Despite recent events taken place in Baltimore having been disheartening, We cannot lose hope. Anytime, a group of people are dealing with authority that is perceived to be unjust or unfair there is the temptation to lose hope, become disparaging and take matters into one’s own hands.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened. Colossians 3:21 (NET)

Fathers represent authority. Normally, in a household once you go to your father after you have already talked to your mom the final decision rested with your father for whatever was up for question. After his word; there was no more word or anything else to be said about the subject. What the father said went and it was the end of the story. If the father was unfair, the children would be provoked to anger and become disheartened.

To become disheartened means to lose heart or to lose hope. Unfortunately, what is going on is a lot of young African American men and women are losing hope in the possibility of justice in this Country. When the authority figures who naturally we expect to be able to trust betray that trust over and over again and get off as if nothing ever happened it causes people to become disheartened to lose that hope and ask themselves what then can be done for justice.

The natural reaction is to express one’s own anger and discontent through lashing out. While I understand the emotions and concern, I do not condone it because it is unproductive in bringing justice and it can actually incur harm on persons involved making matters worse rather than better.

There are a few examples in the Bible of authority that had ill intention toward it’s citizens, but I will only write about one example here. The example is Herod who had authority as King over the jurisdiction of where Jesus’ parents resided. The Bible is clear in communicating that King Herod sought after the child Jesus to kill him (Matthew 2:13-15). However, Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father was warned in a dream to go into Egypt until the Herod died that sought the child’s life.

In the above case, we see that even though the authority of that time was corrupt, God still intervened in the situation leading and guiding Jesus’ parents to care for the child. We learn from this story to trust the providence of God realizing that even though various authorities may be corrupt and provoke some to become disheartened, we are never without hope because there is always higher authority available who judges righteously and fairly.

Second, we see that the child’s life was sought because he was special and unique. He was the Son of God sent with a purpose to save all man-kind. We have to realize our worth as African-American men and women. There is something in African-American men that people who aren’t familiar with become afraid and intimidated by and thus target African-American men unfairly in many cases.

However, African-Americans have many gifts that make us a special and unique people. All you have to do is pay attention to the major trends in media and you will see that African-Americans are emulated in almost everything that we do from hip-hop, to dance, to fashion, to poetry, rap, and various other things. These are the things that kept us happy and full of joy during slavery when we were owned and priced at a value by someone else, but not only our gifts to entertain and uplift one another through the various arts, but the core thing that kept us strong was our relationship with God.

The old negro spirituals gave us hope and kept the thought of a higher authority out there looking after us, who would deliver us when the time came. African-Americans also have direct connections to the blood-line of David and thus the lineage of Jesus Christ through King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Black was so beautiful in the 1970s that White folks got perms to fit in. One of the most unique parts about us is the fact that we are still here in America despite our many years of struggle. We have been able to endure in this country due to our endurance and our relationship with God which brought us through slavery, Jim Crow, and many other disparities. Knowing our own worth and value outside of what others perceive is crucial to not losing hope.

When a person doesn’t know their worth and they lose hope; they are liable to do anything placing their own selves in harm’s way. What if Joseph and Mary had not of followed the providence of God and said instead they were going to go and tear up King Herod’s kingdom? What do you think would have happened? They would have made themselves targets for know reason and been destroyed, but they followed and trusted in the providence of God and their lives were spared as well as Jesus’ life when Herod had all of the children 2 years and younger who were male killed.

Lastly, we have to understand that just because we may not see immediate retribution, it doesn’t mean that retribution is not coming.

Because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:20

Sometimes when things happen that are so gut-wrenching as with the Freddie Gray situation; there is a natural reaction to want immediate revenge by any means necessary, but this is not the best way to go about things. Rioting, attacking police officers, and unruly behavior only lead to more confusion and pain. The problem that originally occurred is not fixed, and only more grief is realized. Surely, the victims in each case of injustice lives are worth more than a fit of anger. This is not God’s will at all.

What we may think is justice is not nearly as much as the justice that God desires to give. God’s justice will get to the root of the problem and God’s justice also deals with the hearts of men. The whole premise of non-violence is rooted in dealing with the heart of men, but this is another subject.

What if the justice that God has in mind is similar to that of what occurred before with laws changing, people being convicted, regulated, and held accountable which would in turn prevent future episodes and others will be able to live in peace? Let’s think long-term and not short-term.

Lashing out only brings short-term gratification while fighting for justice in an appropriate manner brings long lasting gratification. We have examples throughout our history of what worked before. We need to follow those examples when responding to the gut-wrenching events that take place in society that have occurred with some police officers and Black men and women. Whatever you do don’t lose hope.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. John 4:23

It’s a whole lot of worship going on in the church, and the body of Christ as a whole, but it all isn’t the worship that God requires. People who worship and follow Christ intimately understand that true worship is rooted in obedience to Christ. It is rooted in denying one’s self for the glory of God. What we have going on too often is the exact opposite. It’s almost as if we get all that we want as far as worshiping ourselves, flesh, and own desires and we give God what is left over.

