No Knowledge Required

No Knowledge Required
Knowledge in place of Love, only talks about the issues of a person. Knowledge that does not build a person up is then beneficial to the person displaying the knowledge. Love on the other hand, builds up a person at anytime & any place. Thus, 1 Corinthians 8:1 suggest that Love displayed is more important in the building up process of a person than displaying knowledge to a person.
If knowledge defines the person, then the person has no definition. Knowledge that prevents learning is problematic. In 1 Corinthians 8:2, implies that a thorough & lengthy knowledge can still miss the simplest lessons in life. The greatest lesson to be learned is the ability to love. Don’t just know about love, but learn how to display it, demonstrated it, & declare it in others.
To be recognized by God, for the Love shown to Him is a benefit that knowledge cannot bring. 1 Corinthians 8:3 teaches that Love begins with God. Then God acknowledges that person for the Love displayed to God. Loving God is done through our actions toward others. The way a person treats another person is an example of their Love for God.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 informs us that Love does not require a great wealth of knowledge. God does not recognize the amount of knowledge a person has, but rather how much a person loves Him. Consequently, no degree is needed to love, no extensive study on the various types of love is need to build a person up that has been torn down by life’s defeat. A love for God is more valuable than all the knowledge in the world. Show love to somebody that has been hurt by the knowledge of others.

Upgrades

A few weeks after the Iphone 4 was being sold in stores, the Apple Company shortly released an upgrade for Iphone users that had not brought the Iphone 4. These upgrades fix various problems to the OS (Operating System). I was eagerly excited to get the new upgrades, since personally I was not able to buy a completely new Iphone. Nevertheless, I went home and installed the new OS to my Iphone; it did take me 3-4 hours though. After the installation was complete, I notice a small problem. All my contacts in my Iphone had been erased. These were a lot of contacts, which I had spent a lot of time collecting over the years. I immediately started trying to get as many of the contacts back that had been lost. I put messages on all the social networks, explaining my dilemma. Everyone was so helpful, and sent me all the contact information back to me. A few months later, Apple came out with another upgrade to the OS. I was a bit weary of the upgrade after my last time with the upgrade. In spite of how I was feeling, I went on and started installing the upgrade. After the upgrade was complete, everything seemed fine and my contacts seemed in place. It was not until a few weeks after that upgrade that I went to call some people and could not find there number. Once again I was upset at my contacts being lost; I was so upset that I did not even feel like trying to get the contacts back. Time went on, and some contacts came back others did not, but through all the upgrade issues I had; I think God was trying to teach me a lesson in the midst. I believe God wanted me to know that when I am upgraded by him, there are certain thing and people that will be removed for fear they may hinder God’s Operating System in my life. I believe when God decides to elevate you to another level (or upgrade you), you cannot be afraid of leaving some people behind. Notice that when Jesus was getting closer to His destiny, that even the 9 of the 12 disciples had to be left behind. This next upgrade that God is getting ready to do in your life, will require some people being removed from your normal Operating System in order to let God’s Operating System have His way. When this happens, please don’t do like I did and attempt to reconnect to people who still think and operate on a lesser Operating System than the one God has upgraded you to.

Leach

I was driving my kids to daycare one morning, and there was a garbage truck in front of me. I began to notice a name of the back of the garbage truck. The name was Leach; I assume this must be a company that deals in solid waste management. I also, observed the back of the garbage truck. The back of the garbage truck was nasty, pieces of old garbage had stained the truck, and not even the solid waste workers wanted to be around it (everyone rode up front). I began to realize this is how we potentially look, when we try and hold on to everyone’s problems. I don’t want to a receptacle for people’s problems. As I was continuing to drive to work, I also realized that this truck named Leach picks up garbage. People don’t put their garbage in the actual solid waste truck, people leave garbage on the side of the road and at a designated time, solid waste will pick it up. Why is that so significant? The reason is that we as Christian can be vessels to help people express emotions over a problem that will drive them to have a conversation with God, in which they will cast all there burdens upon him. Like it says in Psalms 55:22 “cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you…” The thing that we as Christians should not be doing is picking up other people’s garbage (Problems or cares) that they have left before the Lord. God will handle all of our concerns and problems, I am pretty sure he does not need us to deliver another person’s problem. This is a tendency that many Christians have today, once someone has decided to leave a burden, situation, or an issue with the Lord; someone else will come right behind that person and pick that problem up and start all kinds of mess. I often believe that is why many Christians agree openly about James 5: 16, but rarely use it personally. The reason is after I have confess my sins to you, and you pray for me and I for you; the question becomes “Can I now trust you to leave what was confess in the Lord’s hand?” We as body of Christ has to stop taking other people’s burdens and using them against them in some way or another. If we continue to be spiritual solid waste trucks, we potentially risk having the characteristics of a spiritual garbage truck. Everything that others have thrown out of their life, we potentially can begin to smell, look, and sound like spiritual garbage. I write this to encourage someone that you are NOT a spiritual garbage truck. You are a vessel that is available for God to use in order to help someone get delivered. You are a blessing, not a burden-broadcaster. Your name is not Leach, and you are not the solid waste vehicle. You are a child of God that believes when sins are confessed to you, praying will take place, followed by healing next. You can restore people back to the body of Christ with kind words and humble heart, with fervent prayer. You are that righteous person that is written about in James 5:16 and your prayer is powerful & effective. Amen

