Reading this devotional for this Friday brings tears to my eyes because of how faw I have strayed from my Lord and Savior. This past year and a half I haven't been in His word like I should have, allowed issues from my past job become a worldly man in regards to my language and negativity. I haven't been to church God knows how long and instead of looking upward and being obedient I have been relying on my own wisdom. But as I read the devotional and the passage I began to smile because of His love for me. He has never left me and once you truly know Chirst Jesus you know there is no other way to live.
I'm learning two things about when I want to blog on a news topic. First: wait until the incident plays itself out and second: look at the whole scenario and not just an "Polaroid" snapshot of what's going down.
Yesterday the pastor in Florida decided not to burn the Koran on September 11 in regards to a meeting that "may" or "may not" have happened in regards to relocating the Mosque that will be built new "Ground Zero" Rachel Maddow every other word about the pastor was "wacko", "crackpot", "crazy". As I heard these words I began looking at how conservatives and liberals mark one another when it comes their causes.
I understand Rachel's view...to a point. Yes, I clearly understand what she was saying that the pastor would not have received as much air time if the so-called "sane" congressman and congresswomen on the Right would not have fanned the flame. She hit the nail on the head when you have people from Newt Gingrich to Sarah Palin constantly saying, "We're at war with Islam" and not pin-pointing "The terrorist and fanatic Muslim groups". But this has always been the way of the Right. Always painting a broad brush when it comes to people of a different culture or different race. In the Republicans mind Blacks are criminals, Hispanics are all illegal immigrants, and people from the Middle East are terrorists and all the while many of them on The Right use them for cheap labor (lets not forget Asians and people of India and how Corporate America exploits them to no end.)
To me, this is why we from different races can't get along because when you constantly hear how Blacks are a bunch of lazy/good for nothing/always looking for a hand out/gun-toting thugs day in and day out, heck if I saw this image and hear this rhetoric over and over again I would be nervous too if I were of a different race. As of right now The Right Party has painted President Obama as a person who is 'trying to get back at the "White Man" and that he hates "White People" (It just hit me that Glenn Beck is the White Kanye West...but without talent).What about the fact that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama did it the right way: getting good grades, working with the under privilege, both set of parents taught them how to get ahead by 'working" and not looking for a hand out, about treating people the way you wish to be treated. And how about the fact that Obama's grandparents and that his mother was White?
The Right is like a magician with making you not focus on what other cultures bring to the table on in a good way but focus on one bad incident and blow it up to the the 10th power. At first I was going to say the Republicans are "cheap magicians" but they are not because if that was the case people in the U.S. would treat people the way they would want to be treated but instead they pass judgment first then ask questions later.
Then I look at the pastor's point of view. Me being a follower of Christ I was watching the local news and how a Muslim leader could not believe how he could burn a "sacred book". For me being a Christian, we see how Muslims burn the American Flags, how they kill people for practicing Christianity (Americans and they fellow Middle-Eastern town-folk) and by me being Black I encounter people people from the Middle-East and how they look at us as if we are scum of the earth day and day out. I encounter how people from India get the disgusting look at me and my wife when we shop at well known stores and when we drive nice cars are live in nice neighborhoods. They get this look like, "what are YOU people doing in these parts!?!"
What the heck!?!
We as Blacks fought in every major war in these country, OUR country, the United States. We helped build this nation even years and years of not being able to vote or constantly being intimidated by the country we are born in, grew up in and would die for because although the Right Wing establishment paints Blacks as "Takers" we have been "Givers" to this United States of America for centuries. Again, people from the Middle-East wish to be judge by their character but at the same time do not practice this when it comes to my people. I will never forget living in Florida where I was at convenient store and as I was about to hand the young lady the money she tapped the counter to put the money there. I politely walked out of that store never to return.
Funny how people from the Middle-East come to America and try and dictate their ways upon this country but do not try and compromise and try to open up a line of understanding. Funny how they open businesses in the poor areas in Black neighborhoods and yet think they can treat or talk to Blacks as if they are dirt and not realizing that The Right Party looks at them the same way they look at Blacks.
As I get older I realize that when you take the time to listen and try and get to know a person many have great things to bring to the table. Some people are extreme and you have to deal with them with a ten-foot pole but many want the same thing: a decent wage, a safe, nice environment to live. Some may think the pastor may be "nuts" but as for me being a Christian and Black I can relate to both sides of to this situation that has unfolded.
