Burundi: Part 1 - On a Mission of Life

Hey Faithful Family,

I know it's been a very long time since i last posted something on here. It's my prayer now to get better...but I have a MAC now so i can do the videos when i don't feel like writing. And many times that's the case. I just don't feel like writing. Bless God for the Mac and webcam..lol

Well a quick update: I'm going to Burundi Africa on a mission trip with my church Community of Faith (www.communityoffaith.tv). Our mission is to strengthen the already established relationship the church has with the Batwa people. I truly believe God is going to move in a mighty way during this trip.

In addition, i have an unction to confirm this belief. Every time i think about Africa, every time some mentions something about my trip i get this "rumble" in my belly as if there is something on the inside of me like a spring, or well, or something. You know how you feel when you get excited, or nervous, or your adrenaline is pumping? Well that's what i feel-all 3.lol

As i close, i ask all who reads this post to please be in prayer for me, the team, and the people we're going to help. We leave sunday June 14 2009 and return on Friday June 26, 2009. Mama if you're reading this-know that i love you. Daddy if you get a chance to read this-Know that i'm glad to say that you're my daddy! I love you Pop! And to everyone else who's connected to me I love you always.

In Mark Jesus told the desciples to go into all the earth and "Preach the good news." I plan to do just that...

I aint "Tricken"

I was sitting at home watching CNN and this thought came to mind so tell me what you think. T.I. Said in a rap "it ain't tricking if you got it" to mean if I've got what I'm talking about then I'm not lying. I believe this statement derived from so many rappers claiming, in their songs, to have things that they really didn't; which in turn influenced young, aspiring, and upcoming artists to follow the already blazed trail of claiming to have things that they've only heard of. And this is detrimental to the business because it dilutes the message and image of the industry. \

I believe its safe to say that there are some "christians" who have been claiming to have Christ and they really don't; which in turn influences aspiring, or incoming children of God to follow the already blazed trail of claiming to have something they've only heard of. And this is detrimental to the "Body" because in a sense it dilutes the message and alters the image for others who are edgy about joining the family.

Chew on this!

Do you want a piece...?

Hey,

I was in the mall today (12-13-08) with a friend of mine and we went to a few stores. Well while we were in the last store I kind of sat to the side, to allow her shopping room, and to give me an opportunity to observe the people coming into the store-something I like to do from time to time.

As I observed people coming in and out I noticed people with nice clothes, bad clothes and mediocre clothes. I noticed people with "saks fifth avenue" bags, "gucci" bags, "louis vouton" bags, and "ralph lauren" bags. At that time I was reminded of the type of cars I noticed when we drove up. I noticed the benz, bmw, Bentley, and some other expensive foreign cars.

Well as I was sitting there I began to grow an appetite-if you will-to shop. Now you may ask yourself is that possible and my answer is YES! And I'll prove it. As I was looking at all the "high end" people with "high end" stuff I began to crave "high end" stuff as well. I began to desire a new pair of shoes, a new pair of slacks, etc. But reality set in when I thought about how much I had to spend in relation to how much the item I lusted over cost.

So in other words I couldn't afford it. At that moment I got a startling revelation that sparked my interest to write this blog.

As I was sitting there observing the holy spirit challenged me to analyze what I saw. I then began to ask myself, "do I want those "things" because I really need/want them or because external forces say I should buy them?" I was honest with myself and said, "I only want them to look good or show people that I have the money to wear things only "high end" people can afford to wear."

Sounds bad huh? Well If you'll be honest with yourself you too think/feel the same way. Now you may say, "no I don't, I buy things because they make me feel good" or "I really wanted one of those for a very long time." I beg to differ with you my friend-you buy because you're told to buy.

As we were driving home we engaed in a dialogue and began to analyze and even scrutinize why some people buy what they buy, and shop where they shop.

The gist of that converstion-and further cause to write this blog-was, "society packages what they feel average joes or consumers should buy or be attracted to. So they make it seem as if that mercedes benz is the top of the line car because this athlete, actress, singer, or preacher drives it. They put in your head that you should go get one-however you can-so that you can relate/participate in the same status/realm as the people aforementioned. We then as a people go and spend, spend, spend, and spend until we're spending money we no longer have just to keep up with what "society" says we should have. Kind of like keeping up with the Jones'. It doesn't sink in yet? Think about holidays how people just go crazy only to go in debt to buy someone a gift. I personally believe that it is bad and almost a sin when we allow external forces to persuade us to buy things we really don't need. To prove it the bible says, "its not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out." Can I make this work for me? Thanks! Its okay to be attacked by external forces because the attacks don't "defile" me but its bad when I began to act on what's on the inside of me. You get it? So when I go buy those $100 dollar shoes when I have 3 pair at home that are similar, I have to ask myself "did I buy them because they will genuinely make me happy or was there an external force driving me to buy them?" Now many of you won't admit to an external force because you've been sub consciously brain washed to believe that you buy or shop because you REALLY like it. Wrong! Now don't get me wrong I don't oppose those who desire the "nice things" if you're not driven by an external force but I am against those who are. I mean let's be real what aren't we driven to buy by external forces? -no I did not contradict myself its still in context. Lol"