Rescue Me

Last night I was watching CNN as the workers that were trapped underground was rescued. At the time I went to sleep, 8 workers had been rescued. I notice that CNN was giving a lot attention to the support that the workers had while underground, and the families that were so happy to see their loved one again. A couple of things I observed from the families were that they were genuinely happy, the support was unified, and everyone was cheering for other workers to be rescued. After watching the CNN coverage of rescue, I begin thinking about how many people in the spiritual are in a pit and looking for a way out. So many people in this country are feeling like they are in a pit of despair, destruction, depression, sexual identity, sexual immorality, financial issues, and host of others issues that all can be named now. Then I begin wondering, when is the church going to mount a rescue operation? So many people are underneath their problems spiritually, but try and come to church and act as though everything is good. Also, the church laity can get so caught up in other self-serving issues that they forget someone needs to be lifted up from the pit. Then, I thought about Psalms 40:1-3. I pray that as this year close that people will be delivered from their personal pit, and that God begins to set them on a solid rock of foundation. I pray that God puts a new song in everyone’s mouth to replace the old CD titled, “Un Ty’ed & the I’s separated”. I pray that God allows us to start singing those old hymns again that many are singing now like, “Do Not Pass Me By”. The main reason that I believe a rescue is needed so bad is expressed at the end of Psalm 40:3, “many will see and fear put their trust in the Lord”. The eyes of the world have always been on the church, and I believe that is the way God wanted it to be. So that when many people start getting saved (rescued), many will see and begin to come back to the way of the Lord. This rescue going on in Chile is a spiritually symbolic message to the church of what should be taking place in sanctuary’s across America. As I was writing this blog entry-the idea came to me, that if someone was suddenly hurt in our presence we would begin to yell for help. The time is now, for us as the church to begin to scream for help. We should not only scream for help for our own situation, but I believe as you are reading this there is a person next to you that is in a pit and they need you to scream for help. In case anyone is asking who are we screaming to, we are screaming to the only wise God that I know who can save all men & women. So join me in starting this rescue operation, by opening your mouth and let God know that we need help, and that we are expecting by faith for Psalm 40:1-3 to be true in this season.

Delete

I have been reading in recent events on the news, that internet bullying is on the rise. While, I do not understand everything about internet bullying I do believe it to be wrong. I assume people request to be your friend on various social networking sites. Then they attempt to view as much personal information about an individual, and at some point begin to befriend that individual. Whatever the satisfaction is that a person gets from bullying another individual I do not know. I do believe that some of the same people that commit internet bullying are a close relative to people that join churches to spiritual bully saints. You know the people that join the various ministries at church, and usually makes the most arguments with everyone. Then once they become upset, they start campaigning to find others to join their pity party. Usually, this is followed by gossiping, and other vicious verbal attacks- SPIRITUAL BULLYING. I have notice though, that on most social networking sites a button is located on the page somewhere. That button is called the delete button. The delete button is used when you find out that someone is in your personal social area and they mean you harm, you delete them from your personal area. There are many reasons to delete a person from your life, but there are 2 specific reasons. Most people will engage in spiritual bullying 1) because the either don’t believe in you or 2) they seek to betray you. Jesus was face with this same dilemma in John 6:61-66. Many disciples followed Jesus, but the scriptures say Jesus knew which ones would betray him and which ones didn’t believe in him. Remember this that a person that does not believe in you does not think you will be what you are supposed to be; and a person that seeks to betray you actually believes in you, but has decided that they will do whatever they can to stop you from becoming what you should be. That is why I believe Jesus went from many followers to 12 disciples. Don’t let anyone in the church attempt to spiritual bully you and make you commit spiritual suicide toward your purpose and destiny. If you find yourself surrounded by people that are not cultivating your purpose or encouraging you toward your destiny, DON’T BE AFRAID TO PRESS DELETE. It really doesn’t matter if you only have 1 friend in your social network or spiritual walk, know that you always have a friend in Jesus.