Here is a little worship Lord, a little singing, clapping of the hands, and attending church, but my obedience to you is on hold, my life is mine, I am not willing to give it up for the sake of glorifying God. This is the exact attitude that got Cain’s offering rejected by the Lord. Able took his best, the first-fruits of what he had giving God his best; while Cain gave God what was left-over. Obviously, he did not understand the Lord that he attempted to worship. He did not reverence the God that he “worshiped” in his self-ordained routine.

Our worship is a reflection of our heart. The Bible says that where our treasure is there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). This scripture is not just in reference to money, but treasure can be anything of importance or worth to us. Whatever we give our hearts to the most becomes what we worship whether money, things, people, sex, lust or God.

The problem comes in when we have one ideal of worship and God has another one altogether. Who’s ideal of worship will we believe? Unfortunately, we often take on our own opinion of worship because it is easier for us; however, at some point in time if we are going to worship God and deal with him on his terms, we are going to have to humble ourselves. It is a wonderful thing to humble ourselves before the Lord and do things on his terms because it increases our intimacy and that is what worship is any way. True worship shows an understanding of the one that we are worshiping. It shows an affinity and passion for that person or thing.

We should not worship things, but we should reserve our worship for Christ alone [i ] There is an exclusivity to worship. It is pure when it is given to God only and not anything else. Just like the husband and wife who get with one another and no one else. It’s a pure stream.

Worship is not giving God our last after we have satisfied our flesh with sin, but it is denying ourselves rejecting sin while giving God our best because he gave us his best. He gave us his only begotten son. It’s our reasonable service to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord. Do we realize who we attempt to worship? He is the one who is God. He made the world. He sits high, but looks low and is concerned about us. He considers us to the point of answering our prayers, being patient with us as he was with Cain sharing that if he acts right he will be accepted.

True worship is rooted in truth, and truth is rooted in God’s word. When we take on perversion which is to go out of the way of truth; we dishonor God instead of worshiping him we instead worship perversion. I am sure it grieves the heart of God to have to reject our worship that we attempt to offer him, when we worship perversion, but he only loves us and desires truth for us. God is truth and cannot compromise with sin. Therefore, he will not intimately commune with those who love sin. We have a choice to either love God and worship God or to love the things of the world and to worship them. There is no in between.

Lastly, worship is rooted in a fear and reverence for the Lord holding his word above all with the ultimate respect.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Psalms 96:9 (KJV)

Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth . Psalms 96:9 (ASV)

The above scriptures reference the exclusivity of holiness again or being set apart in a beautiful manner that shows exclusive allegiance to Christ, and secondly it promotes fear, reference and respect for God. These are the things that make up the worship that God requires.

If you find yourself worshiping something other than Christ and walking in something other than truth, humble yourself before God and ask him to change your heart to a true heart of worship that he will accept. Worship that is rooted in truth, intimacy, holiness, fear, and reverence that puts God first before your own needs #Living Sacrifice.

i Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt you serve. Matthew 4:10 (KJV)

Only God can judge me only God. Most of us who grew up on 90s hip-hop remember that popular song from Tupac that says, “Only God can judge me.” This phrase has become popular or rampant even in the church to put up a defense saying that God is the only one who has the authority to judge others including believers.

However, I was listening to the Word of God as I got ready for work today, and came across the scriptures below that give clear instruction on how we are to judge in the body of Christ.

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister that is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (NIV)

It appears that the scripture is implying that we as believers are to judge one another simply because we are called to be set apart. We are the ones who are supposed to know better and to act right. Also, God has given us brothers and sisters in Christ to help to keep us in line when we may ignore our conscience. The truth of the matter is it is a good thing to be judged by a mature believer who walks in love. When we tell each other the truth it shows that we love one another.

Another scripture in God’s word that supports the idea of judging our brethren:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1

The above scripture promotes the idea of judging for the purpose of restoration. It also promotes the idea of judging being done not by people who are immature walking in their flesh, but by those who are mature, learned, and who savor the way of walking in the Spirit. Those are the ones who will judge with the heart of God and God’s purpose in mind.

So, no the idea of believers not judging one another is of the world. We are to judge one another, and not to judge the world because the world naturally sins because they have not subjected themselves to God having not accepted him as Lord just yet. Therefore, God will judge them for not accepting him as Lord when the appropriate time comes.

We don’t want God to judge us; we want our neighbor to judge us so that when we go before God on judgement day, we only hear well done my good and faithful servant. God used Nathan to judge David and to push him toward restoration after he had sinned with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:1-15). The judgement of God through our brothers or sisters in Christ, or through the Holy Spirit leads to repentance.

