“THE POWER!”

Ephesians 3:20-21                      (ESV)

“20 Now to HIM WHO is able to do far more abundantly than all that WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO “THE POWER” at work within us,

21 to HIM be glory in the church and in CHRIST JESUS throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

As I meditate and ponder my purpose and existence on this earth, I sometimes have to re-establish WHO is truly “driving this train”!  For years I lived my life with somewhat of a “reckless abandon”, not taking time to approach the HEAVENLY FATHER for guidance and direction.  But living on the backside of a Brain Hemorrhage, major facial surgery, and bypass surgery opens your eyes to SEE things through a totally different prism.  

Maybe it is time that I realize that “HIM (JESUS) WHO is able to do far more abundantly than all that WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO “THE POWER” at work within us (JESUS) is living inside of me, NOT ME MYSELF, and cease striving to be the one in control???

“LOVE ONE ANOTHER!”

John 15:12-17                      (ESV)

“12 "This is MY commandment, that you “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are MY friends if you do what I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from MY FATHER I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose ME, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the FATHER in MY name, HE may give it to you.

17 These things I command you, so that you will “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”.”

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a meeting at our state capital where members of several “religions” were speaking about being “inclusive” of all “religions”.  The concept sounds noble as everybody has a free will to make their own choices regarding how they worship, or even if they worship, and who they worship!  Some were even present who chose to worship satan.  The main problem with any of the “choices” is when we “choose” a god of our “choice” then we become a determiner of how that god will act and react to our sins?  It is my understanding that this would make us a god, and that hasn’t turned out that well for those who have tried that before!!!  And ALL “choices” have consequences!  

Seeing the people who cannot SEE their error is a tragic thing.   2 Corinthians 4:4 says “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of CHRIST, who is the image of GOD.”  They are correct in that they have the right to reject JESUS as the SON of GOD, just like the Jews of 33AD did.  But the price those are now paying for being wrong is an eternity experiencing the WRATH of GOD ALMIGHTY!  That, my friend, is a price that is far greater than anything they can imagine. 

It is easy to just say that everyone has a choice, BUT that choice has consequences, and the consequences are REAL!  Not wanting anybody to experience the consequences is part of “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, but Scripture tells us very plainly “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and THOSE WHO FIND IT ARE FEW”!  

Yes, we can “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, but at the same time we have a duty to alert them that the path they are on leads to death, hell and destruction.  When we “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, we are not to rubber stamp anything and everything they do, just as CHRIST didn’t condone sin.  HE told the woman supposedly caught in adultery in John 8:11 “Go, and from now on sin no more”!  We are to “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” enough to show the error of their ways, but not in a hateful manner, then leave the “choice” and consequences up to them!!!

“LOVE OF CHRIST!”

2 Corinthians 5:14-19                 (ESV)

“14 For the “LOVE OF CHRIST” controls us, because we have concluded this: that ONE has died for all, therefore all have died;

15 and HE died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for HIM WHO for their sake died and was raised.

16 From now on, therefore, WE REGARD NO ONE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. Even though we once regarded CHRIST according to the flesh, we regard HIM thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

18 All this is from GOD, who through CHRIST reconciled us to HIMSELF and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 that is, in CHRIST GOD was reconciling the world to HIMSELF, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Bishop Robert E. Smith, Sr. can most eloquently speak more accidentally than I could ever say on purpose in days (or maybe weeks) of diligently trying.  On August 15, 2017 he wrote these words and I shared them then.  Yesterday morning, I was led to put these Scriptures on my notepad.  Then later on in the day I saw his “memory post” and knew why I was led to type these verses.   Read with a humble heart!  

I received a letter of invitation which reads as follows: "To All Black Leaders and Pastors who are Biblically-Centered not Politically Correct!"

My response was and is as follows: With respect to your intended purposes, in bringing Leaders and Pastors on line; may I emphatically state, that there are NO such persons as Black Leaders and Pastors who are Biblically Centered not Politically Correct.  If I am incorrect in my spiritual understanding, please introduce me to these persons you write about.  Becoming "all things to all men (such as Black, White or Other), that some might be saved", has nothing to do with the fellowship and collaboration of Christian Leaders.  I am privy to testimonies of more and more Leaders who are sore vexed with the duplicity of adjectives, which modify the Nowness of our Is-Ness in Christ Jesus. Please desist in the manipulation of the flesh of one's Humanity, to act like Christianity, while denying the power of Divinity.  We need tutoring in the School of Christ, in order to put the flesh mess to rest, and get God's best!

With Christ Like Regards,

Bishop Robert E. Smith, Sr.

The “LOVE OF CHRIST” controlled the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 5:14).  My prayer is that the “LOVE OF CHRIST” will control me as well!!!

“PRAYING AND SINGING!”

Acts 16:20-31                               (ESV)

“20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."

22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, THEY THREW THEM INTO PRISON, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to GOD, and the prisoners were listening to them,

26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and EVERYONE’S BONDS WERE UNFASTENED.

27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and WAS ABOUT TO KILL HIM SELF, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."

29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 And they said, "Believe in the LORD JESUS, and you will be saved, you and your household."”

We “ALL” experience trials and tribulations in this life and we need to accept it.  Being incarcerated in prison is not something I have ever experienced, but I doubt seriously that “PRAYING AND SINGING” hymns to GOD would be very high on my “to do list”!  Paul and Silas had their focus solely on JESUS and HIS ministry, and they weren’t about to allow the enemy to distract them with circumstances, as severe as it might have seemed, and rob GOD of being Glorified!  

