A Non-Janus January

It's the New Year once again!  A time of celebration, commemoration and hopefully, consecration.  The New Year brings a sense of promise and renewal like no other time.  We should do our very best to make sure that we are moving forward with every year.  It would certainly be a shame to get older and not better.

January.  The first month of the year is named after the false god Janus.  He was considered to be the god of beginnings, endings, doorways and entrances.  He is depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions.

This is the problem.  January, the first month of a new year, a time of renewed determination and clear intent, deserves singular focus not divided attention.  We do not need to have a two-faced approach to the New Year.

This is not a call for extremity.  Looking back is necessary and helpful in making wise decisions. This is an emphasis issue.  You cannot be so focused on the past that you are divided in your attention over the future.  That's why the rearview mirror of a car is so small in comparison to the windshield.  Whether last year was filled with tragedies or treasures, you can't make good forward progress with a backwards positioning.

Jesus says, "No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom."  Luke 9:62.

James says, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." James 1:8

Paul says, "... forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things before, I press towards the mark for the prize..."  Phil. 3:12

What do you say?

Celebrate a new beginning.  Blow the horns and spin the noisemakers.  Throw confetti and eat some black-eyed peas.  But after the party is over and the dust settles, face forward and get serious about 2012.  And don't wait for February!!

Kim Jong-il's Leadership No-no

The death of Kim Jong-il caused a ripple of anxiety throughout the arena of world politics.  Actually, Kim has always been a source of concern for enemies and allies alike.  Wielding absolute power, cruel ambition and maniacal tendencies, Kim has often snubbed his nose at the world stage, in a parade of quickly marching armies.  Now with his death and his son, Kim Jong-un's succession, anxiety over North Korea's political posture has grown. 


While it is beyond my scope of experience and preparation to give clear insight into the multiplicity of political ramifications of these events, I do see a clear lesson in leadership - The effects of non-transparency.  


North Korea is called the 'Hermit Kingdom' because of its detachment from the rest of the world.  It is easily presumed that this is done for control purposes.  Keeping a people ignorant makes it easier to keep them controlled.  So when international visitors come in, and I stress when, their phones are confiscated and photos censored.  Media is told what to see and when they can see it.  

This came to mind when they released the footage of people weeping for their deceased leader.  It was too perfect.  Too controlled.  One person was weeping inconsolably while the others were otherwise engaged in the background. It just seems staged, insincere. 


That may be judgmental, but that's exactly what happens with non-transparency - distrust.  That's a leadership lesson.  While you don't have to put top-secret files on display, you certainly don't have to confiscate phones and pictures.  It makes people wonder what are you hiding?  


A leader's currency is trust.  People will trust you in accordance with how they know you.  Yes, limitations are necessary but balance is essential.  Talk to people.  Allow pictures.  Open up your life.  Be transparent. 


Jesus thought this way - "I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning.  No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father." - (John 15:15 Msg.)

Elevating Excellence

Incompetence strikes again.  So much pain and sorrow in the world is due to people not doing their jobs with attention to detail.  Our condolences go out to the family of Suzanne Hart, a 41 year old executive, crushed and torn by a malfunctioning elevator.  At first glance this traumatic scene seems to be a freak accident, but a closer look sees something more - human error.  "City Buildings Department records show that the 13 elevators operating at 285 Madison Avenue have piled up an astonishing 56 violations between them since 1999, 34 of which were for "failure to maintain elevators." http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/267910/20111215/285-madison-avenue-suzanne-hart-elevator-accident.htm

Poor workmanship is a blight on our society.  From mishandled luggage, to messed up orders and misdiagnosed treatments - mistakes and missteps abound.  Whatever happened to workmanship?  Personal best?  Do we not know that how we work says something about who we are?  "Ooops" or "My bad!"  just doesn't cut it.  In this case it cost someone their life.

Excellence is the thing.  Sure it is harder, more tedious, more engaging and involved, but it's excellence!  It is the best.  It says that I do what I do to the highest point of my ability.  What else should we say?  For the child of God there should be no alternative.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:17) 

"Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people."  (Pr. 22:29)

Yes every one makes mistakes ,but that should be contrary to one's character not the consistency of one's character.  Excellence does not mean perfection, it means that one is striving for perfection, determined to hit the mark.  A reputation is made when you have a consistent focus on detail or whether you seem like you could care less.

