One of the things again that Christ is teaching about loving others like Him, and He defined love through His words, and action. Christ' love is unconditional, and our love should be like that. That's why instructions on how to love others with word, and action like Him is in His word for us to do when we are in relationship with others. The way were suppose love in words, or in communication is found James 1:19. The way we are suppose to love in action is found 1 Corinthians 13.
Love in Communication, James 1:19 ( KJV)
In James 1:19 James writes to church in Jerusalem stating "Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Swift to hear means that we need to listen, and there are 4 ways for that. They are observation with eyes, and ears. When people speak we need to listen with our eyes as well as with our ears. Next way we are suppose to listen is to concentrate to think about a person is saying to us, and third one is to be considerate. That is to understand to what their words are meaning, and fourth one is clarification into think through in what they are saying( Adrian Roger's sermon of "Dealing with Conflict). Slow to speak, and slow to wrath are related in our actions. God's love needs to be in our hearts to have the right actions in love the same way Christ did.
Love in Action, 1 Corinthians 13 (KJV)
Love in communication, and love in action like Christ are the power of all ministries. Paul opens verse 1 stating that without love that your ministry of speaking tongues will be nothing, but a loud sounding brass. In verse 2 he goes onto state that if you the gift of prophecy, and faith without love, than you are nothing. Christ's unconditional love is the reason why He humble himself by becoming man that was born in a filthy manager to be the sacrificial lamb that was to die for our sins, and God loved us unconditionally to send His Son to the cross while we were still sinners. So God's unconditional love towards us is how we are to love Him, and one another. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul tells what God's love by describing its characteristics.
Love's characteristics are-
Love suffers long
Love is kind
Love does not envy, vaunt itself, nor does it puff itself up
Love does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoke, and does not think evil
Love endure all things, bears all things, believes all things, and has hope in all things
LOVE NEVER FAILS
To abide in God's love is greater than abiding in faith, and hope. Our love for God is what drives our worship, and we will be doing that in His eternal kingdom. In there we will not need our spiritual gifts, so we will not be having them.
The characteristics of love should be the action of our love, and we should continue to learn how to communicate it with others that we love.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
"Importance of Balance"
My first blog in this series I started was about what Christ was teaching me in the last 5 months, and has led me to His bus stop ministry. Whenever there is something new in ones life it brings excitement, and with that people start sprinting. That's good, but life's journey equals a marathon. If a person just sprinted through the marathon, than they would get burned out. In order to finish the marathon with success, than a person needs to learn how to how to pace themselves. In ministry that means balance, and that is what Christ has been teaching me in the last week.
When I started doing the bus stop ministry I was so excited, that I wanted to do it 5 days a week. Well after two weeks I notice I was a bit tired when I went out there, and last time I only preached for less than 10 minutes. Prior to that I did spend time with the Lord, prayed He give me strength, and the words to say. When I got there I was still tired, than I quickly to talk to God in asking Him to speak through me. He did, and him speaking through us is not about the length. It is about His message that's composed of His word, love, and truth. In those 10 minutes He did that, and two days after that He has taught me the importance of balance.
Christ and His disciples did not witness every day in Christ's 3 years of ministry, because they would have worn themselves in not being effective.While Christ was God in the flesh His body was bound to the physical laws in where He was hungry, tired, so He needed rest just like anybody else would. In the Bible it states Christ got away from crowds to pray to His Father, and he also got away from the crowds with His disciples. That show's Christ being relational with His disciples to train them in His doctrine to be used after He ascended into heaven. Just like Christ, and His disciples we need balance.
To keep our priorities aligned with God's plan, and having Him be the head of it is challenging to do, which is why it's important for us to guard our time with Him daily. It's also important to use the time of rest with fellowship of other believers to spend time in the word together, prayer, and just having fun with each other. Christ never meant flowing Him to be borrowing, and He wants us to enjoy in what He gave us in His creation, love for Him, and love for one another.
