You Still Have Some Growing

Matthew 19:20

 

20The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

 

The scripture where Jesus counsels the rich young ruler has been talked about many times; often from the stand point of money and possessions. But God revealed something else to me over the last few days about this scripture. The rich young ruler approached Jesus with a certain arrogance. How you ask? Great question. First he assumed that eternal life was earned just as the NKJV Study Bible notes. When Jesus said to, "keep the commandments," it was because he knew that the young ruler was basing his question from the perspective of the law of Moses given by God. Unfortunately, in the kingdom of God there are many who view God from the legalistic perspective and forget the one concept Jesus came to show and teach. Jesus simply comes from the perspective of love. The young man responded to Jesus that he kept the laws from his youth. Again, there are many who operate from the law and not from love. That was the point Jesus wanted to make. First of all, your salvation and gift of eternal life are gifts. You cannot do anything more to earn a gift. A gift is freely given. Second, no matter how many of the commandments you think  you might have "kept" from whenever you first acknowledged God in your life, you will have failed somewhere because the word says we all "fall short of the glory of God." You can grow up in church all your life and still miss who Jesus is. Jesus is about love. He is not selfish, self-seeking, greedy, envious, etc. He is simply the epitome of love. But most of all, Jesus wanted to show the young man, from the place of love and truth, that he, though he knew the law still lacked in some areas, even within the commandments that he couldn't even see from his own blind spot. No matter how perfect you think you may be, Jesus through love, will show you how imperfect you and I really are but that His love for you and I does not fail. Jesus keeps it "100" as the young people say. But even in His realness with you, He still loves you. You cannot earn eternal life. It is a gift. No matter how long you have walked with Jesus, you still have some growing to do. You have not arrived. The apostle Paul said that you are to work out your salvation. The NKJV Study Bible provides the translation as, "working out faith in daily lives." Faith is a process. Growth is a process and neither ends until the day you take your last breath.

 

 

P.S. I hope you will join me on Saturday, May 2nd from 10am-6pm on The White House Ellipse during the White House Prayer and Book Fair. It's open to the public. I would love to have some face time with you. Check out the www.getyourjoyinthemorning.com website for upcoming events.

Happy Anniversary

Psalm 30:5

 

5For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning.

 

March 30, 2009 was the day I FINALLY obeyed God's prompting to write out a message for what would be at the time 124 people. Exactly nine months later, God would have me birth a manuscript. And February 2011 the book was released. Who knew but God that many more readers, radio segments on Church Beat Radio, the Artist to Artist Show and the Leap of Faith Show and Network would come? Who knew but God that someone would invite me to their baptism saying the messages played a role in them accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior? Who knew but God that others would be inspired to write? Who knew but God that He would have me directly assist in the birthing of the dreams of being published for five others within a two year period? Who but God knew there would be speaking engagements, one on one prayers? Who knew but God a second book would come and a company? From one seed, GOD has done so much!

 

In all that He has allowed me to do for others, I know that He gets all the glory, honor and praise. God did it! I just happened to be in the vicinity. (Laugh) The title of the devotionals, book and company are all based from Psalm 30:5 because truly He has brought me through so much, many tears and it is by His favor, and His favor alone that any of what you read and see has and is done.  Some of you wonder why you don't get a message each day anymore. The messages were always meant to get you to the point where you would open the Word of God and study His word for yourself. Some have relied on the message as their sole exposure to God's word. But growth has to take place. I love you but God loves you more.

 

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

For Love

Matthew 27: 24-25

 

24When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this Just Person. You see to it." 25And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and our children."

 

Holy week is not far away at all. And there have been some battles and close calls during these 40 days for those who hold Jesus near. Some of the toughest battles come just before dawn. For believers in Christ, our dawn occurs Resurrection Sunday, the day that Jesus arose. But before that day, there were many battles. The toughest were in the final weeks. Many assume that Jesus had no choice in going to His death. But there is always a choice.  The choice is to obey or not obey. It was for love, that Jesus obeyed. It was for love though He was hated intensely that He quietly accepted a punishment and took someone else's place in death.