The world is filled with Careless Incompetents.  A child of God must not be one.

The Nazareth

John 1:46

Can anything good or just
Can one faithful and true
One we trust
Come out of Nazareth?

Nazareth
The low parts of Palestine
A ghetto of Galilee on Beulah’s backside
Unmentionable, unintentional
Most forgettable and avoidable
Nazareth.

No King had risen
No Prophet resided
In this hamlet of dusty farmers
Muddy potters, lowly shepherds
And occasional carpenters.

No wonder one would wonder
Stumbling at the word
That honor had risen with power
From the poor and quiet folk
Of Nazareth.

It’s this muddied thinking of our mannish minds
That often blinds us
And binds us
To handicapped reasons
And asinine assumptions
That great people only come from great situations.

And so we miss it
And dismiss it
Looking for God in the light on the left
We fail to see His hand on the right in the dark
Forgetting that He often grows lilies of the valley
In ghetto alleys and slum cities
Like Nazareth

But there rose one like a bright sun.
God’s Son.
Breaking the darkness like a cloudless dawn
Divinity in flesh came the Nazareth
His likeness unmistakably, undeniably God.

A carpenter’s son cutting hearts of men
Fashioning faith from foolish failure
The Creator and Orchestrator
He built a church on the strength of His name
And now fame is known
By Nazareth.

Now the ghettos sing glory
As they follow the grand story
Of the Nazareth
Who fought death
Rising from the hood and the grave
Overcoming poverty, obscurity and iniquity
Reigning at the right of absolute majesty.

The lowly shudder in the throes of hope’s dope
The forgotten remember their redeemer who delivered them
From Ghetthoic grieving
Seeing and believing that troubles are not binding
No concrete confining
Or circumstances continuing
When you think like the Nazareth
Ignoring what the rest expect
Pleasing God rather than man

His life is their proof
His existence our evidence
That the Most High
Comes to low places
Taking residence
Lifting low spaces to great heights
Blessed be the Nazareth
And Nazarites.


David Wilson

Happy Birthday Dyahnah!!

She's 13 and she knows it!

Congrats on a milestone!

Conrad Murray and the Shackled-King

Dr. Conrad Murray received 4 years for the involuntary manslaughter of superstar Michael Jackson.  This is another sad chapter in the tragic life and death of another celebrity monster of our making.  I think that there are two lessons to be learned from Conrad's story.

Be careful of who and what you celebrate.

When we talk about pop music, Mike was king.  When we talk about real life, he was a slave.  Mike's life off stage was one of sin, self-indulgence and self-destruction.  So often what is celebrated on stage is contemptuous in life.  Mike was miserable.  We all know that he killed himself and used Conrad as the gun.

Now Conrad has to pay the price. He, like we, was so caught up with the Mike on stage that he couldn't see the Mike in shackles.  Instead of being his doctor, Conrad was a fan.  "Yes Mike," "sure Mike," "ok Mike," gets real easy when stars are in your eyes as you sleep in his mansion.  Conrad would be in a better place right now if he had acted like a Doctor and treated MJ like regular people, at his office.

This is where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is so valuable.  There's only room for one King in my life, and He is the only one I would do anything for.

Competence is always necessary.

I was pulling for Conrad during the trial.  When the mistakes, lapses and failure to follow procedure started to show up, I knew he would be the scapegoat.  Powerful people need scapegoats, those they can blame for their failures and mistakes.  Governments, companies and families use them all the time.  The perfect scapegoat is the one who characteristically takes the shortcut, bends the rules or comes up short.  Thus Conrad was penalized for MJ's dysfunction.

The Defense tried to show that Conrad was a good man but to no avail.  There is no doubt that he was community sensitive and benevolent, but he was sloppy.  Doing good does not exempt one from doing it right.  You should consistently follow the rules, pay attention to detail and give your best effort.  This will protect you from poor performance and deliver you from blame.

Wisdom puts it this way - "Do you see a man diligent in his work, he will serve before kings, he will not serve obscure men (Pr. 22:29)."

I hate how this turned out, but hopefully the lessons will help us all.

Thank God!!

From breath of life, to thirst quenching waters, shelter from the storm and food on our tables; we always have a reason to give God thanks.  It's not only that God is good, it is because He does good, and He does good excellently and consistently.  He makes life worth living.  He balances out those uncomfortable, awkward moments of life with times that make you want to go on to the end. So we not only seek Him for help in our stress, we stop to give Him praise and honor in our peace.  The God who was there in our lack is the God who is glorified in our full.

Ingratitude is the most common of iniquities in Scripture.  In fact, it is the 'Gateway Sin' that precedes more obvious and obscene behavior.  Ingratitude came before idolatry - failure to thank the true God opened the gate for another focus.  Ingratitude came before rebellion, displaying itself in disloyalty, lawlessness and disrespect.  Paul puts it this way, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Rom. 1:21)."

Thanksgiving is a character building practice.  It is a discipline, so don't let it happen, make it happen!  Be grateful. Give thanks. Be honorable. To God first then to everyone else.  It is part of being a good person.  Moreover, it will protect you from the destructive negatives of life by keeping you in the Way.  That's how worship works.


"That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but never gives;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creations blot, creations blank."
-- Thomas Gibbons

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

"Smokin Joe"

Joe died yesterday.  A powerful boxer who became an Olympiad and then World Heavyweight Champion. 


He had a great quote about the importance of training and preparation.  Whether it is your study before preaching, research before spending, or practice before performing - Don't let the bright lights of an event distract you from the secret and often unappreciated hard work and discipline. 

“You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you're down to your reflexes - that means your [preparation:]. That's where your roadwork shows. If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, well, you're going to get found out now, under the bright lights.” 

--Joseph William Frasier  -  January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011

A wonderful evening with the Kings Church!! Don't miss it!

The Big Rocks

One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.


As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all."


What are the big rocks in your life? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these Big Rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all.


- Stephen Covey

Be Beautiful

It's okay. God doesn't mind. In fact, it is our Father's joy that you be gorgeous, attractive, fine and stylish. He wants you to light up the room when you walk in. He wants you to have an irresistibly contagious smile that says good things without one word. He wants you to have grace and dignity in your walk, seasoning in your words and an aroma that encourages deep breathing. He wants you to be beautiful, just as long as it's His idea of beauty.
"Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance (Eccl. 8:1)."
"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up (Prov. 12:25)."
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him (2 Cor. 2:14).
"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit (Prov. 15:4)."
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Mt. 5:16)."
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (I Pet. 3:3-4)."
The world doesn't need more gaudily appareled, conceited elitist, gold plated pansies and cosmopolitan snobs. Enough with the cleavage and g-strings. Please stop the skinny and sagging jeans. We need more of the beauty of good character. More of that lasting comeliness, that inner shine that warms the soul.

Be encouraged to let the world see the goodness of God through your glorious appearance, Christlike character and graceful performance.

Weiner, Woods, You and I

What does Weiner, Sheen, and Woods have in common with you and I? Not the riches and fame, nor the national news coverage. Commonly, we all share a fallen, contemptuous and destructive mentality. It's called the reprobate mind and living in Adam's fallen world guarantees its emergence and growth. All of us have it, but thanks to God we can be regularly treated for it.

The reprobate is your other you. Not the you that sits in service singing sweet hymns to Jesus, ready to celebrate the preaching of the Word. Not the you that is geared up to go to work on time and make a great day of it with a smile on your face and good tidings on your lips. Not the you who strives for purity and good living, upholding truth, love and morality. The other you! The 'stinking thinking' you. The 'I can't believe I said/did that' you. It's the devil on your left shoulder, countering the angel on your right. It is a most inconsistent, consequential and embarrassing malady that each man and woman suffers with.

This is what Paul speaks of in Romans 7 - "The good that I would I do not and the evil that I would not that I do." "Oh wretched man that I am, who shall save me from the body of this death." It is the war of the 'I's. There was an inner struggle in Paul, Judas, David, Moses, and every hero and villain of Scripture. Even Jesus! But the Lord did not sin.

That's the key by the way. The Spirit of God, who leads us in the lifestyle of Jesus, is the only answer for our reprobate tendencies. He is the only treatment that can deliver us from our contrary ways. Christians still have a reprobate, carnal, filthy mind - but we also have the mind of God dwelling within. He gives us a new way, better options and urges us away from our reprobate. He's our life coach, resident therapist and a solid corner man. "There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:1)."

Weiner, Woods, Sheen you and I have the same disease! But thanks be to God that the Spirit makes a difference. When life caves in on any of us, we should not be proud and condemning, but humble and prayerful, because we know full well, we are just as sick. It is not that we are better, but that we have better treatment.

Growth

It's garden time once again in my backyard. The tomatoes, peppers, corn and cucumbers are planted and already looking good. Now comes the waiting, weeding and watering as nature does the thing that God set it up to do. I wish I could snap my fingers or say a word that would make things grow over night, but that's fantasy. Growth comes at it's own pace in response to the right environment.
I see an analogy.
Growth comes when the seed or seedling spends time in the right place with the right elements. Good soil, sun and water. It's not magic or luck, it's the designed reaction to the right conditions. The same is true with the soul. Spiritual growth, fruit bearing and harvest is not a matter of race, location or privilege. They are the results of being in the presence of God, our light and water, that causes growth. Psalms 1 puts it this way - "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in due season."
Once your in the right place then it is only a matter of time. You can't rush agricultural growth and you can't rush spiritual growth. Both require patience. Not lazy patience, where you do nothing but wait on God. But perfecting patience as you water, nourish and nurture your growth. Character, faith, service, wisdom and devotion will grow, increase, multiply and mature through diligence, learning and application of principles. It will grow if you grow it. Hope is good, real good, but it won't grow what you don't plant and develop.

George Daniel Wilson

On March 17th we buried our father.

Since then I've been thinking about what to say on RR that would be uplifting and encouraging. I'm not trying to be personal or spectacular, but grieving and goodbyes are unique experiences that bring great insight. I have handled countless funerals and comforted many members, but it's a different horse when you have to ride it yourself.

One thing became crystal clear - A spiritual family is an incredible source of comfort in times of loss. I received great love, condolences and prayer promises from all over the nation. Such a great outpouring humbled me and challenged me to be more sensitive to others as well. My immediate church family was with us through it all. Kings showed without doubt that they had lost a brother when I lost a father. Pop would've been proud of the services and the meal afterwards.

Daddy was ok with dying. He was in Christ and tired of the constant sickness and pain. When I visited him in the nursing home, I could tell he was more disappointed with being there than being sick. But I thought he would've bounced back like usual.

Playing it back, I think he knew he was leaving. He had started comparing himself with his father, Daddy Glen. Stressing that his father died coming back from Bojangles, (his usual breakfast spot), but he was going to die sick. I told him, "You fight until it's time to go, and don't worry about dying someone else's death." Turns out that that became a dramatic phrase in the storyline. He died the next morning.

There is something that I know is kind of sensitive, but he told me to tell it whenever I needed to, whenever I thought it could help someone. Most of my father's life was lived under the sinister haze of alcoholism. But he died 15 years sober. Scarred and bruised yet an overcomer of the toughest sort.

Father was the point of many 'firsts' in my life.
He was my first teacher for the things of God.
He taught me how to tie my first tie.
He was there when I caught my first fish.
Best of all...
He helped me preach my first sermon.

Rest in Peace
George Daniel Wilson

Nat Turner - The Black Sheep of Black History

Nat Turner’s story is a vital part of the Freedom Saga. No, I doubt there will be any holidays, stamps or highways named after him, but his story must be heard. Trust me, if the enemies of freedom could erase any part of the struggle, they would choose this one. In fact, it wasn’t till I was an adult that I heard about Nat, the ‘property’ of Samuel Turner.

He was an intelligent, ultra-religious and driven young man. One of the few slaves who could read, Nat was said to have spent long hours reading the Bible. He would often have visions that he believed were from God. Once, after running away and hiding in the woods for a month, he returned to his master after having such a vision. These visions, coupled with atmospheric phenomenon, during the dark ages of America, birthed the destiny of Nat Turner.

The reason his story is so shaded and controversial is that he fought back. Turner led the greatest or most horrific, (depending on which side of freedom you stand) slave revolt in American History. In August of 1831, for 48 hours in South Hampton Virginia, Nat and a group of about 50 other slaves and freed blacks, methodically and quietly killed 57 white men, women and children.

After a militia of slaveholders ended the rebellion, Nat was tried, convicted, hung and then flayed, quartered and beheaded. 58 men suspected of involvement were also hung. In months to come, an estimated 200 slaves were beaten, hung and mutilated by angry mobs of whites. The abolitionist movement was halted in that area, as whites became polarized concerning slavery.

Nat’s legacy undeniably removes the myth that slaves happily embraced their subservient state.

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=20

Today, Nat’s legacy is on trial. Some hail him hero, others call him lunatic.
Some call him freedom fighter; others call him blood thirsty opportunist. I say that he is the logical result of the cruel, heinous, diabolical, dehumanizing crime of slavery. Hate begets hate. Radical situations produce radicalness.

I call him, inevitable.

Fight the Funk

Inevitably, the day comes when you just don’t feel like doing what you must do. You were called to it, even created for it, but inexplicably and unexpectedly your will dissipates. Most days you can leap over the wall, kill the dragon, save the village in time for a late breakfast. Then other times you can barely get out of bed to use the bathroom.

Fatigue comes in many forms;
Muscular – when you extensively use certain muscles to the point of exhaustion.
Physical – like muscular fatigue but on a body wide scale. Sometimes the results of chemical depletion or sickness.
Mental – when you literally get tired of thinking. (One time after a stressful day with the church, I almost broke down and cried because Cathi asked me if I wanted corn or green beans.)
Emotional – usually following a traumatic or depressing situation. It can cause an implosion of the psyche, manifesting in a shut down of the body and mind.

Worse than all of these is Spiritual Fatigue. This is the exhaustion of the will. The will can manage all other tiredness in general (ie. change diet, get more rest, cry it out), but what happens when your will loses will? How do you overcome not wanting to overcome? Despondence, apathy, and passionlessness are more than moods; they are droughts of the soul.

David said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD ().”

Here are four keys to manage or defeat spiritual fatigue:
1. Get a better perspective on life through what you “see” out of God’s Word. Encourage yourself. Build yourself up.
2. Expose yourself to encouragers not enablers. Hopefully you would have already surrounded yourself with them before you went into crisis. sometimes a shoulder to cry on is the worst thing in the world.
3. Count the cost of your continued inactivity. Can you really live with the village being burned down? Your work is important.
4. Never ever buy into the notion that things will always be the same. Life rewards action. Forcing yourself to do what you are supposed to do has a way of creating momentum for your entire being. Purpose can awake passion.

On Ted Williams

Our hearts were warmed by the story of Ted Williams. We love stories of redemption, stories of the prodigal or the fallen making a comeback. It speaks to many values in our lives as well as the hope we all carry of better things. I am sincerely happy and hopeful for Ted, and I love his dynamic, God given voice.

However -

This great story reveals a major flaw in our cultural thinking. While we love someone who rises from the depths of despair, we often forget those that have stayed on the path. There are other talented voices who were easily overlooked by Kraft, the Cavs and The Today Show, while a star rose from the ashes of failure and caught the national spotlight. Others trained in voice-overs are struggling to rise through hard work and hustle, were bypassed because they were on the normal, regular, non-dramatic road.

Ted's story is good because of a bad thing, failure. His decision to use addictive substances was a mistake from which most people do not recover. While we celebrate his escape or success, the grim truth is, it didn't have to go this way. But if it hadn't would we have noticed him?

I'd encourage every go-getter and hard worker, forgotten or disregarded, to stay on the path and keep working it out. Persistence, discipline and patience are winning combinations even if they don't make the Today Show.

Hope Up!

A New Mind for this New Time

Happy New Year and may God bless you with progress and prosperity.

There's just a wonderful feeling in the air when the first of January rolls in. Newness awakens anticipation and determination to be better and do better. Revelations, resignations and resolutions are had and made now more than at any other time of the year. It's almost like we don't want to spoil the New Year Baby with our old faulty behavior. That's good.

Let me offer some help. The newness of this time will not matter without a newness of mind. Thankfully the same God who makes the times new, can make your mind new. Transformation is God's thing. He renews, regenerates, restores, redeems and brings to repentance. And he does it through His Word.

"Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... (Rom. 12:2)"
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 51:10)."
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Is. 26:3)."

This new year will become old real fast if your old mind gets a hold of it. Put the big golden hat down, put the horn away, open up God's Word and let Him do His thing with your mind.

Day 1

Hymns -vs- Praise Choruses

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big-city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the farmer, "it was good; but they did something different. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."

"Praise choruses?" said his wife. "What are those?"

"Oh, they're OK. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.

The farmer said, "Well it's like this: If I said to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well, that would be a hymn. On the other hand, if I said to you: 'Martha Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black-and-white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN,' then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

(Author unknown)

Jesus and Immanuel

The Angel said - "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” The prophet said - “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Mat. 1:21,23)

Immanuel - God with us.
Jesus - God saves.

There is great power in our Lord's names. Great meaning. Great significance. The angelic announcement was and is a great source of comfort and cause for celebration. It proclaimed a divine transition from heavenly silence to dynamic personal action.

No more Lostness - Together the names show a systematic principle. God saves by being with us, and if God is with us He will surely save us. the baby born of a virgin is nothing less than God in the flesh. The eternal God stepped into time. The omnipresent God had taken up spacial existence. He did it so that He could be with man not just over man. He came and experienced human existence so that He could bring heaven to us. He came where we were so that we could come where He is.

No more Loneliness - God with us meant that we would never be alone again. Covenant relationship is in the names of Jesus. God is with us in our daily walk through a sometimes cruel and uncaring world. God is with us when we are confused, perplexed, insecure, bewildered and discontent. God is with us when we are rejected or betrayed. God is with us when we are tempted and tried. God is with us when it seems like no one understands. 'Jesus' and 'Immanuel' announces that an ever abiding God is present and active with those that believe.

We call Him Redeemer because He bought us.
We call Him Teacher because He shows us.
We call Him Wonderful because He is good to us.
We call Him Counselor because He guides us.
We call Him Shepherd because He finds us.
We call Him Rock because He stands for us.
We call Him Master because He commands us.
We call Him Priest because he offered for us.
we call Him Prophet because He speaks to us.
We call Him King because He protects us.
We call Him Lion because He fought for us.
We call Him Savior because He died for us.
We call Him Lord because He rose from death and speaks for us.

Come to know His names rather than just knowing what His name is.

The Nazareth

John 1:46

Can anything good or just
Can one faithful and true
One we trust
Come out of Nazareth?

Nazareth
The low parts of Palestine
A ghetto of Galilee on Beulah’s backside
Unmentionable, unintentional
Most forgettable and avoidable
Nazareth.

No King had risen
No Prophet resided
In this hamlet of dusty farmers
Muddy potters, lowly shepherds
And occasional carpenters.

No wonder one would wonder
Stumbling at the word
That honor had risen with power
From the poor and quiet folk
Of Nazareth.

It’s this muddied thinking of our mannish minds
That often blinds us
And binds us
To handicapped reasons
And asinine assumptions
That great people only come from great situations.

And so we miss it
And dismiss it
Looking for God in the light on the left
We fail to see His hand on the right in the dark
Forgetting that He often grows lilies of the valley
In ghetto alleys and slum cities
Like Nazareth

But there rose one like a bright sun.
God’s Son.
Breaking the darkness like a cloudless dawn
Divinity in flesh came the Nazareth
His likeness unmistakably, undeniably God.

A carpenter’s son cutting hearts of men
Fashioning faith from foolish failure
The Creator and Orchestrator
He built a church on the strength of His name
And now fame is known
By Nazareth.

Now the ghettos sing glory
As they follow the grand story
Of the Nazareth
Who fought death
Rising from the hood and the grave
Overcoming poverty, obscurity and iniquity
Reigning at the right of absolute majesty.

The lowly shudder in the throes of hope’s dope
The forgotten remember their redeemer who delivered them
From Ghetthoic grieving
Seeing and believing that troubles are not binding
No concrete confining
Or circumstances continuing
When you think like the Nazareth
Ignoring what the rest expect
Pleasing God rather than man

His life is their proof
His existence our evidence
That the Most High
Comes to low places
Taking residence
Lifting low spaces to great heights
Blessed be the Nazareth
And Nazarites.


David Wilson

Prompts for Praise

"And they praised God because of me (Gal. 1:24)."