Other things to help us keep our life in balance is being physically active with our body, because it helps us by giving us more energy. It also helps relieve any stress, its good for the mind, and for the spirit. Paul states that our body is the temple of our Holy Spirit, and one of the places we do not want to go to recover is the hospital. With our time with God, fellowship with other believers, exercising to balance things, it is also important to eat right. It is also good to eat things we enjoy, when we are consistent with good eating habits.
When life is imbalance, than eventually it will affect your ministry, so it is important to have balance.
When I started doing the bus stop ministry I was so excited, that I wanted to do it 5 days a week. Well after two weeks I notice I was a bit tired when I went out there, and last time I only preached for less than 10 minutes. Prior to that I did spend time with the Lord, prayed He give me strength, and the words to say. When I got there I was still tired, than I quickly to talk to God in asking Him to speak through me. He did, and him speaking through us is not about the length. It is about His message that's composed of His word, love, and truth. In those 10 minutes He did that, and two days after that He has taught me the importance of balance.
Christ and His disciples did not witness every day in Christ's 3 years of ministry, because they would have worn themselves in not being effective.While Christ was God in the flesh His body was bound to the physical laws in where He was hungry, tired, so He needed rest just like anybody else would. In the Bible it states Christ got away from crowds to pray to His Father, and he also got away from the crowds with His disciples. That show's Christ being relational with His disciples to train them in His doctrine to be used after He ascended into heaven. Just like Christ, and His disciples we need balance.
To keep our priorities aligned with God's plan, and having Him be the head of it is challenging to do, which is why it's important for us to guard our time with Him daily. It's also important to use the time of rest with fellowship of other believers to spend time in the word together, prayer, and just having fun with each other. Christ never meant flowing Him to be borrowing, and He wants us to enjoy in what He gave us in His creation, love for Him, and love for one another.
Other things to help us keep our life in balance is being physically active with our body, because it helps us by giving us more energy. It also helps relieve any stress, its good for the mind, and for the spirit. Paul states that our body is the temple of our Holy Spirit, and one of the places we do not want to go to recover is the hospital. With our time with God, fellowship with other believers, exercising to balance things, it is also important to eat right. It is also good to eat things we enjoy, when we are consistent with good eating habits.
When life is imbalance, than eventually it will affect your ministry, so it is important to have balance.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Issue 1: What God has been doing for me in the last 6 Months
Well 2011 is almost coming to the end with 2 months to go, and it will be 2012. They say the older you get than the faster time flies by, and they are right. In beginning of 2011 I felt like a boxer that has fought for twelve rounds, and coming to the end of 2011 I have become Christ's recon rescuing through Him souls from Hell. Christ in the last 5 months of November has taught me what it means to surrender His Will, and that's obeying the Great Commission.
In beginning of 2011 I was serving God MY WAY! That's what turn me a servant of His, who felt like a boxer that was fighting for 12 rounds. A boxer fighting for that long in a fight wants to score the knockout, or he wants to be knockout to end the fight. Well at the end of July I got knocked out when Liberty University Online fired me for a crime that I did not commit, but looking back I can honestly state that was one the best things that God allowed to happen to me.
At the end in July of 2011 I knew that I would be heading into the valley, after I lost my job at Liberty University. At the beginning of that time my mind was going all over with emotions. My mind felt anger for being accused of things I did not do, relieve that my fight was over, exhausted from working so hard, confused on what happen, but through all that His Spirit gave me a sense of trust. While working towards the end at Liberty University Online I had a desire to teach Seminary, but did not know how to make that transition to that. Well in the last 5 months God has helped me that, but it is important to see how God was revealing Himself to me while being in the valley.