Don't Tear Me Down

In life people build things, and people destroy things for various reasons. Similarly, this is the same in our personal lives. People will befriend you for the sole purpose of destroying/disrupting the promises in your life. In the book of Nehemiah chapter 4, the children of Israel are attempting rebuild the temple. While they are re- building the temple, other people were standing around thinking about how they can stop the Israelites from completing the temple. I do believe that the book of Nehemiah gives good advice on how to handle people that are trying to tear you down. In Nehemiah 4:1 the bible says, “1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall…” The first thing you have to know, is that when you are building/rebuilding your life on the promises of God the enemy will hear about the work that is taking place. The next thing the enemy will do is get upset and begin to insult you, which is found in the rest of Nehemiah 4:1, “he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria…” The hope of the enemy is that you begin to listen to the ridicule and doubt that the work God is building/rebuilding in you can’t be finish. In Nehemiah 4:4-56 we find a viable solution for you to survive this first wave of attack from the enemy. That solution is pray; Nehemiah didn’t argue with his enemy or even try to get rid of them. Nehemiah prayed and told God what he was in the midst of, and after he finish praying the Israelites continued rebuilding the wall. WE should be the same, after the insults and ridicule, prayer is next. As a body of believers we believe that prayer changes things and at the very least prayer will keep us on the path of building/rebuilding our lives. Remember, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Once the enemy realizes that ridicule won’t work, the enemy will organize and plan to attack you by stirring up trouble. We find this is what the enemy does in Nehemiah 4:8, “8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it”. The children of Israel knew to continue to pray and decided to keep a guard up day and night (Nehemiah 4:9). This is the same thing that 1 Peter 5 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” encourages us to do. When the enemy is organizing to stop your progress in your life, you must begin to be alert and watchful over everything/everyone that comes around you. Some people will only get next to you, just to find your old business and stir trouble up against you to prevent your new business from coming into fruition. While keeping guard day and night is tiring, remember, “let us not be weary in well doing”. This is what begins to happen with Israelites, is that they became tired in building and keeping guard. This leads the door open to the third attack by the enemy. When the enemy begins to see that you are tired, the enemy will try to take you out just to stop what God is doing (Nehemiah 4:11-12). But like Nehemiah 4:13, “13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed…” We have to find good people that believe in the work that God is doing in people’s lives, and have them positioned in places that when we feel low, exposed, and vulnerable they will be there to protect us from the enemy, so that God’s work in us will not be stopped. Lastly in Nehemiah 4:14 “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” We have to keep this thought with us, this battle is not ours but the Lords, but we still have to show up for the fight. Since I am here for the fight, and all I can do is pray. Don’t be selfish and only pray for yourself, but pray for everyone that the enemy is seeking to destroy. Even though God may be doing a different work in you, we are all many members in 1 body. So I want to see the work that God is building/rebuilding in you, because your building and my building work together for HIS KINGDOM!!!!!!!

Fighting

Before I accepted my calling in ministry, I was aware of some of the things that were in the bible. I would go to various bible studies, and discuss the word of God. I would often find myself the victim of open correction on scriptures. At first, I was always upset and frustrated. The Lord spoke to me and said, “My word is not an opinion, but things happen when I speak (read Genesis 1)”. So I begin reading the word, and discovered so many things about God. I also begin to study the word, and journeyed unto in even deeper relationship with God. After reading and studying the word, I came to the conclusion that reading/studying the Word of God is a lifelong education. A person can never understand and know everything in the bible. As I continued in ministry, I begin teaching others and I still found myself as the victim of open correction. I notice people were trying to apply their revelation of the word to me; I instantly was confrontational about the word. After I settled down, I remember that word is not for confrontation. The word is true, and truth is relative. With that being said, I was reminded again in 2 Timothy the reasons we should not argue over scripture. In 2 Timothy 2:14, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen”. Remember that arguing over scripture can prove who is right or who is wrong, but ultimately can/will damage a believer that is listening. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:15 tells you how a person should go about studying the Word of God, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The only person that should be approving your studying is God, not man. God reveals different things to different saints. We are all members of 1 body, but we all have different parts and responsibilities. In 2 Timothy 2:25, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth”, notes that if you want to correct someone over scriptural inaccuracies then do it gently. Essentially, however we correct anyone do it with love. We as a church have to stop fighting over scripture, especially in public. Too many non-believers and new converts are being hurt, because veteran saints have childish like ways in wanting to be right all the time. Paul says, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I am in adult, and as an adult I have attain a certain maturity level that I maintain. Likewise, a mature Christian is to maintain a level of maturity that welcomes non-believers and grows new converts. Let’s stop fighting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!