This devotion hits home with me because I feel the same way when it comes to driving. My queen teases me for driving the speed limit but in the end she thanks me because she doesn't have to worry about unnecessary drama like getting a ticket or hitting the brakes because I see a highway trooper and like Mr. Lamborn's wife has to remind him from time to time, "It's the law."
It is liberating and not a "hinder" when you do the right thing. It's a simple to remember; not easy to live by but the alternative is much worse in the end. That is how I view the Bible in two ways in regards a sense of freedom because even if people wrong you in the end you are the winner because it is you who took the high road and knowing that once you leave this earth you be in presence of God.
Again, I'm not going to lie it is so hard to not be effected when it comes to living right now because with the climate of corporations wanting to pay workers barely a living wage, people living their lives in a immoral way, racial tensions at a all time high, news organization reporting news before getting the facts in order. You can find yourself wanting to reach out and begin living that way but what I have found out is that in the end that way of living turns to ashes. It may not happen at that moment but it will happen and what I have learned the longer you live that way the longer it takes to rebuild your life and rebuild trust and respect from people.
For me the way of the world is going it's pushing me back to my Maker because the more I watch television (which is less and less) the more I getting back to the basics of reading books, rediscovering how much I love God, the price He paid by sending His son to die for my sins. For many people, the older you become the more you see how wonderful life is and you don't have time to waste it.
I wish more people could see the freedom in doing it God's way but as always it's best to lead by example and not just our speech.
Funny how things come back around the same time each year. Last year I was out of work and I heard 10 powerful messages from Dr. Charles Stanley (along with listening to Zig Ziglar) that changed how I approach employment and I ended up finding a job and remember, this is when finding a job was at it's lowest point.
Now here it is again and I think it's time for me to move on to another job because of so many things and these messages is an on time word for me so I wish to pass the messages along so from now until Feb 20 2011 you can head to the links below and get these treasures. These messages helped in regards to how to look at life, how to be real with myself and how get a deeper love and trust in God. To me these are truly worth more than gold and silver.
I remember being away from computers for a couple of years (my computers were Commodore 64 and 128), I was going to get an Apple IIe but the first one I got was DOA and I was pressured into feeling like an ungrateful person so I ended up getting a color TV which to this day I regret. Flash forward to 1995 and coming across Windows 95 for the first time. I have to admit I was kind of imtidated of Windows 95 and stepped away from it for a couple of years because I felt I was too far behind. Flash forward to 1998 and and dug in and began messing around with Windows 98 and was so blown away, I never knew computing would be so much fun. This is how I feel about Windows 7
This devotion hits me in a way that makes wonder why many churches...many Christians are not this way. I say "Christians" because I will never forget what Dr. Charles Stanley said years ago, "Anyone can call themselves a Christian but when you say "I'm a Follower of Christ" that draws a line in the sand to let people know that you truly love the word of God and depend on His guidance and His alone."
What I love about Christ Jesus and his teachings is that he did not sugar-coat it...he told it like it was. The same with Apostle Paul, Peter and so many of the true Followers of Christ. We as Followers of Christ have to let fellow followers that no one perfect, we are not perfect. We fall short but knowing that we cannot live this Christian life without the Holy Spirit and having Christ in our lives we will become full of ourselves and before long we will have the same attitude as the Pharasies. Our heart will become hardend with pride, arrogance and will live by rules instead of Christ's teaching.
People need to see that we are not just "mindless" followers but we are hard working people that know that we have do works and not just wait on our Lord and Savior to just do everything for us. We know that we have to do what we can and God will do what we cannot. We fail, we make mistakes but we do not dwell on our short-comings because we know as long as long as we are granted another day we have another day to do the right thing.
When we show we are not perfect and never will be perfect more people will come to Christ because true Christians "Do"...not just "Talk".
It's funny as a child how I had a very vivid imagination when it came to the stories I would read and hear when it came to the word of God. I remember sitting there imagining "what it would have been like in the ark" or seeing the people of Babel building the tower toward heaven. Sometime I would smile at the thought of actually being there...but then there were times I would be frighten when hearing some stories of the Bible like the book of Revelation but over all to hearing the story of God's people has always intrigued me.
One thing about God is when you truly seek Him...His way, His word it comes to you and all you can say is, "Wow!" Yesterday on my daily walk I was hoping to find a way to a way to really not dreading to go to work because of the job I have at the moment. I try not to complain in regards to my occupation, but it is a job and I know that is not my final vocation, I know I have to pay bills, keep a roof over me and Mrs head...I know I'm only there for 8 hours a day and not 10-12 hours a day but to deal with people day in and day out that make something simple as to setting up a reservation drives me crazy at times.