This was not the first time the Spirit has led me into the valley, but I did not expect going into it. That's what made it the deepest, and most challenging valley to be in. God's plan for helping me in the valley was prayer, studying His word, and fasting to seek His will. In the past God has been, and still is very faithful into revealing me His will. I have been blessed by Him so much, that I would just go through the motions to find it. What I thought His Will for me this time was me to find a job, but if He did that, than my life would be brining me to the same result. That same result was that I would end up depending upon myself, than becoming a slave to me. God did not want that for me, which is why He did not immediately give me another job. While waiting for God to open His door for me I was reading about Joseph, and Job. Those are two guys that I like to read about while in the valley. My experience in the valley was little bit different from Jobs, because I had Godly people like my parents around me to encourage me through prayer. That helped out a lot, but I still was not finding any jobs when I was putting in my resumes for different positions. There was little frusteration, but His Spirit led me to a place in where it made me be still to let me know that God's in control. I just stayed there, and slowly my valley turn into an inner sanctuary to where it was like being in class room to where God was the teacher, and through His Son Jesus I was being discipled.
While being discipled God helped me to evaluate in where I am at, and where I would like to go. I knew that I did not want to do something randomly to make money. That would take me back to where the Spirit freed me, because making money at Liberty did not satisfy me as much. It was not because I was making less, because making more would not satisfy me. What I discover in Spirit is that I wanted to be use by God in where ever the Spirit leads me, and one of the places it led me in the past was teaching. I did that at Sunday School, in a youth program, and also as a trainer. That's what like to do, which is why I desire to teach at a university level in seminary. That's desire that I still have, and to began serving Him the Spirit led to setting up Dr Percer's Sunday School Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church. I remember one Sunday that his wife was asking if anyone in the class could help them with that, and without saying I would I just began to do that. That is where the Spirit began me at, that would eventually lead me onto the battlefield. So I began to get to his Sunday School early to set up his class room, but prior to that I known Dr Percer by him being my professor for one of my seminary courses. I saw his name in teaching a Sunday School class, and was sold right there to join his classroom. He's a great teacher, and a person that loves God, and people.
After I began to help Dr Percer set-up his classroom, than the Spirit led me to sending him an email to ask him about how could I began making the transition to teach Seminary, and help his classroom more. Him, and I eventually set up time for him to share with me on how I can do those things. Dr Percer was great, and he gave me good advice. When I told him that I desire to teach as well, than he asked me if I would like to help him teach in his Sunday School class. I said "yeah", and he said "great." The first teaching opportunity he gave me to teach was he let me give my testimony to the class about what God did for me.
Well on Sunday November 6th I gave the class my testimony, and it was about being dependent on God's strength. I used Philippians 4:13 that Paul states he can do all things through Christ, that strengthens him. That was my first for my testimony, and my point of that was we need to be depended on God's strength instead of ours. I shared with the class on how I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home, and how my parents sacrificed a lot to give me Christian education in most of my academic career. Through that I was saved at the age of 8 years old, because I was convicted of my sins that led me to ask Christ for His forgiveness that led me to His salvation. I believed that Christ did that for me, but I did not surrender to His calling unto I was 28 years old when I was a youth director that saw 7 of my 9 youth accept Christ as their savior. I asked God to forgive me for living my life my way, and I surrender to His calling for me. Throughout my testimony after that I explain on how God was teaching me to depend upon His Strength. After I gave my testimony, than His spirit led me into the battlefield.
I will never forget that Tuesday of the same week I gave my testimony, because through my friend Norman Dews I was introduce to Osakie that led me to the battlefield. Osakie, a alumni of Liberty University, was visiting Lynchburg from Atlanta to witness at bus stops. He asked Norman where was the main bus stop in Lynchburg, and Norman told him where it was. It was next to the library in Lynchburg, and Osakie asked me if I would go. The Spirit through me told him yes, and I met him the next day at 12pm at the Library.