God doesn’t like hypocritical judgement. That is the judgement referenced in Matthew 7 that says, Judge not lest you be judged, because with the measure that you set, it will be measured back to you again, and it goes on to say that why are you trying to pick a speck out of your brothers eye when you have a huge pole in your own eye?

Many people read only the first part,” judge not”, and say that we are not supposed to judge, but that isn’t what that passage of scripture is referencing. That passage of scripture is referencing our human nature to believe that other people’s #2 stinks , but our own #2s do not stink. It’s human nature to see the negative in others more than ourselves.

This is clearly seen in the fact that when Nathan judged David; he did it in the form of a parable. David did not know that Nathan spoke of him. Therefore David pronounced judgement on the man saying that man shall surely die [i].

Nathan told him you are the man, and David’s reaction changed. He humbled himself saying that he had sinned against God. According to Matthew 7, David should have died because that is the judgement that he pronounced upon himself when he thought that it was for someone else. However, after David humbled himself, Nathan’s response was the below scripture:

The Lord also has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:13

David was able to obtain mercy against the judgement that he had pronounced upon himself. God’s purpose for sending our brothers and sisters in Christ is to seek an occasion for us to humble ourselves and obtain mercy against the judgement that we should incur for our sin. This is why we ought to maintain humility and examine our own selves when we are judged by our brethren.

Yes, sometimes brothers and sisters in Christ are not right in their judgements nor are they sent by God as Nathan was, but if we take everything to God in prayer we will know the difference.

We don’t want to wait until we get before God on judgement day to say, “You are the only one that can judge me God.” We will receive the greater damnation for knowing what is right to do and not doing it. The Bible says to do so is sin.

It’s God’s love judging us through our friends, trusted prophets, and teachers of the gospel. It is better to get things right now than to go before God on judgement day saying Lord, I rejected your correction and judgement through my brethren because they were not you. That is foolish! So, let’s re-evaluate some of these popular sayings that have made their way into the church. We do not govern our lives as believers based on popular culture, but by the Word of God. Amen!

[i] And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:5

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Yo, today is good Friday, and we have been celebrating holy week all week, which is where we celebrate Jesus Christ dying for our sins. This Sunday we will celebrate not only the death but the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I was chilling Wednesday night as my pastor nailed prayer requests to a cross that we have at our church and I was immediately hit in my spirit to remember the Lord as I heard the sounds of the nails, I began to worship.

It all hit me reminding me of when I feel like I am going through a difficult path to remember the path that Jesus Christ took. Jesus took a path that was mapped out specifically to benefit not himself but someone else. That someone else was us. Jesus took on that path by choice, not by force to give his life for our sake. The Bible says that his life was not taken from him, but that he laid it down.

He held any shame in contempt. In other words, he was focused. He did not allow himself to be distracted by anything. He had a one track mind to show the father’s love to us by paying for our sins once and for all.

Jesus was a voluntary sufferer for our sake. That is so deep and so real. Often as believers in America we do not want to suffer for ourselves let alone someone else. We can be very selfish placing our needs and wants above what we really should be focused on. In those moments when we get lost for whatever reason we can look to the Lord. He lived a life of consecration meaning to be set aside for a specific purpose.

All while Jesus was alive and went through the many shared experiences that people of his day went through whether it was going to school, learning to work, help around the house or make friends. He had his purpose or consecration in mind all of the time. He must have been thinking to himself, “Don’t get to caught up in what is going on around you; you are here to save the world.” That is what he did.

That is the highest calling that he endured. He shut himself out of a lot of things that many of us are bent on experiencing such as finding a wife, having kids, or paying off a mortgage. He had a greater calling with us in mind. Anytime, we want to feel as though we are giving up a lot, we need to again look at Jesus.

He was faithful to his path unto death, and resurrection.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Hebrews 12:4

Lastly, Jesus saw the result of his consecration.

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.Isaiah 53:11

After enduring a life where his primary focus was to live until the age of 33 not experiencing marriage, or kids among other things, but experiencing being misunderstood as a crazy person who saw himself equal with God, and upset religious authorities, was spit on, put down, and diminished to be much lower than who he was which was the Son of God, he saw the result of it all and still sees the result even unto this day.

He is at the right hand of the father interceding for us reminding the father that he shed his blood for our sins. Therefore many have come to know him. Jesus Christ has the largest family known to any. He is the most famous person in the world spanning through out every generation that has hit the earth and that will hit the earth. He has his very own bride which are us his believing church. He sanctifies us, loves us, and calls us his own.

So, whenever you feel like giving up from carrying your cross no matter what cross you have to bear, remember to look to Jesus. He has done this already and won! We love Jesus!