I know when you complain it makes the day longer, it wreaks havoc on your spirit, physical, and mental being but still it makes me angry from time to time. So imagine my surprise when hearing these two-part message from Dr. Charles Stanley, "How to Ge the Most out of Your Work". It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm glad to hear these messages because if I kept complaining soon it will reflect in my work, how I feel toward people in general and in the end it will only hurt one person...myself. Some things have helped me cope with what I do like and I hope they will help you and in the process it's helping me as I write these pointers.
a) Don't look at your day of work as the "Entire Day" but just the hours you are there.
I began the mind set of only being there "8 hours a day" instead of a all day event because lets be honest, we are not there all day. Now I know some people may work 10 or even 12 hours a day but begin looking at it that way it may take the weight off your shoulders just a little bit and may change your attitude toward each day.
b) Break Your Day up in 4 quarters.
This has really helped throughout my day. I map it out now as: 2 hours before break/2hours before lunch/2hours before last break/2hours before heading home for the day. When I think of work in small increments it helps my mindset because of me thinking, "I have 8 hours of dealing with this mess" it helps me realize that I will have a time to "rest" even if it is only 10 minutes (lets be honest...if you work in a call center a 15 minute break is not a 15 minute break because once you walk from your desk, go use the restroom, go find a place to rest your mind 5minutes have past already) By you thinking of smaller portions it helps me deal with what I have to deal with day and day out.
c) When You Have a Break or a 30 minute lunch find a place that is quiet to rest your mind. It's amazing how when sitting at a desk and hearing complaints after complaints how it drains you not only mentally but physically. I like to get somewhere by myself and not hear another voice. The only voices I wish to hear is God's voice, my beautiful wife or my geek brother or a positive message but many times I will go somewhere to rest my mind, my thoughts. I've found out when I do this I get rejuvenated, it helps me get a new game plan for the second half of my work day.
d) Get enough REST!!!
I am truly realizing that when I get proper rest I get up refreshed, well rested. I'm learning that when it's time for me to go to bed I go to bed. I'm learning that when I focus on my body, taking care of my health it helps me feel much different when I am sitting at my d
e) Get A Marine Mind Set.
Everyone that know me that I love NCIS and I have learned some things from Mark Harmon's character and one thing I have learned is this: either follow orders or retire. If you get to a point where what I have suggested you cannot use to help your job day in and day out it's time to move on find something else(and keep this in mind, it's better to find a job when you have a job than when you DO NOT have a job). Now I know there are times when you have to leave because of a situation where you know you can't take it anymore but for the most part hang in there because in the end it is teaching you how to treat the person that works in customer service because they really do have a tough job. Now I know there are some businesses where customer service is lousy but what I have learned that when I have had a bad experience to start off by having the mindset and let the person know, "This is not aimed toward you ma'am/sir but here is my issue with the company" and I am learning that the best way to let a company know you are not satisfied with their business is to vote with your wallet and now with the web voice your opinion via social networking.
I hope this helps you when dealing with your job and I ask you is to pray for me to remember what I have shared with you because it's sometimes easy share wisdom but when you are going through it yourself sometimes reasoning flies out the window but I am learning I will always be a work in process but I also have to learn I have to be a example not only for my readers but for the love in my life and most important Christ Jesus
Be Blessed, Be Safe, & Have a Wonderful Weekend
~DarrenKeith
The five Principles that Dr. Stanley Shares in his 2-part message "How to Get the Most out of Your Work"(I have links to the messages...I'm burning them to a CD and play it from here on when heading to work everyday)
The cool thing about putting these podcast together is that it makes me reflect on how blessed I am in regards to think about what I am or what I have gone through...even though I may want to gripe and complain about what my job puts me through, how cruel some people can be, the coldness of some people heart that makes me want to not deal with the outside world I can hear a passage from the Bible, read a devotion, chat with my online buddies I know I am not alone and even if I could not do that knowing the goodness of my Lord and Savior always gets me through my rough times.
