Personal Inventory

Was scrolling through my Facebook memories and this one popped up from two years ago. It's a bold in your face reminder of what this walk with Christ is all about.  It's also one I needed to revisit. It's funny how life, impatience and world events get in the way of focusing on what's really important. #Ouch

                                                                                                         Photo courtesy of Google images

My favorite scripture is Ephesians 3:20. I think about it all the time, trying to wrap my mind around how powerful it is. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Am I the only believer who feels like because I’m a believer my life should be extraordinary? I mean not necessarily fortune and fame, though some assignments/calling might lead there. I’m talking about walking in power, anointing and spiritual authority and God getting ALL the glory. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be satisfied in my Christian walk until the fruit of my life has tangible results in the form of people being healed, set free, delivered, and changed. Well maybe it’s just me, but if Christ said, “Greater works will we do, if we believe in him…um…yeah…it’s been like two thousand and fifteen years. I ain’t seen these greater works…at least not with any consistency or on any large scale. So then, why is that? Well that’s on us, the Body of Christ…ALL of us. In all honesty, we’re just lazy, selfish and fearful. We are too lazy to put in the work for our relationship with God that it can be more than surface or just lip service. That is spending one-on-one time with God daily, fasting, praying, etc. We love to say we don’t have any time, but we got time to complain and we got time to watch those around us perish. If God told you to do it, he will give you the strength, time and resources to do it. But that takes discipline… I think TV might be most of our problem. We definitely waste so much time watching other ppl work… Ijs. We are selfish because all we care about is our own salvation and our own ticket to the pearly gates. We don’t care if our brother right next to us is headed straight for hell. Which brings me to us being fearful… We are afraid of what it will take for us to have that spiritual authority. We are afraid about what we will have to give up to have that spiritual authority. We are afraid of what we will look like to others to have that spiritual authority. But aren’t we supposed to look different from everybody else? Are we not supposed to stick out from the crowd? We’ve become too accustomed to conforming to the world vs transforming it. When did the church become such a hateful place? There is a church with a website called “God hates fags.” SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?! I am not here to condone anybody’s sin…including mine, but what happened to love? Not man’s made up definition for it…God’s love… you know the 16 characteristics he laid out in 1 Corinthians? God hates ALL SIN, but he LOVES every single person he created. I wouldn’t want to come to a church where you are openly hostile to my struggle, and think that your sin is less than mine because it yields a different consequence. Ppl should read the whole Bible. Try Ezekiel 16:49 for Sodom’s sin. Hmmm…sounds like America to me and it has nothing to do with THAT sin. Meanwhile… people are so concerned with the sins that are open for everyone to see, but not the ones hidden in our wicked hearts. It was that kind of stuff that kept the Children of Israel out of the Promised Land, Ijs. Yes our hearts are wicked and deceitful. What about that envy, lust, bitterness, jealousy, un-forgiveness, malice, RACISM, anger, drunkenness, complaining, selfishness, nasty attitudes, and all the other stuff we’re walking around holding on to. (Please note: I am ONLY talking to believers here) I have a question… Has holding on to any of this stuff, made your life better? Has it enhanced your life in ANY way, shape or form? Has it made you a better person…at all? I’m thinking…no… let it go. There’s too much at stake. Why would God put his anointing and power in us, when he can’t even trust us with the basic stuff about our walk? We want to participate in everything the world does and then we wonder why we have no power. I’m not anti-fun. I have fun all the doggone on time, but do I lose my WITNESS in this state of fun. That’s when the problem comes in. We are so comfortable in our sinful selves that we don’t want anybody correcting us. Some of us, can’t even FEEL the Holy Spirit’s conviction, we’re so far away from God. We are SO QUICK to say…Don’t judge me or only God can judge me… That baffles me. Have y’all read the Bible? Is God’s judgment something you really want brought on your life?! Seriously? 'Cause he won’t necessarily wait until the end of your life to judge you. Galatians 6:1 tells us we who are spiritual are to restore our brothers/sisters when fault has overtaken him in the spirit of meekness. It also says to consider ourselves unless we are also tempted. So…we GOTTA get that plank out of our eye before we come for the beam in yours…but make no mistake…that beam still has to go whether the plank remains or not. When we are judged we can’t say…well…well…what about what so and so did…it was worse…Nah bruh, that’s not how this works. See, we don’t have time to judge each other, but we do need to correct each other and hold each other accountable. Ezekiel tells us, if we are the watchman and we don’t warn, that blood is on our hands…Ijs… that’s the Word. There has GOT TO BE MORE. But are we willing to live a life of FAITH and OBEDIENCE to see it happen? Will there come a time when people just walk up to a believer and say, “There’s something different about you? What is that? Can you tell me how to get it?” Does our light ever shine? There won’t be any arguing about whether or not our God is real, because his signs and wonders will speak for themselves. Miracles should be so common place that we walk around like my late pastor saying “Who’s surprised?” Do you know there are actually Christians who believe that miracles and such was only in the Bible times? UGH!!! Listen…what is the point of this walk if all we do is live and die. Why even make the choice if we’re not going to go all in? Am I the only person who feels like there has to be more? But we must be willing to do more. When are we going to stop asking for God’s hand and seek his heart? When are we going to surrender our will to his? When are we going to stop fighting the yes in our spirit and JUST SURRENDER? I’m not saying it’s easy…'cause it’s not. But greatness never is. If it was everyone would do it. It’s time to get to work. I don’t know about y’all, but I want a life where evil has to stand down just because I am there, with the spiritual authority God has entrusted to me because I put myself in a position where God can trust me with his power. Every time we turn on the news, tragedy, tragedy, tragedy…and it doesn’t have to be. Anyways, those who have ears to hear, let him hear.