So as a consequence of these forces I must wake up and I ask myself the question "do I need this?" And this goes for EVERYTHING. And this is a must because the forces are so prevalent they're affecting everything and everyone such as: women (e.g. Breast augmentation, botox, etc.). They affect relationships (e.g. People enjoy the idea of liking someone and not actually the person due to comercialized relationships. They make it seem as if its okay to "sex" everybody "in the city" and have no strings attached. When in reality a real relationship takes work). Last, they affect the church (e.g. Preachers preach sermons that make you feel good or comfortable versus a sermon that challenges the way you live and how you handle your finances. And they preach series on how to obtain materials. They're basically saying, "get as many materials as you can get-God doesn't mind. He wants you to have them") which is totally contradictory to what I believe.

I believe we should be using our resources to touch,change, and enhance the lives of those who need it. Not horde up stuff. The bible says, "if you give unto the least of them, you have given unto me." And we can't give because we're so busy trying to GET. Okay let me ask, "when was the last time you gave to God?" I'm talking about outside of your $2 dollar offering-but you bought a $50 dollar purse, or your $20 dollar tithes-but you bought a $75 dollar ticket to go see John Legend? Huh when was the last time you donated your "good" clothes to those who didn't have any or to a mission trip in Africa? Yep I'm coming down your street with this one.

"Children of God" wake up! We're falling into the trap of the enemy everyday. The enemy is not worried about us affecting change in the world because he knows he has occupied like that porta potty-you'll get it on your way home.

Chew on this: do you still want a piece...?

Strongholds...prt. 1

Hey guys to give you an inside into my life I've been on a spiritual campaign to live pure in deed, thought, and my heart. Unfortunately, I got comfortable-like a lot of us do when we think we're doing ok-and ended up falling. Yes, I fall. We all slip at times but what makes us different than the average sinning joe is that we have a godly conviction to want to do better, to get up and fight not to fall again in that area.

Now do I have a blog for you! It's funny how God speaks at the weirdest time. So after I fell today I was able to look back in retrospect and see what made me fall, what I didn't consider, what I could've done differently, and what I should not do next time. For that I'm thankful.

I was sitting in the living room of my apartment with some friends talking about why believers fall. And what is considered a "fall." I'll save that for a later date. Anyway, the conversation veered to talking about the enemy in general, and at that time I shared a revelation God shared with me while doing some house cleaning. I said, "many times we are ignorant of where a temptation comes from. My belief is that the enemy only makes suggestions (bear with me picturesquely) over our weak areas (e.g. Girls, porn, idolatry, bad time management, etc.) and the emotion that invades our brain (heart) is viewed as a desire that was derived from our own nature. Wrong! The enemy really made an advance to plant a seed."

Suffice it to say, I firmly believe that the enemy is not running around-like a chicken with it's head cut off-trying to make people fall but rather planting seeds and we are the ones watering it. How? By the music we listen to, the people we interact with, the places we go, and the things we dwell on. That same seed that we allow to take residence in our life then begans to grow up. Quick point: we as believers-spiritually-are very fertile so we have to watch what we allow to be planted. So that same seed that was planted a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago now has grown into a tree. If you know anything about trees you'd know that the higher the tree the deeper the roots-for stability. You then have-spiritually-what the bible calls a "stronghold" because what was planted has now taken root into your life. (So if you find yourself falling in an undersirable fashion its due to the stronghold in your life.) Some of you may say well I've cut my treat down. My question is, "is the root/stub still there?" If so that's your answer to why you're still falling.

You have to uproot what the enemy has planted. How? Only by the word. I know that sounds elementary but honestly it's going to take an effort of you daily getting before the word, daily making the decision not to entertain the enemy, daily "put on the lord Jesus Christ," daily watch where you go, daily watch who you allow into your personal space, etc. God-because he sees our effort-will then step in and fulfill his promises of keeping you, seeing you through, bringing you out, and making the spoils worth your fight. And with that I'm done. I hope this has been a blessing. It has for me.

God bless,

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed

Flesh vs. Spirit

Hey apologies will not suffice for the way I’ve treated you (the faithful members of this blog) but again I’m sorry. In the interest of time I will jump right in.

The other morning I was doing my daily devotion and this revelation hit me. To some it may seem elementary; however, I truly believe if you allow the Holy Spirit to read this with you, you will see something you haven’t before.