On that day I knew we were going to at least hand out tracks, and do some one on one evangelism. I had no idea, before that in what was that going to be like. Brother Osakie, and I met at the bus stop. We started to pray together, than he gave me tracks to began handing out to people. He than began to preach out in the air like the apostles did. The Spirit open my eyes, and after he was done he asked me if I wanted to do it. I said "yes", and as I started to preach from God's word the Spirit convicted me by telling me I should of been doing this along time ago. The Spirit through me began to plant seeds, and it also inspire another brother name Richard. Brother Richard, an Evangelist, was a former Muslim from Brooklyn, that was led to Christ by open air preaching. His testimony is awesome, but only He can give it. I can only summarize it, because it is the Spirit through Him that makes His testimony attract souls to be filled of God's message. Well brother Richard heard me preach my first open air message, and was inspired to do what led him to Christ. Ever since than I have been hooked to the Great Commission, and I eat, sleep, and breathe the Great Commission. Through the Spirit I have been doing that now for over 2 weeks, and the Spirit has been given the 6 of us vision for it, and that is getting the thousand churches in America in making the disciples the way Christ did it. Brother Richard shared that with Osakie, and I at Burger King one day after we got done witnessing.
Well it has been over 2 weeks since I have committed myself to the Great Commission, and He's continue giving me ministry opportunities. Through those 5 months God has taught what it means to serve Him in prayer, through His word, being still to give Him control, and most importantly in the Great Commission. That's how I went from feeling like the boxer fighting for 12 rounds to Christ's recon soldier rescuing souls through Him from hell.
In beginning of 2011 I was serving God MY WAY! That's what turn me a servant of His, who felt like a boxer that was fighting for 12 rounds. A boxer fighting for that long in a fight wants to score the knockout, or he wants to be knockout to end the fight. Well at the end of July I got knocked out when Liberty University Online fired me for a crime that I did not commit, but looking back I can honestly state that was one the best things that God allowed to happen to me.
At the end in July of 2011 I knew that I would be heading into the valley, after I lost my job at Liberty University. At the beginning of that time my mind was going all over with emotions. My mind felt anger for being accused of things I did not do, relieve that my fight was over, exhausted from working so hard, confused on what happen, but through all that His Spirit gave me a sense of trust. While working towards the end at Liberty University Online I had a desire to teach Seminary, but did not know how to make that transition to that. Well in the last 5 months God has helped me that, but it is important to see how God was revealing Himself to me while being in the valley.
This was not the first time the Spirit has led me into the valley, but I did not expect going into it. That's what made it the deepest, and most challenging valley to be in. God's plan for helping me in the valley was prayer, studying His word, and fasting to seek His will. In the past God has been, and still is very faithful into revealing me His will. I have been blessed by Him so much, that I would just go through the motions to find it. What I thought His Will for me this time was me to find a job, but if He did that, than my life would be brining me to the same result. That same result was that I would end up depending upon myself, than becoming a slave to me. God did not want that for me, which is why He did not immediately give me another job. While waiting for God to open His door for me I was reading about Joseph, and Job. Those are two guys that I like to read about while in the valley. My experience in the valley was little bit different from Jobs, because I had Godly people like my parents around me to encourage me through prayer. That helped out a lot, but I still was not finding any jobs when I was putting in my resumes for different positions. There was little frusteration, but His Spirit led me to a place in where it made me be still to let me know that God's in control. I just stayed there, and slowly my valley turn into an inner sanctuary to where it was like being in class room to where God was the teacher, and through His Son Jesus I was being discipled.