It's amazing how you can hear lyrics or a melody and it can lift you out of a funk...it can make you smile, cry tears of joy, dance like you never danced before because at the end of the day you realize that it can really be worse. I'm a work in progress and I am learning that my work day is an 8 hour day and in the end I'm asking God to help me focus on just those 8 hours and not let 8 hours rob me of my joy and peace for the other 16 hours of my day because I have a wonderful wife, my freedom, God's word and the tools to be able to produce these in the comfort of my own home...for me that is something to be a smile to my face.
I hope these 15 tracks reflect on the goodness of Christ and to pay attention to what you have, who you have in your life and as Zig Ziglar says, "Every day is a great day...if you don't think so you just missing one of them."
Be Blessed/Be Safe & Have a Wonderful Day
~DarrenKeith
[to listen to podcast, click here | to download right click] to subscribe to iTunes copy & paste this rss feed to your "Subscribe to iTunes" box
I'm done with the Republican Party...I'm not a Republican, never could be one but this latest "outcry" in regards to President Obama speech has angered The Right is just plain...stupid. I only caught a snippet on the news the other night that people(I have recently now have seen the entire coverage on the networks), the Conservatives are upset because they feel he is pushing his (the President's) political views on their children.
Is he talking about accepting homosexuality or saying it's okay for sex outside of marriage or even "euthanizing the old"? No...he's talking about being responsible when it comes to their education. I have always thought corporate America never wanted people to better themselves and this just proves it...let me explain.
I have always believed that many companies do not want workers to better themselves when it comes to education. Why? Because this means higher wages, people loving themselves and realizing that their are better than having just a mediocre life in regards to living expensive, lifestyles, in providing a better life for their spouse, their children. Corporate America does not want people to become financial savvy with their income. Corporate America wants the average worker to come to work, become overweight from sitting at their desk all day, gossip, get their party on, get their drink on, get into debt because this way the average worker knows if this cycle is repeated over and over again people will have to stay in dead-end jobs. Corporate America wants the average worker to have sex outside of marriage so when you have upten children again you are stuck at a dead end job.
No one made a fuss when President Bush or President Regan did the same thing. What is going on with The Right? I know what's going on and no wants to say it but I will...it's more than "politics" it's the fact that many White conservative are still steamed that they have to answer to an African-American (oh...did I mention that his mother was white? That means his bi-racial). There are some families that may keep their children out of school if President Obama's speech is played in school.
They will never admit but what they(White Conservatives) are really teaching their children is this, "it's okay to watch them play sports, perform Gansta rap(and correct me if I'm wrong but who purchases most of the Gansta Rap...and is that still around...White America which the majority of them come from Conservative homes), they can cook for you, clean your homes but when it comes to telling you to have respect for your fellow man, become responsible for your own actions don't listen.
Maybe we as Blacks are The Third Reich and I just don't know it. Did we invade this country, rape, murder, throw The Christian Right into slave camps? And I hate to burst the Conservative bubble but many African-American have always have Christian values but to listen to the Fox network and the rest of the Right Wing Party you would think President Obama is throwing the baby out with the bath water. If parents keep their children out of school in regards to President Obama this really should prove to African-Americans how indeed your hatred toward African-American. You can hide behind the "He's forcing his political views on my child" all you want but in the end it is what it is...you still can't accept us as an equal.
We(African-Americans) are doctors, lawyers, CEO's of major companies, scientists, educators, and yes now we have a leader over the White House...Get over yourselves.
Sometimes I forget that many times to accomplishing big goals is to take small step, one day at a time. I was reminded of this when I woke up this morning to find our kitchen sink full to the brim with water because I forget to turn the water faucet off all the way. I'm so thankful that we have a double sink and it did not overflow onto the floor but to hear that constant "drip, drip, drip" sound and to think that in a matter of 4-5 hours the entire sink was full of water.
That is how we should accomplish many positive things in life, take small steps but be consist ant. It's amazing how my Heavenly Father can take a bad experience for me and have me flip it for my good. I have been saying for about a month now, "I have to start walking, I have to start doing push-up, ab work but allow myself to talk myself out of it because I am wanting results NOW. I remember what a good friend told me years ago, "The same way you get yourself out of a hole is the same way you get out of it...one shovel at a time.
The devotion I read for this morning ties into this because with the bad thing that happened with the overflowing sink when at first I thought was "Thank goodness the water did not damage our floor" to "Ah! This is how I should read God's word...This is how I should pray...this is how I should look and act toward my goals!" Those 'one drips at a time' translates for me, 'One day at a time' or 'One step at a time'.
Isn't life's experiences something?
Be Blessed, Be Safe, Have a WONDERFUL Friday/Weekend.