 

Pilate was in the middle of the feast of the governor as the word says and the custom was to release a prisoner. Pilate offered up Jesus the Christ and Barabbas as choices. The word says that Barabbas was a notorious prisoner. The crowd chose to release Barabbas. Pilate couldn't understand it. He knew Jesus had done no wrong. And he thought for sure that up against a notorious prisoner, Jesus would've been easily seen as the clear choice for release. But as the NKJV Study Bible translation says, "Pilate underestimated their hatred."  When Pilate saw he could not reason with the crowd, he didn't use his authority to override them though he could. He was not popular with them as the NKJV Study Bible translation indicates. So instead, he washed his hands and proclaimed his innocence putting the blood on the hands of those who shouted for Jesus' crucifixion. They happily accepted and also put the blood on their own children. Both parties took a very bold stance. Nonetheless, Jesus did it for love. Yes, his blood was on their hands. But He still covered their sins by shedding His own blood. For love, Jesus took the place of a man who was worthy of death. You and I are no better than Barabbas. For love, Jesus took the place of you and I on that cross. He committed no crime, no sin. Yet each of you and I, have. The people who desire to see you and I destroyed in every day life, are no different than that crowd. But for Love, Jesus shed His blood for everyone. A big battle before the dawn won at a great price. For love, His blood was shed but the victory is everlasting. If only everyone would see it.

The Longest Day

Joshua 10:11

 

11So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies.

 

God allowed something so spectacular to happen in the sky so the people of Israel could maintain view of their enemies, the Amorites, to destroy them after Joshua petitioned Him. My assistant pastor always says, "God is the keeper of time." Yes it is the New Testament as well that God truly does keep time. Remember the word says that with the Lord one day is as thousand years and a thousand years as one day.  He can hold time still. He held an entire day still. Have you ever experienced what seemed like the "longest day?"  And you believe that it couldn't possible be any longer than any other day because there are only 24 hours in a day. Clocks are moving forward this weekend so we can experience more sunlight. But God!! God did it for the people of Israel without the use of a clock. He simply held the sun its position. So yes, God can hold a day and it can seem like the longest day. God holds time when you talk to someone you enjoy talking to. You think you've only been on the phone for a short time but then you look at the clock and realize that several hours went by during the course of your conversation. It just happened to me recently.  In film, directors/editors hold time by digitally slowing down a segment of film reel/video so as to emphasize the impact of a particular scene. Musicians and music engineers hold time in a song by slowing down the words played back to give it a certain effect. God does it in real time because He created the earth and everything in it as the Word says. The next time you experience the "longest day" or a phone conversation that seems like only minutes but is actually hours, remember, something significant is happening. God is doing something spectacular. You just need to ask God what you need to pay attention to, learn or remember from it.

The Fuel Which Ignites

Proverbs 20:1

 

 

1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

 

You and I already know that God blessed King Solomon with much wisdom because he asked for it. You and I both know that King Solomon was termed the wisest and wealthiest king in the Old Testament. So a king who is wise by God's hand gave you and I insight into the behavior of man thousands of years before. Remember the Word says there is nothing new under the sun. So there is no behavior that has not already been seen. It may be new to you, but God has seen it all. The NKJV Study Bible records the translation of this verse as: "Wine mocks the one who drinks it and the strong drink makes him loud, aggressive, and without self-control. Intoxicating drinks have often led to great misery and suffering. They can lead people astray and cause them to do foolish and abusive things." Have you ever wondered why when people get drunk they get extra loud? Have you ever wondered why when people get drunk they seem to get in a fighting mode? Have you ever wondered why when people get drunk they seem to loose their capacity to think straight and have control over their reflexes? When I was on campus in college, we had visits regularly by the campus police as they said most of their weekends were spent trying to save young people from alcohol poisoning. What does it mean to mock? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary says it means to 1) treat with contempt or ridicule 2) delude 3) defy 4)to mimic in sport or derision. So basically being intoxicated can get you to a place where what you are drinking is making a fool of you. Deluding means to mislead, deceive, trick. So being intoxicated can get you to the point where you see things that may not be present. Wine and Spirits- they are called spirits for a reason. Let's look at it from it a different perspective.