While being discipled God helped me to evaluate in where I am at, and where I would like to go. I knew that I did not want to do something randomly to make money. That would take me back to where the Spirit freed me, because making money at Liberty did not satisfy me as much. It was not because I was making less, because making more would not satisfy me. What I discover in Spirit is that I wanted to be use by God in where ever the Spirit leads me, and one of the places it led me in the past was teaching. I did that at Sunday School, in a youth program, and also as a trainer. That's what like to do, which is why I desire to teach at a university level in seminary. That's desire that I still have, and to began serving Him the Spirit led to setting up Dr Percer's Sunday School Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church. I remember one Sunday that his wife was asking if anyone in the class could help them with that, and without saying I would I just began to do that. That is where the Spirit began me at, that would eventually lead me onto the battlefield. So I began to get to his Sunday School early to set up his class room, but prior to that I known Dr Percer by him being my professor for one of my seminary courses. I saw his name in teaching a Sunday School class, and was sold right there to join his classroom. He's a great teacher, and a person that loves God, and people.
After I began to help Dr Percer set-up his classroom, than the Spirit led me to sending him an email to ask him about how could I began making the transition to teach Seminary, and help his classroom more. Him, and I eventually set up time for him to share with me on how I can do those things. Dr Percer was great, and he gave me good advice. When I told him that I desire to teach as well, than he asked me if I would like to help him teach in his Sunday School class. I said "yeah", and he said "great." The first teaching opportunity he gave me to teach was he let me give my testimony to the class about what God did for me.
Well on Sunday November 6th I gave the class my testimony, and it was about being dependent on God's strength. I used Philippians 4:13 that Paul states he can do all things through Christ, that strengthens him. That was my first for my testimony, and my point of that was we need to be depended on God's strength instead of ours. I shared with the class on how I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home, and how my parents sacrificed a lot to give me Christian education in most of my academic career. Through that I was saved at the age of 8 years old, because I was convicted of my sins that led me to ask Christ for His forgiveness that led me to His salvation. I believed that Christ did that for me, but I did not surrender to His calling unto I was 28 years old when I was a youth director that saw 7 of my 9 youth accept Christ as their savior. I asked God to forgive me for living my life my way, and I surrender to His calling for me. Throughout my testimony after that I explain on how God was teaching me to depend upon His Strength. After I gave my testimony, than His spirit led me into the battlefield.
I will never forget that Tuesday of the same week I gave my testimony, because through my friend Norman Dews I was introduce to Osakie that led me to the battlefield. Osakie, a alumni of Liberty University, was visiting Lynchburg from Atlanta to witness at bus stops. He asked Norman where was the main bus stop in Lynchburg, and Norman told him where it was. It was next to the library in Lynchburg, and Osakie asked me if I would go. The Spirit through me told him yes, and I met him the next day at 12pm at the Library.
On that day I knew we were going to at least hand out tracks, and do some one on one evangelism. I had no idea, before that in what was that going to be like. Brother Osakie, and I met at the bus stop. We started to pray together, than he gave me tracks to began handing out to people. He than began to preach out in the air like the apostles did. The Spirit open my eyes, and after he was done he asked me if I wanted to do it. I said "yes", and as I started to preach from God's word the Spirit convicted me by telling me I should of been doing this along time ago. The Spirit through me began to plant seeds, and it also inspire another brother name Richard. Brother Richard, an Evangelist, was a former Muslim from Brooklyn, that was led to Christ by open air preaching. His testimony is awesome, but only He can give it. I can only summarize it, because it is the Spirit through Him that makes His testimony attract souls to be filled of God's message. Well brother Richard heard me preach my first open air message, and was inspired to do what led him to Christ. Ever since than I have been hooked to the Great Commission, and I eat, sleep, and breathe the Great Commission. Through the Spirit I have been doing that now for over 2 weeks, and the Spirit has been given the 6 of us vision for it, and that is getting the thousand churches in America in making the disciples the way Christ did it. Brother Richard shared that with Osakie, and I at Burger King one day after we got done witnessing.
Well it has been over 2 weeks since I have committed myself to the Great Commission, and He's continue giving me ministry opportunities. Through those 5 months God has taught what it means to serve Him in prayer, through His word, being still to give Him control, and most importantly in the Great Commission. That's how I went from feeling like the boxer fighting for 12 rounds to Christ's recon soldier rescuing souls through Him from hell.
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