I have this teaching that I listen to 3-4 times a year by John Bevere called Intimacy with God. The teaching speaks to the core of me because being close to God is one of the things I most desire and need. In his teaching, John goes over the difference in obeying God out of law instead of delight. He mentions the scripture in Romans that talks about how the strength of sin is the law. He goes on to say that obeying God out of law is when God’s word is restricting us from what we really want to do instead of delight for God’s law. Not having a delight for God’s law and way, is an indicator that something is wrong in the heart. However, our God is so good that he will allow us to go through various situations to humble us and bring us back to the correct focus which is on him (See focus for the new year blog.)

Basically, God wants us as believers to get to the point where we are so in love with him, and his way of doing things that it becomes our delight. The very thing that we look forward to and take joy in. People who truly are delighted in the Lord are the ones that God gives the desires of their heart. Not those who seek God to get things. Our disposition as it relates to the desires of our heart should be that those desires are entrusted to him to bring to pass in his time. We should be at rest as we enjoy the Lord. There is some teaching in the church that encourages people to seek God only to get things, but that is not God’s will at all.

It is God’s pleasure to give us the kingdom meaning the things that are promised to us in his word, but his desire is to also be in relationship with us and to fellowship with us. Many of us do things out of repetition, fear, knowledge, or like robots, and even though the things that we are doing are right, it still isn’t enough for our relationship with God.

God desires to know us intimately and for us to know him intimately. He desires for us to be in tune with him so that if he speaks, we just simply listen and obey out of delight of knowing him. If many of us knew how good the God is that we say we worship, we’d be head over heels, skipping, jumping, smiling, and gazing with joy and such fullness that people would swear we were in love.

The truth is God’s word invites us to be in love with God. Jesus spoke of the different churches and says that he has against one church who dots every I and crosses every T the fact that they have forsaken their first love i. Can we say that we are in love with God? Can we say that we delight in his ways or his laws.

God’s stance is clear. He loved us so much that he humbled himself all the way to the cross enduring grief, shame, misunderstanding, physical and emotional pain. He was royalty, but did not focus on that when he came. He is the example of the greatest love in that he laid down his life for us whom he calls his friends. God is love. His love is the ultimate patience waiting and waiting for us to get the fact that he just wants us. Some singles have not yet gotten that they are single in this season because God just wants them all to himself. He loves us that much and then some.

The greatest pursuit of love known to man is the pursuit of God toward his creation man. We are so valued, desired, and sought after in the eyes of our creator that the word of God describes God’s love in terms of the width, depth, and breadth that he desires for us to know (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Christ’s love is deep and he wants to share it with us. He wants to be that confidant, friend, provider, covering, and lover of our soul to us. He embodies love because he is love. He is patient, kind, not self-seeking, keeps no record of wrong due to us being covered by the blood of Christ. He suffers long, isn’t envious of us, endures all things, hopes in all things toward us and everything that his word says about love.

He desires for us to know him and that there is no greater love than him especially before we get married because the one that God has for us is to love us like Christ, and God doesn’t want us to have any other god before him. He is a jealous God with a godly jealousy. I love the way Pastor Toure Roberts put it by saying that when we place something before God we put ourselves in a position of deficiency because no one can give us what we need to get and what we can only get from God.

I would imagine that when I do one day become in love with my husband, especially in the beginning, that I would delight to be with my husband. Just to be in his presence will be like whoa! I won’t have a problem doing things for him even when I don’t feel like it because I love him, not because he would now be my head as my husband, but because I love him.

God wants that to be our motivation as well. He wants us to obey him and keep his commandments because we love him not out of law. That is why he sent his son as the fulfillment of the law writing his law on our hearts and not just on scrolls. He wants obedience to be a natural part of our love relationship with him not out of fear, or control, but out of love, fear, reverence, and respect.

Lately, I’ve been falling more and more in love with God again and it is wonderful. Of course, I don’t want to keep this to myself so I invite all my readers to do the same. As you would prioritize a love partner, prioritize spending time with God not only speaking to him in prayer, but waiting quietly at times in prayer, singing songs to the Lord, and acknowledging him daily.

The more we fall in love with Jesus the easier it becomes to do what he commands in his word. At that point it no longer becomes a command, but our delight. That is when things begin to move on our behalf and favor overflows like rain, but don’t let the blessing be your motivation allow the Lord to be your motivation as he multiplies your love for him the more you take action to make him priority.

Other Related Scriptures:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper. Psalms 1:2-3

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4

i Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelations 2:1-4 KJV

To hear a portion of the teaching from John Bevere Click the video below:

https://youtu.be/zbRhCO_oySY

Also, the full CD set of this teaching can be purchased at the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Near-Life-Intimacy-God/dp/B005ELQCIO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1427287449&sr=8-7&keywords=John+Bevere+Drawing+Near