When God is praised awesome consequences take place. He is well pleased and draws near with blessings. Personal worries and fears are assaulted by celebrated conviction. The Devil and his legions flee in panic at the celebration of God's name and rehearsal of His power.

Paul's personal testimony in the book of Galatians, reveals an amazing fact about praise - we can be the reason that men and women praise God. Paul said that the churches in Judea praised God because of his ministry. There was sincere joy over his accomplishments in service to God. This joy was accentuated or augmented by the fact that they knew he was formerly their persecutor.

The one who used to murder Christians is now birthing them.

The one who chased Christians now leads them.

The one who helped kill Stephen, now leads men like Titus, Timothy, Epaphroditus and Silas

The one who fought them, now fights for them on the front-lines of the good fight of faith.

When the churches in Judea heard that report they praised God.

You and I can be a reason, a prompt to praise God.

• By our work and support of ministry.
• Through our example of God's presence.
• By the evident change of direction and focus.

And they will praise God because of you too.

Growing in Gratitude

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (I Thess. 5:18)."

God's blessings be upon you and your family during this season of Thanks. I would kindly remind us that thankfulness is not seasonal, but an integral part of Christian character. The beauty of thankfulness is easy to see against the ugliness of complaining and ingratitude.

This passage is one out of many that helps us to see that Thankfulness;

Is a Command -

There is a biblical imperative to be thankful. Just as God leads, directs and demands us in morality, worship and doctrine, He does so concerning gratitude and thankfulness. It is the will of God!

Is a Choice -

God will not force anyone to follow His lead or obey His command. Humble submission is always necessary in keeping God's Word. Thankfulness is not hardwired into some of our DNA, it is a determined choice. The same goes for the ugly and malignant character of complaint. Choose wisely.

Bears Consequence -

Choices come with consequence. Events, results, fruit and outcome point to the 'why' of the thing. Following God's will in this or any area has a beneficial ending. Failure to follow always leads to some detrimental or disastrous end. The choice is ours to make. Health, wealth, looks, style, relationships and faith are impacted and effected by gratitude.

Is a Commitment -

Whenever the right choice is made it must then be upheld. That takes endurance, perseverance or sticktoitiveness. Selfishness, complaining, cynicism and other enemies of thanksgiving will constantly assault your resolve to be thankful. Fight it. Overcome it. Don't let any negative, base or natural tendency get in the way of you becoming what God desires. It is the only way to "give thanks in all circumstance".

Becomes a Character -

If you practice a discipline, no matter how hard it may seem at first, it will eventually become part of your natural tendency. Awkwardness will fade and uneasiness will be replaced with a new skill. Like a long time employee or a veteran soldier, the basics become second nature. The same with thankfulness - it becomes character. God doesn't want you to give thanks as much as He desires for you and I to become thankful. There is a difference.

Growing in God means Growing in Grace means Growing in Gratitude means Growing in Godliness means Growing in Glory.

I Hope this Hopes you.

Rescue

I waited patiently for the LORD

And he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD. -- Psalm 40:1-3

Thank God for the rescue of the Chilean miners. It was heart touching to see them brought up from the ground, after so many weeks, to be reunited with family and friends. The joy expressed at their rescue made me think of God's love for us and His great work in salvation.

He Listens - We serve a living and listening God. Not a concept or great power, but a good God who is active and aggressively leaning to listen to his children. Like a mother recognizing her baby's cry, He hears and is moved by our distress.

He Lifts - The miner's situation was like sin but extremely better. Like sin, they were stuck, deep below, under ground, in relative darkness, separated from the living. Like sin they were powerless to change situation and needed someone to rescue them. Like sin, they could not improve their situation, or climb to higher ground, or think themselves safe, or act better to rise up. They had to be lifted. They had to submit to a rescuing power, do what was told, and avail themselves of a plan of redemption worked out for them. They had to wait and then move in obedience to those rescuing. So too for the man or woman that God delivers from the muck and mire of sin.

He Liberates - After the wondrous deliverance from the muck and mire, God gives us a new song. It is not enough to change the situation and not change our mentality. Weeping is appropriate when you are stuck in the muck, but when deliverance comes, it's time to change the mood. God gives a new song, putting it in the mouth of the one He saved.

Praise to the God of heaven for His Son who came down here to bring us up there.