MM

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Great Authority, Great Responsibility

I know my FB posts this week have been mostly silly in nature, but it is release week and that just comes with the territory.  However, in this week of spiritual consecration and fasting I haven’t lost sight of all that’s going on in the world around us.  What we are seeing played out in the news daily are symptoms of something much greater.  The ROOTS of the problems need to be dealt with.  I was reading my Bible today, Numbers 30 to be exact, and I came across something so interesting…

The chapter deals with vows and how God sees them.  Any believer knows, or should know this scripture in Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 (NASB) - 4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

So yeah, we don’t play with God and vows.  Now back to Numbers 30.  I found it interesting that if a woman still in her father’s house or a married woman makes a vow and the MAN responsible for her, overhears it he can nullify it based on his position in her life and the authority God has given him. God will honor his authority and release her from a VOW, something we know God does NOT play about.  BUT, the man has to say something as soon as he hears about it.  If he doesn’t take direct action and lingers in his nullification then he will be responsible for any guilt.  WHOA.  Did y’all get that?  God will intervene for her based on the man he put in place to cover her and RELEASE her from a vow.  Also, the man has to act on that thing immediately, he can’t play with it or that guilt is his to bear.  NOTE: The man can suffer if he doesn’t PROPERLY use the authority God has given him.   

So what’s my point and how does this tie in?  Listen, one of the root causes of what’s going on in society today is men being out of place, in particular black men.  Yes, there are MANY contributing factors and I am not about to list any of them, because what matters now is solutions.  Look at how much authority and responsibility God has given the man in his Divine Order.  Wait… pause… this is NOT an open forum for an independent woman or feminist argument.  This is about God’s order for the family.  It’s NOT up for debate.  Now where was I, oh yes, the man aka the head of the house aka the authority in the family.  It’s no coincidence that Satan is destroying the head of the family through senseless violence, hate, mass incarceration, identity issues and the like.  It’s a PLAN.  It’s a strategy to get them out of place.  When the head falls, the body suffers.  I am reminded of a passage in my upcoming release, “Saturday Showdown.”  (Not a shameless but an INTENTIONAL plug – LOL)  In this book, God is very much dealing with the men, their rightful place in Him and in their family, so we need to take heed.

Wise words from First Lady Darcy Stone: “Don’t be like Adam and throw her under the bus.  Even if Adam hadn’t eaten the fruit, God would still have come looking for him because he’s the one that God left in charge, not Eve.  So take a lesson from him and cover her sins with your love the way Christ covered your sins with his blood. I don’t care what she reveals.  You cover her.  When God looks at you all He sees is Christ’s blood.  When people look at her, all they need to see is your love.  You are to love her the way the Christ loves the church.  Most times the only scripture a man knows is, ‘Wives submit to your husbands.’  It never occurs to them the weight that goes with that charge.  Yes, God gave you all great authority but that’s because it comes with great responsibility.  There’s a cost to be the boss and the price is your life.  Just like Christ laid his life down, you are to lay yours down for the family God entrusted to you.  Son, you have to crucify your flesh and operate in the spirit.  So you stand in front her.  You hide her.  You protect her.  Do you understand me?”  (Excerpt from "Saturday Showdown" Book 7 in the Chronicles of Warfare Saga)

Men, and not just black men, but ESPECIALLY black men, it’s time to take your place!  We need you!  The authority you’ve been given is great.  It can change the very fabric of our existence.  TAKE YOUR PLACE!  This blog has been brought to you by the letter V and the number 2. (LOL)  Y’all be blessed!

Until next time...