Revelation: we must continue in the word so that our spirit man grows stronger. I find it to be true in my own life that the more secular stuff I do, listen to, or partake in, the harder it is for me to carry our the spiritual things. But I’m learning daily that the more I do to feed my spirit the harder it will be for my flesh to fulfill its lust. So the more word I have in me, the more prayer, the more mediation on the word I have in me the harder it will be for me to acquiesce to the wishes of the flesh. I would then find myself not putting myself in bad situations to make compromising decisions, or better yet looking at stuff that does damage to my spiritual makeup.

In addition to that we must make a daily decision regarding who we will feed. Will we feed our flesh or our spirit, which ultimately determines our actions?

A few things I found to work in aiding me through “life”:

We must read and meditate on the word when we’re not being tempted in order to build our spiritual immune system.

The bible says, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust.” We as believers must do just that. We cannot afford to put our selves in situations and think just because we had bible study, or devotion that day that you can handle it. No! Because any opening you give the enemy he widens it until pretty soon you find yourself falling to it. Trust me I know!

Lastly, we must learn to regurgitate the word when we are being tempted. Are you like I used to be? When temptation came I would-in my mind-throw the word out, because I wanted to partake of the temptation. I found out quickly that was one of the main reasons I stayed bound to something that I was suppose to be free from a long time ago. Jesus is the best example. He went around as the “living word” and when he was confronted with temptation from the enemy he immediately retrieved what was on the inside of him and put it before himself so that the enemy, as well as, His flesh saw only the word, and they couldn’t “buck” against that. We too must do that. Even when thoughts come we must bring up the word to block out the temptation and all we see is the word. We then will obey. Why? Because that’s all we see and know.

God bless,

Quick Update

Hey Guys,

I know it's been a while since the last time i posted something on here. Trust, I haven't forgotten about you I've just been going through some things (as always) and kind of building my arsenal of blogs to be written. So stay on the look out for these new ones:

1. My Suit Don't Fit No Mo


2. Living For Me...


3. Struggling To Stay Pure


4. It's Lonely At the Top


5. The Difference between the Moses and Caleb Generation

and many more...



So stay tuned. Should you not see one of these blogs that have been listed-that you find an interest in-please feel free to comment and express that you would like to see it and we will get it out to you as soon as possible.



In addition, I will have others join me this season with writing some of the blogs to give you a different perspective on some of the topics.



Peace.

To soar or not to soar - That is the question

Wow, is really how I’m feeling right now. But I don’t think that word does justice to what just happen to me today. To kind of give you a sneak peak in to my life, I’ve been dealing with a lot things internally. I guess that’s kind of my nature or how I’ve taught myself to deal with issues that I face. I deal with them by becoming a human sponge and absorbing them or internalizing them then act as if everything is okay. But what I’ve found out lately was that when I do that, it does more damage physically and spiritually to me than good because I’m holding on to anxieties, world pressures, issues, disappointments, bad comments, etc. Have you ever done that or been there before?

So about what happen to me. Since I had been dealing with these things, I’ve been praying that God would help me either deal with them or overcome them through his strength. Well a new friend of mine and I were talking and she made the hottest analogy about issues in relation to our success. Check this out. She said, “Your body/life is a hot air balloon and in every air balloon basket are bags of sand to give a sense of weight to the balloon. Well depending on how many bags of sand you have determines how hard your torch has to work to get the big balloon in the air. That’s physics. So think of your life as the balloon and the bags of sand as issues, unresolved internal problems, let downs, etc. and the more you have the harder you have to work to get to the top or in the air. And it would only make sense if you would just let go of some those issues, problems, and disappointments and you would began to see your life take flight at a more accelerated rate. See with the bags being in the basket you can only get so high in the sky and some people are cool with that, being at a place of comfort or familiarity, but if you rid yourself of all the baggage you then put yourself in a position to take advantage of the opportunity to soar at new altitudes, see new horizons, and view the world at a different perspective. But you can’t when you constantly hold on to that which keeps you at smog or eye level. You have to let them go.”

When I heard this I was upset, hurt, happy, and relieved all at the same time. Now you’re probably wondering how I was experiencing all those emotions at the same time. Well I upset and hurt because of the way I had been living or my approach to the whole scheme of things, and I was happy and relieved because God was showing me my way out. The bible records in 1 Peter 5:7 that we should, “cast all your anxieties upon Him [God] for He cares for you.” But if you’ll be honest it’s hard. So I then went to my room ate a cookie and got on my face before God crying for Him to work on me in the secret places. Those places I’ve hidden from all to see because I was scared of getting hurt or hurting someone; those places where only He could reach in and prune/purge all the bad and dead stuff away with out leaving a scar. I needed God to do a work like King David cried out for in Psalms 51:10 when he said, “create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” And that spoke to me because I was operating out of a broken, hurt, unpleasant heart and spirit and I really needed God to take my bags of sand so that I could really experience all that He had for me. But first I needed him to replace my old heart and spirit with ones that would make him happy and allow me to get the job done. So now I’m on the operating table. To soar or not to soar – that is the question!

What do you think?