We never take this "sowing and reaping" theory to heart until something bad happens in our lives like a job loss, a love one walks away from us, a friendship ends then deep down when if we are really honest with ourselves we begin to self evalute our situation. We realize that we could have been a "little" nicer to that sales associate or we could have carried the weight a "little" more, we begin to run into the famous, "shoulda, woulda, coulda" senarios in our mind. It's amazing how I try and think behind the scenes of some events when it comes to bad news. When I see on the news when someone is being interviewed in reference to a job loss, the first thing pops in my mind is, "was he or she kind to the people around them?" "Did they treat the night cleaner nice?" Part of that comes from the fact that I'm a night cleaner and I see how corporate America treats the blue collar workers and it's not good and in my mind sometimes these are same people looking into the news camera, tears swelling in their eyes asking, "Why did this happen to me?"
Deep down you know why.
This is not to say every bad thing that happens in a person's life it's their fault, many times that person has sown good in another person life or have gone over and beyond to help their company prosper and the end results is a loss of job. That person may have been a wonderful person to everyone they have met and events take place where they have no control over the same question arises, "I've done my best/I've treated that person with honor and respect and they walk right out of my life, why?"
I have been on both sides of that coin, many of us have and what I have learned from both sides is that believe it or not it feels much better in your spirit and in your heart to have tried your best and to be let down than to have caused the train wreck in your life. That may sound odd but think about, even though both hurt it takes most people more time to recover when you were at fault. You begin going through many, "What If?" moments in your mind. When you have not caused the hurt in someone's life it really hurts but in time you realize that it may have been the best thing to have happen to you.
The devotional today from rbc makes me take in the fact that when you seek God's heart you cannot go wrong because He will always be there for you. People will be people, they will let you down but when reading His word every day it makes you realize we live in a fallen world but when you constantly sow good in other people's lives you are the winner in the end.
Our Daily Bread:Waiting Biblical Passage :Psalm 70 (New Living Translation)
There are so many ways to approach this subject on patience. I thought I was a patient person but then a situation comes up from time to time and I see I have a long way to go. There are some things I can just sit back and wait and other things I wish it would come and be over with (like the election...thank goodness it is over). It's amazing when waiting on God to respond to certain things in my life I want him to act "right now, CHOP, CHOP!
But I realize I am on His time table and not the other way around and deep down I know in the end it is always in my best interest. I think back on past relationships that I knew "man she is right for me" and now I look back and say, "Thank you Jesus for not answering that prayer." I have to get this through my head day in and day out which is so true each day I am on this earth, God ways are not my own ways plain and simple. He knows what I need in my life, what I need to pursue, what I need to avoid but it's up to me that when I go His way that I learn how to realize that while I'm waiting, God is working.
Now waiting on God does not mean I just sit back at do nothing. This means I keep doing what is right for my family, for myself and just know that God is working it out in my favor and I'm not going to lie that is not easy to do many times but if I don't want to start from zero it's best to do it His way. The next time you read about Abraham or about Jonah read how when they did not do it God's way and not have patience how many times that they were placed at the very starting point where they began. I have had those kind of situations and let me tell you, the older you get the less fun that is beginning all over again. You begin to learn that doing it God's way, the right way saves you so much unnecessary grieve.
Not being patient, doing it your own way will work for you for a little while but when it falls apart, it falls apart hard and your ways breaks in sometimes a million pieces and sometimes you cannot put it back together again and in the end you are left with the three famous words many hate to say and go through, "shoulda, woulda, coulda". Learning not rush God is a lesson that will save you heartache in the very end...but being a Follower of Christ we already know this right?
Both titles of the each devotion I experience every day and I believe many other do as well. I have to admit, I have let my walk with God slip and now I am getting it back because I have found that when walking with God I am able to experience inner peace and I go from "What Should I Do?" to "I Know What I Must Do". When following God's plan it is sometimes necessary to not allow so much of the world to influence your decisions. Just this morning while watching MSNBC I noticed how the reporter when speaking the Rev. Al Sharpton how she kept gravitating to the negative and how he[Sharpton] and to keep pushing it back the positive. Isn't it amazing how the world is drawn to the negative like a moth to the flame but then turn around and ask, "How come it's so much bad in the world?"