The ones who encouraged Paul and Silas to be jailed had recently lost their ability to manipulate people from their MONEY and they brought them before “the rulers” who agreed to jail them.  But GOD had a Plan and this was part of that Plan!  About midnight, Paul and Silas were “PRAYING AND SINGING” when an EARTHQUAKE shook the jail.  The EARTHQUAKE was so fierce that it MIRACULOUSLY caused EVERYONE’S BONDS to be UNFASTENED.  It also awakened the guard who was about to kill himself (because of all the prisoners escaping) when Paul shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."  The prison guard and all his family BELIEVED and were baptized.

It can be so easy to allow our circumstances to determine our attitude in a given situation.  ALMIGHTY GOD isn’t constrained by time nor problems.  HE has done some of what we see as HIS greatest miracles when all hope seemed to be vanished.  One might have said that Paul should have not ever have rebuked the girl who was being used for financial gain by others, but praise for her efforts were going to someone other than GOD.  Paul was certainly not going to allow GOD to be mocked.

How many times do we (mainly I) experience setbacks in life and almost immediately recoil into a cocoon-like position of “woe-is-me”?  GOD might have a prison in my future for HIM to be Glorified through?  Will I be in the doldrums, or will I be “PRAYING AND SINGING” because of GOD being GOD?  

“HE DECEIVES HIMSELF!”

Galatians 6:3                     (ESV)

“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, “HE DECEIVES HIMSELF”.”

There are times when we need to allow the WORD to be the WORD!  The enemy is the great DECEIVER and he always has been (John 8:44)!  When our EYES are set on JESUS, it becomes awfully difficult to get too high of an opinion of ourselves.  When we look at other humans, our vision is flawed already.   

What are your EYES set on????

“THE MAJESTY OF GOD!”

Luke 9:43-45                                  (ESV)

“43 And all were astonished at “THE MAJESTY OF GOD”. But while they were all marveling at everything HE was doing, JESUS said to HIS disciples,

44 "Let these words sink into your ears: The SON of MAN is about to be delivered into the hands of men."

45 But they did not understand this saying, and IT WAS CONCEALED FROM THEM, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask HIM about this saying.”

Lately I have been entranced for “THE MAJESTY OF GOD “, much like the people of Luke 9 must have been in the Scripture above.  Imagining that the CREATOR of the universes humbled HIMSELF, even to death on the cross (Philippians 2:8) because HE loved us so much, and desired a relationship with us.  HE offered us a free pardon for sin, as we had no chance of salvation except through HIM.  

Even though JESUS plainly told them that HE would be delivered into the hands of men, they could “not perceive it”.  HIS own disciples even allowed HIM to journey to the cross alone, maybe because IT WAS CONCEALED FROM THEM by a Higher Power that the SON OF GOD would willingly sacrifice HIS LIFE for mankind.  How many times did JESUS foretell of HIS sacrifice, only to be abandoned by those who pledged allegiance to HIM?  

But don’t we act similarly when we are placed in a situation where we have the opportunity to speak up for JESUS?  We don’t testify about the things of GOD because we don’t want “this world” to be offended by our words of BELIEF.  The people surrounding JESUS “were all marveling at everything HE was doing”, yet they wouldn’t testify about HIM even minutes later.  They had become so captivated by DEITY being in there midst that they were prevented from absorbing that their CREATOR incarnate was literally among them, AND would ultimately sacrifice HIS life for us.  

How could HE?  Why would HE?   HE could have annihilated HIS entire creation and started from scratch with beings that would honor and obey HIM, but HE chose to be ridiculed, rejected, and denied by even HIS closest followers.   ”THE MAJESTY OF GOD” cannot be properly observed without SEEIng the LOVE OF GOD.  HE offered HIMSELF as a substitute for me as my sin was so heinous that “THE MAJESTY OF GOD” was/is my only hope!  Can you SEE that???

“DESPERATELY SICK!”

Jeremiah 17:9-10                         (ESV)

“9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and “DESPERATELY SICK”; who can understand it? 

10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."  

So many times we hear it said to “follow your heart” and you will do the correct things.  However Scripture seems to indicate something entirely different?  The HOLY SCRIPTURE is GOD’s inerrant, infallible WORD and we need to pattern our lives after its precepts and instructions, and NOT do what our hearts lead us to do!  

Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful ABOVE ALL THINGS, so why is it that we so often do whatever our heart is leading us to do, when we are told by our CREATOR that we ALL are “DESPERATELY SICK”?  When we are physically “DESPERATELY SICK” we go see a physician because they are trained to diagnose what is wrong with us.  Last year it felt like I had pulled a muscle in my upper chest.  After getting checked out by a trained professional, quadruple bypass surgery was performed to alleviate the self-diagnosed “pulled muscle”???

Sometimes we are “deceived” into believing that we are “not that bad”, that our HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, all the while we have “blockages” (SIN) that is preventing THE BLOOD from getting where it needs to go!  Being physically self-diagnosed could have been a fatal mistake for me.  Being Spiritually self-diagnosed can be just as tricky when our “..... adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)!  

NEVER trust YOUR HEART when you are trying to find out what isn’t right with your body.  But more importantly, NEVER trust YOUR HEART when you are “DESPERATELY SICK”, in need of a RISEN SAVIOR!  Trusting in “your goodness” will be a costly mistake by MANY people who claim that they are “just as good” as others.  They might be “DESPERATELY SICK” and are self-diagnosing themselves into an eternal Judgement???