 

The translation said it can make a person aggressive, without self-control and even abusive. I recall being at comedian Dick Gregory's 80th birthday celebration at a comedy house in Washington, D.C. There he mentioned how alcohol often plays a factor in abuse. Well, the word is true. In the most recent cases of domestic violence involving former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice, R&B singer Kyle Norman from the group Jagged Edge both were very much intoxicated. Kyle Norman tried to choke his fiancé to death and attempted to shove the engagement ring he gave her down her throat. Even in the domestic violence situations I witnessed growing up, most times, drunkenness was a factor. It brings out what is hidden, deep-rooted. Alcohol is no excuse for abuse but it can bring out anger that is already there and ignite it ten times greater than what it is there. My personal refusal to drink was long before I understood it in the word of God but rather because alcoholism is a disease and I have seen the disease and wanted no part of it. The word states that God's people are not to be drunk with wine but rather with the Holy Spirit. How can you hear the Spirit of the Lord when you hear the spirit of something else tricking, deceiving and misleading you? It's something to think about. What you do is between you and God that is for sure. But when you harm another because of your actions then it's everyone's problem. Being intoxicated with alcohol can be a fuel which ignites something horrible including loss of freedom and/or life. "You are your brother's keeper." You can be joyous and happy without being intoxicated as long as you love life, your own and that of others.

Is the Love Obvious?

Song of Solomon 1:2, 9

 

2Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth-for your love is better than wine. 9I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh's chariots.

 

We are in the commercialized season of love. Love is everyday. How so? The expressions of love are made known in many ways. It's not just about how you feel but how you treat one another, time spent and how you are willing to do and care for one another.

 

The Song of Solomon is the "book of love" in the Old Testament. There are some very hot and heavy moments in the Song of Solomon. Yes, even in the Bible there is a place for romantic love. Remember, love is at the core of Christian life. There are many types of love but the first human relationship ever established on earth was between man and woman. Next to your relationship with God, this is a very important and influential relationship. The Shulamite woman and Solomon were obviously in love just from the scripture above. Yes, even in the life of believers, there needs to be some passion in your relationship. Passion should be fueled by love not lust. Love requires respect, care, devotion. It is noted in the NKJV Study Bible that banquets by the royal families consisted mostly of wine and thought to be the best item of consumption for celebration. The Shulamite woman emphasized that the love Solomon provided was better than wine. And no, they were not talking about intercourse itself. For it was not customary for a man and woman to consummate their relationship with intercourse until after the official marriage ceremony. And though it may seem that Solomon compared the Shulamite woman to an animal, according to the animal chart in the NKJV Study Bible, a filly was the finest of Egyptian horses. Their love for one another was very obvious. The question for you: is the love obvious? Love can never be boxed into one day or even a week. True love has no end. The strongest earthly bond is to be the marital bond as noted in Song of Solomon chapter 8. The problem is the bond between man and woman is taken for granted, misused and abused. The bond between man and woman has even been taken out of context and made to be some casual occurrence. It is not. It is a powerful one that if not nurtured correctly can leave a lot of scar tissue. But if nurtured correctly can be one full of support, companionship and passion. Your bond should not be casual. It ought to have purpose. Your bond of love ought to be obvious and have direction, not just because a day has been designated to do so. Is the love obvious?

Special Announcement

Good Evening Everyone,

 

I hope you are enjoying the Super Bowl festivities and the commercials. I was told to make this announcement to everyone so I want to be sure you know. I am officially a contributing writer for The Divine Voice Magazine  http://www.thedivinevoicemag.com/. Be sure to subscribe! A review of my latest book, "Shh Don't Tell" will also appear in the next issue. I praise God for He is worthy to be praised!! I thank God for this humbling opportunity as well as The Divine Voice Magazine and the GCV Network.

 

Blessings and love to you,

 

-Joy