This I know why it's evil in the world because of my fore-father and mother: Adam & Eve. Once they tasted the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil sin came into our world and the trick Satan tries to do day in and day out is for everyone to concentrate on the negative in the world. I am not saying to look at the world through rose colored glasses but to realize that many times the decisions we make for our lives plays a huge part of what we will experience much in life. We need to be caution but not fearful, we need to know when to speak and when to listen, we need to learn how to say no, and most important, we need to know that we cannot please everyone or live by people's standards. It's hard to do sometimes because of what we have been through in life but the more we look to our Heavenly Father the more we realized how to handle certain situations, what we can change in our lives and what we cannot change.
I am learning this day by day because I struggle with this but as I write this I am realizing that when I struggle with what God's want with my life it is me that is wasting valuable, precious time because deep down I know he wants the best for me and I have to constantly seek Him and obey Him because I know in the end He knows what I need and how I will handle success and failure. The more I force myself to seek His goodness the more breakthrough I will have when it comes to decisions and having that peace within. I say force because when you let your walk slip from God, Satan will fight you tooth and nail to stop you from seeking God's goodness for your life and that is what I am struggling with now but I see good news ahead because God has allowed me to see what he[Satan] is doing and as long as I wake up each day that is another day I have the chance to draw closer to my heavenly Father.
Be Blessed, Be Safe, & Have a Wonderful Friday/Weekend
I do not follow Dr. James Dobson that much but sometimes he has pretty good segments from time to time that need to be shared with the world and these are to programs that everyone should take heed to in reference to finances
Last night I was having trouble with a function on my blog. As you well know, I sometimes give tech tips here and there but you also know I will tell you in a heartbeat that I do not know everything. My wonderful friend Jennifer (though I know she was dog tired...she's on the east coast) walked me through the process and I am so grateful.
From reading this devotion this morning for me it ties in because sometimes we have to be a student in order to become a great teacher and when you come across as someone who is a Mr. or Mrs. "Know It All" you lose focus, you may lose out on a great opportunity to learn something that can really benefit you in the long run. I have been taught, "never stop learning because the day that happens, that is when you grow old."
Jennifer taught me something last night. Though to others it may seems small but to me I am so grateful. When you let people know that you do not know everything, that you are willing to learn you open up a door of compassion and warmth. You allow people to know that just because you may be good in one area that you are still willing to be taught how humble you are and it's okay to become a "servant" to others from time to time. This is what Jesus Christ I believe was trying to teach his disciples that you have to have compassion, patience for others sometimes in order to move forward. There is nothing wrong with being a student from time to time because in the end that is what make strong leaders.
When reading Friday's devotion from ODB (Our Daily Bread) it made me think of this topic, why many churches still view the internet as a bad thing and how they can not understand how people can form friendships with people they have never met. It's amazing how many churches still think of many people that use the web as "very lonely souls." They wonder how can someone befriend someone who they have never met or how can someone "hook up" with someone via internet?
I have to be honest I have been in the blogging community for over a year on Vox and this year I have been on Twitter and late this year I have joined Facebook I have met some very cool people last year and this year. It may be said in the eyes of some pastors that people can form friendships with people they have never met, never seen but what is really sad to me is that people can form stronger bonds with people in a internet community than church members.
It's amazing how we as Christians are sometimes the last to know the true meaning of some mediums...we trash it then after a long, hard look at it we accept it but by that time many in the secular world dismiss what Christians have to say because we many times, "shoot first(with our words) and then ask questions later and it's sad to say but it seems it takes many church community sometimes to adopt and adapt to current times. Not to do as the world does but to use the electronic tools that God has blessed the secular world to use. Yes pornography is one the web and yes we MUST monitor what our youth on the web on a daily basis but many youths use the web for good day in and day out and many adults use the web for good on a daily basis as well. What churches need to ask is "why" people are turning to the web instead of the church instead of bad mouthing the internet community.
One thing that the church community gets wrong time and time again is that people are upfront and "fake" when it comes to communication on the web. One of the best things about being a geek is that we are not afraid to say when we do not know something. If we need help on trying to figure out something whether it's coding, tagging our music, moving files, we throw the question out there and we try and give an answer to the best of our knowledge. We don't go behind someone's back tearing them down, trying to make them feel stupid because we think back to when we were starting off using computers, searching the web. Why can't that same principle be applied in our churches? Have the time when pastors tell their own congregation to meet and greet one another we do not move out of our own aisle to meet someone. Now I know there is no perfect church, never has been never will be but why in the blogging community most times we are quicker to forgive than in the churches?
I think one of the main reasons is that even Christians think we have to paint ourselves as "perfect" in the eyes of others and our Heavenly Father throughout the Bible used many "imperfect" individuals for his work. I think that sometimes this is the reason that many of our youths turn to someone on the web instead of the church because they see sometimes the hypocrisy in our churches and children are not looking for people to be perfect, they are looking for us as adults to be honest. God knows we are flawed, the youth know we are flawed why can't we as adults and Christians allow them to see us flawed at times?
I'm not painting the entire church community still living in the stone age because many church organization now have podcast of their programs, wonderful websites, mp3 downloads of their services (biblegateway, Harvest Online, Crown Financial Ministries, Enduring Truth) and as a said in the beginning no church is perfect but maybe if not only the outside world but members could feel that oneness inside the church than via web more churches would be packed.
I know what keeps me balanced is what an older Christian taught me years ago, "You got to know that man(God) for yourself." and "Never stop learning because once you stop learning you become old." I have not and will not tell Christians to compromise God's word because being a Follower of Christ is the best thing that has ever happened to me and there is nothing in the world I could go back to for me to turn away from God but we as Christians have to realize that just because people chat online does not make them "lonely souls".
I just think many on the web realize our flaws more so than the "church folks".
Be Blessed, Be Safe and have a Wonderful Day.
Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” ~Plutarch
I have to remind myself of this sometimes. Sometimes I get caught up in finding information that it becomes mechanical, even with God's word. Sometimes I have step back and remind myself how good He has been to me, how good he is to me now and how He is with me in the future. It's wonderful to know His love for me, to know that with Christ Jesus giving up His life for me that how I can not only have happiness here on earth but will be with God in Heaven and go to the new earth when that time comes.
Yesterday I was reminded that no matter how busy I become, I must put my Heavenly Father before anything and anyone. God knows I need him each and every day and when I realize how much he has in store for me it really puts me at ease. He reminds me that situation will arise, people will try and make you angry just because or they themselves are having a bad day and you are just on "lashing out" end of it and it may not be directed toward you personally. Sometimes by the way you carry yourself may uplift that angry person and you never realize how you have made that person's day.
The devotion from this morning makes me realize how not only reading God's word is a guide to life but I healer to my spirit. Knowing that when I am at my highest God knows I need him ever more and when I am at my lowest God's arms are there to comfort me. His word is not my own, His word is for me to share with the world how much He loves you and I. To follower of Christ Jesus...He is with you when you feel like you are in the battle alone and to the non-believer He wants you to know that if you just turn you life over to him it's so much He has in store for you and so much He wants to share with you.
Be Blessed, Be Safe & have a Wonderful Friday. ^_^ ~DarrenKeith
This year I have to make prayer a priority in my life, no question about it because I have been on the go early this year and I feel so discombobulated and I know the reason...my priorities are screwed up. I can make time for everything else and not make time to my Lord and Savior? As a great wise man said..."that's kooky talk"). I have decided, starting today to put prayer before I leave the home and before I go to bed each night. I have to put Him first no doubt about it. Put Him first, obey His word and He will make my road bearable. Notice I did not say "care free". To be honest, this is what grows you and I, strengthen my daily walk with God and to be there for someone that will go through something similar and you can let them know, "God is there for and with you no matter what storm you are going through.
Now this is for the brothers and sisters in Christ and I'm not being bias because lets be real, many atheists and comedians in the media I am noticing think we(Followers of Christ Jesus) are a bunch of "Kooks" anyway because we believe in a "make believe" superior person. Well...this make believe person has been walking with me even before I was walking with Him. He help me through a rough childhood....my stuttering, my being violated as a youth, having a low self-esteem thinking I wasn't good enough for anyone or myself, hatred from my mother, no father or positive male in my life. He sustained me, kept me alive to finally come to Him and to give my life over to Him so I can have ever lasting life. He brought wonder people in my life to let me know I am loved, I am beautiful and wonderfully made. People can not believe and that is their choice because He has giving all of us free will and free choice...but it always come back to me...what we sow, we will surely reap; and think about this, when you plant an apple seed, do you receive only one apple? Something to think about.
Yep, prayer has to be the focus for my life...starting right now. Please take time and read the devotion from Dr. Stanley today, it will give you something to think about.
To hear Dr. Stanley's message for today or previous messages...click here
Have a Blessed, Safe, & Wonderful Friday.
Praying for Our Children from Christian Embassy Church
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