as we celebrate 127 years of God's grace and blessings.

Don't Grow Weary

Have you ever felt as if people don't appreciate your kind efforts? Ever felt stepped on, trampled? Sometimes, it seems that the more you try to love and help people, the more they seem to throw dirt in your face. I recently had that feeling. How do we get over that feeling? The answer - the Word of God. Galations 6:9 says, "So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Colossians 3:23 says, "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." So you see, the object of our good deeds is not supposed to be man, but God. The next time you feel unappreciated by your spouse, boss, co-worker, friend, or anyone else, know that your good works are appreciated - by God. He will reward you for what you do. So don't grow weary; keep doing good.

Men's Ministry

Our men's ministry met last night at Spirit of Life Worship Center. We had a wonderful time discussing issues that primarily affect men. We spoke at length about Ephesians 5, where the Word tells husbands to love their wives, and wives to reverence their husbands. Men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ's love was a sacrificial love. In other words, He gave of himself so that the church could be its best. Men, that is our charge - to give of ourselves so the women in our lives can be their best. Growing up, I remember how my father would always let my mother drive the nice car, while he traveled in the older car. He would make sure that she looked nice when they went to church, even if that meant he had to wear the same old suit. I think we need to go back to some of those old ways. I still believe men should open the door for women (all women, not just your wife). Chivalry is on life support, but can be revived. Most women will reverence and respect God-fearing men who treat them like Christ treats the church. These ideals should be taught to our boys, so that when they become men they will know how to treat a woman. In most instances, if a man loves a woman the way Christ loves the church, the woman will have no problem respecting and honoring the man. If you don't believe me, try it. It works!

If you live in Jacksonville, Florida, I welcome you to attend our next men's ministry meeting. You don't have to be a member of our church. We meet every third Monday at 6:30pm. I look forward to seeing you.

Forgive and Live

In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus gives the parable of a servant who owed a debt of millions of dollars. Because he could not pay, the king commanded that he be sold into servitude, along with his family, and that everything he owned would also be sold to pay off some of his debt. He in turn asked the king to give him more time to pay. The king had compassion on him and decided not to force him to sell all. The man, who should have been grateful, went out and found one of his peers who owed him a much smaller sum. Instead of having compassion on him, he choked the man and had him thrown into jail. Upon hearing this, the king who had previously forgiven him reinstated the debt and had him thrown into jail.

It is important that we learn from this lesson the importance of forgiving. Real life begins when we grant forgiveness, not just receive. Three conceptual lessons we can learn from this scripture are:

1. The Proportion of Forgiveness - Notice that the man was forgiven of a debt of millions, but failed to forgive a debt of at most a few thousands. We, too, must understand that God has forgiven us of much more than we will ever be able to forgive others. Therefore, we must constantly seek to forgive.

2. The Priority of Forgiveness - Notice that the man was first forgiven by the king before he had the opportunity to forgive his friend. Just as we love Jesus because He first loved us, we should be able to forgive because He first forgave us.

3. The Purpose of Forgiveness - Notice that by failing to forgive his fellow man, he lost his freedom, and was not able to pursue life to the fullest. We must understand that the reason for and focus of forgiveness is us - not the person who harmed us.

Too often we choose not to forgive because we feel that it will hurt the other person. The truth of the matter is unforgiveness only hurts you. Think of it this way. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. We need oxygen to live, while carbon dioxide will kill us. However, plants need carbon dioxide to live and thrive. The person who hurt you so bad that you won't forgive them is just like a plant. If you choose to not forgive (which is like exhaling), you may think you're hurting them. In fact, sometimes you may hurt them by withholding your forgiveness. However, keep in mind that holding in your forgiveness is like holding in carbon dioxide. While it may hurt them, it will certainly kill you. It will kill future dreams, relationships, joy, peace and contentment. Get out of prison. Forgive and Live.

Quality Improvement in the Church

Our ministry is in the process of implementing a quality improvement (Q/I) process. Q/I is an old concept in the corporate world, but is seldom utilized in the Body of Christ. As a result, many churches are using old, out-dated models in a rapidly changing, contemporary society. Although the message of Christ does not change, our methods for deliverying the message should. Keep our ministry in your prayers as we allow ourselves to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds."