Formal Address

 As ambassador for Christ, a leader and clergy in the community faith I would like to take this time to address the recent events that have occurred in Kenosha, WI. 

I feel it is my responsibility and duty to speak out against the violence committed toward Jacob Blake. Mr. Blake was fired upon by local law enforcement 7 times in the back at point blank range leaving him in intensive care and possible paralyzed from the waist down. 

The Blake family needs our prayers, whats more the city Kenosha needs our prayers. As protests broke over this incident two young men (Anthony Huber/Joseph Rosenbaum) were killed and another injured by 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse who was with group of people who were open carrying claiming protecting property. 

The 17 year old has been since arrested but the damage has been done. I would like to call us to prayer as an act of solidarity by taking a moment to pray for those who were effected by this tragedy in Wisconsin.

When you are on social media and you see the mention of this event, in news, meme or otherwise stop and pray for the families who were affected by this egregious sickening act.  Specifically the Rosebaum , Huber, Blake and Rittenhouse family. Pray that God would keep those in peace who are bereaved and that God would convict the hearts of those who believe these acts to be sensible.

The call for us a local assembly and as larger elect body is to return to our posts. Occupy the space given to us by the Father and begin to the work whereunto he has called us. 

Micah 6:8 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Matt 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We have been elected by God to bring about the reconciliation of this world through our acts of love , mercy and sacrifice. I urge you to seek the Lord Jesus and find out where his positioning you in His harvest. I urge all of you to a time of seeking God's face in this time of turmoil.

We continue to pray for those who are bereaved because of those who has succumbed to the disease during this pandemic. Our prayers are with those who are battling the traumas of their past in this isolation and for those families who are losing their loved ones by there own hands. We are in prayer for and we making every effort to stand for those who cannot stand for themselves.

Matt 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

We stand with you, we are praying for you and we love you. 

Day 2 - Restoration - A Grace to Return

 Psalms 119 BETH

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Declaration

I declare my freedom , my peace , my hope, my strength , my power and my future is locked in you. I commit to the disciplines of my faith so that I can receive the provision you have set aside for me to be all that you have graced me to be Father, Husband, Minister, Brother, Son and Cousin. Look on my heart and see if there is something in me that is not like you....burn it out of me and leave only the beauty you desire. I choose to surrender and lay down my will, passions and desires at your feet and ask you to lead me by your spirit.

A Devotional From Biblegateway

SAMUEL: THE KING-MAKER

1 Samuel 1:1—28:25

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Samuel glanced at the seven men standing in the shade. They were impressive specimens. Any of Jesse’s sons could have been God’s choice. He was suddenly glad he didn’t have to choose. God had just warned him about the danger of judging from appearance. He smiled sadly, remembering how impressed he had been at first by Saul’s good looks.

Samuel looked around, puzzled. He’d run out of sons, and God hadn’t chosen any of them. What was God’s plan in this situation? Turning to Jesse, he inquired, “Are these it? No more sons?”

The old man slowly counted his sons, one by one. He appeared confused for a moment, then said, “Oh, there is one other. Didn’t even think of him. My youngest, David, is out in the fields with the sheep.” The rest of the sons didn’t understand why they had been summoned, but they grumbled over having to wait for the runt to show up. His place was at the bottom of the pecking order. Shepherding was a smelly, outdoors-in-all-weather, protecting-stupid-sheep chore. Each of them had done it only until the next brother was old enough. As the youngest, it was David’s permanent role. It didn’t bother them to assign him the task; it did bother them that he enjoyed it so much.

Soon David came running in, exuding the pungent scents of field and flock. The brothers looked on with shock as Samuel removed an oil horn from his robe and poured the contents on their little brother’s head. They couldn’t imagine a higher honor—or a more obvious waste. But even they had to admit that as the oil dripped from David’s hair and chin, a certain wild delight and spirit seemed to fill him. Samuel smiled, David laughed, and a chill went up his siblings’ spines.

As Samuel walked to Ramah, he remembered another little boy, left in the charge of a priest named Eli. He considered how upbringing shapes a man and how God uses even hardships and pain to prepare his servants. He wondered about David’s future. He remembered God’s unusual call in his own life, the unexpected voice in the night that Eli had identified for him as the Lord’s. The old priest had told him to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). Samuel chuckled softly and began to pray, “Lord, I’m still trying to listen. I never thought back then that you would make me a king-maker. So what’s next?”

BACK TO THE FUTURE

• In what ways do you think God speaks to you?
• Without a doubt his uses his word, music and audibly. The issue is if I am listening or not.
• What have you learned about the dangers of judging people by outward appearances?
• I fancy myself to not have done that before. But using the outward appearance as reflection someone inner substance has never fared well for me. I have found myself being critical and judgmental when i have done so.
• How would you describe your attitude about God giving you directions?
• I hate to say it but rebellious. I observe within myself a tendency to move slowly and draw away from the cost of what god has for me. I know his instruction to be for my benefit. The leading of God spirit is precious and I ought not take it for granted.

Prayer

Lord Jesus I am aware of the conviction of your spirit towards me in those area where I have chose not to follow you. I reckon myself to not where ever there is resistance to you, You cannot inhabit. The place I hold for myself becomes a place I hold for the enemy to use against me. As I bow myself in worship in these next moment as I see these areas I submit myself to you. Lord Jesus help me return to the simplicity of worship and submission...take out this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh, one that is tender to the leading of your spirit that is fashioned and made after your own desire. Purge me, clean me from the inside out.

Day 1 - Again ( New Mercy )

Psalms 119 BETH

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Declaration

I declare that freedom has been forward to my account, freedom from cares of this world for the concerns of the will of God and focus of his kingdom. Freedom from pornography and freedom to walk in health/ whole and satisfying sexual relationship with my wife. Freedom expectations of man to freedom to live the kingdom principles given to me by the teaching and leading of the holy spirit. Freedom from worry about what I shall eat, drink or what I should wear....freedom to seek His Kingdom first.

A Men Devotional From BibleGateway.com 

2 Samuel 22:1–7

Recommended Reading: Exodus 15:1–21; Psalm 18:1–50; Luke 1:46–55; Acts 16:16–40

“Music is an outburst of the soul.”

While this expression came from 19th-century English composer Frederick Delius, it could easily describe King David’s attitude toward worship.

The people around David probably grew accustomed to his musical outbursts. After all, it was King David—much to the chagrin of Saul’s daughter—who “[danced] before the LORD with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14). Moreover, David wrote many of the psalms. We can imagine the shepherd-king in his bedchamber at night strumming his harp and composing another song to the Lord. Yet David was hardly a soloist in the family of God.

The whole Bible reverberates with the songs of people so enraptured by God’s work that their day-to-day lives gave way to melody. Moses and Miriam harmonized praise after God had led his people out of Egypt (see Exodus 15:1–21). Solomon crooned his way through Song of Songs, celebrating the marriage relationship between a husband and wife. Isaiah offered a prophetic song from the coming choir of the new Jerusalem (see Isaiah 26). Mary, when told that she would give birth to the Son of God, lifted a song to the child’s Father in heaven (see Luke 1:46–55). Paul and Silas shouted their praise, and God split the walls of their cellblock (see Acts 16:25–26). The Bible is full of the songs of God’s people.

What does this Biblical legacy of song say about us? We sing, as Moses, David and Mary sang, because God is worthy of song. When David opened his song (see 2 Samuel 22), the attributes of God came streaming out of the king’s mouth so quickly that he barely formed sentences—my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge.

Like David, may we be so overcome by the knowledge of God that our natural response is to burst forth in song. May we sing from a heart-knowledge of God—longing after him with our greatest affections and deepest desires.

TO TAKE AWAY

• When in your life have you so keenly sensed God’s presence that you could have burst forth into song?
• Being gifted to play the piano my worship is often marked by musical moments as in very different from how many of my other companions my praise and worship God. I must repent because Lord instructed me that I must worship on my musical instrument.  This has been how God has opened the doors of opportunity to me through my musical gift which has blessed me and many other people around me. I have experienced much fear with this because I have thought to myself I could be musician and use my gift to make money...while this is not a no this not a emphatic yes because it is meant to first be a primary method of worship and then secondarily an tool in God's hand to create opportunity for me and finally something I can develop and use to prosper myself spiritual/emotionally and naturally.
• Lord Jesus I repent.  I remember your call to worship with my hands and mouth in song. Forgive and bring me back to the heart worship where its about what you command and what you desire of me my whole-self.
• How would you describe or rate your heart-knowledge of God?
• Surface level - The connection I have made in these last few days has been deeper but the more I become aware of what he has given me access to I realize how little I have learned in the short time I have been alive.
• What steps can you take to deepen your delight in the character of God?
• For one do what he asked me to do. The path way to deeper relationship to God is obedience as we are called to his Lordship and his salvation is a result of answering that call. The mistake that I have made is that I have highlight too much of my choice and to little his Lordship, I am myself out of alignment and more I move the more I see it.

Lord Jesus again I turn from myself and I turn to you. I sense your spirit call me to to re commit to you and follow the principles of simple obedience to you. In so doing I find that you have purposed for me freedom, life and peace. I surrender to you. Clear my heart and mind of ambition to do my own thing and give me to follow you.

The Promise ....

 " Prosperity lies on the other side of discipline."

This message is the one that Lord gave me a few days ago has to spurned me on to keep with the fast which I have been doing horrid job of. I realize that when engaging in discipline the fight you are fighting is not so much the devil but you. Its you tell you no to things that you usually dont and the body acts funny when you do that.

My battle with myself and then battle with porn has led me to a place of tipping. It feels like I am one step away from walking away in victory or rolling back into hold habits which I am sure will be worse then before. I am not sure why I am so adverted to putting God on schedule as if I have something to do or as if it is disrespectful to Him. Its clear now more than ever if I am going to win in my relationships I am going to have to lace these good desires with intention and put actions to these feelings.

I am choosing to ignore the notions that reject legalism and religion as if they hold no value for training for notion of just going with it. Somewhere in my heart there is rebellion for all things structure and organized I guess in an effort to reject the alignment of God as religion but as relationships. The limit of God to just practices and rituals maybe a problem but to have zero is not biblical...there should be times that we observe rites and practices for the purpose of renewing the mind. The pressure of the world is consistent and does not take a break and neither should I.

Prosperity is a dirty word now. Prosperity is a meant to be an improvement of the wholes self. John says " I would that you prosper and be in good health even as your souls prospers." I wonder what he meant by soul..."the (human) soul in so far as it is so constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life.

This nature our soul prospering is not latent conversation. This is a conversation of finding not only the will of God for my life but to do so in the manner that is rewarding. The language almost is akin to  Pauls .... I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God to present yourselves  a living sacrifice holy .... that you may prove that what is that good acceptable will of God. The living sacrifice is my own will. The will is His desire for me. The proof is incline  mix with the faith to put action to it.

There then is John found saying I want you to make to God's destination for your life as you understand Christ for yourself. The word soul "psyche" man....how can it get any clearer. He is affirming Christ words...come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your weary souls....Take my yoke and learn of me....How do we miss this...How did I miss this.

Prayer

Lord, I apply myself to your word and your truth. You said , if you continue in my word  you are my disciples and you shall know the truth and truth shall make you free. My path to freedom is your word and discipline in your word and I will come to know you The truth and you will make me free. Liberation for this life of sin and into this life of righteousness. I give myself to you....I yield my members to you  and reckon myself to be dead indeed to sin but alive to you. Help me as I go in this journey..Give me the strength I need to lay down myself to die this morning. Awaken me in you.

Day 7 - Reflection

Phil4:8

 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

With all that is going in the world, it is vital to mediate on the things of God; what is right, what is beautiful, and what is good for all mankind.

In the face of difficult time, I will remain optimistic and keep my faith in God.

The words of an old hymn rise up on me.

1. O soul, are you weary and troubled?
   No light in the darkness you see?
   There’s light for a look at the Savior,
   And life more abundant and free!
   • Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
     Look full in His wonderful face,
     And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
     In the light of His glory and grace.
2. Through death into life everlasting
   He passed, and we follow Him there;
   O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
   For more than conqu’rors we are!
3. His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
   Believe Him, and all will be well:
   Then go to a world that is dying,
   His perfect salvation to tell!

There is truthful entrapment that the body of sin and the fallen world produces and if we keep the world system in us and what we see it will surely drain us of hope. 

Colossian 3 encourages us to set our eyes on things about not on things of this earth because we are dead and our lives it hid with Christ in God.

Martin Luther King is often quoted at end of his message the battle hymn ' mine eyes have seen the coming of the lord."  King saw his connection with God as believer and struggle for civil rights as well as his connection to spiritual health and wellness as equal. To him the lack of the manifestation in his life and his world comes from his lack of intensity towards accomplishing the goal of true freedom.

Our giving credence to the truths of God give us then space to see what God wants for us and how we can attain that with our eyes on him.

Day 4 - Repentance

Scripture: Psalms 32:3,5

3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you  and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Reflection: Is pride keeping you from confessing out loud the things you have done to dishonor God? When was the last time you held yourself accountable for your actions? Have you made confession a daily practice?

Declaration: Today, I will confess my sins. I will confess to God and also to those I have offended. I understand that the longer I hold in my wrongs, the worse off I will feel. Therefore, I will release myself from the burden of poor decisions, confess my faults , and receive God's forgiveness.

Sin has a varying effect depending on which one you commit. The sufficient sacrifice of the cross does not destroy the power of sin but rather is remove us from its power. He uses his power to destroy the power of bondage over my life. The law of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. So then like Paul I need to then reckon myself to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in righteousness and yield then my members as a slave to righteousness.  I need to get entangled with Jesus and His word because in his bondage do i learn how to walk in freedom.

The Call

Jeremiah 33:2-3

2-3 “This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’

The call that is consistent through all scripture is to his own people. A redemptive call to come to him. Jesus said come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I a meek and lowly at heart.

The come drink. Forever and ever he calls. Forever and ever he stands arms open waiting for me to feel his embrace. To get in the clove of his arm so can squeeze out of death and into me life. Forever and ever he stands faithful to heal and deliver. Forever his sacrifice stands above all others as the door to bring heaven down.

His kingdom is now. He want me now,