IF I WERE ONLY ME

IF I WERE ONLY ME

Some time ago, I encountered a perfect stranger at the mall.  He walked up and enthusiastically greeted me as if we were lifelong friends.  My first thought was ‘What is he selling?’  Nevertheless, because his charisma and intellect intrigued me, and since I had no pressing engagements, we conversed for quite some time.  This young man, likely late-twenties in age, rattled on and on, sharing personal insights and perspectives on politics and religion, family and friends, failures and successes, a full menu of life experiences.

One memorable remark caught my attention.  He casually referred to himself as “Chameleon Man.”  When I asked why, he responded “I have the uncanny ability to change myself completely, to totally adapt to any situation.  In fact, I can BE anybody…so I AM everybody!”

I paused to reflect and then countered, “That’s an interesting point of view.  However, since you change so often and so significantly, do YOU ever get ‘lost in the sauce’ – carried away by your own extensive repertoire of emotional disguises?”  He laughed loudly.  “That’s clever!” he replied with much more volume that the environment warranted.  “Come to think of it,” he continued, “yes, there are times when I’m not sure WHO I am.”  We talked a while longer; I prayed with him and invited him to church.

During my drive home, I contemplated our wide-ranging discourse and came to the realization that there are multiplied millions who could honestly self-identify as “Chameleon Man,” or “Woman,” as the case may be.  Indeed, most of us try a bit too hard to fit in neatly with the masses.  Let’s be clear.  I’m not advocating for anyone to adopt a rebellious or contentious spirit.  But it’s apparent that so many do not embrace our God-created distinctives due to some vague notion or need for conformity, driven by the societal pressure to FIT IN.

Frankly, this mindset is synonymous with FEAR.  It deprives us of uniqueness, erodes self-esteem and produces a herd-mentality, i.e. what I call “GROUP THINK.”

HOWEVER, GOD FORMED YOU FOR HIS PLEASURE AND THEN THREW AWAY THE MOLD.  There’s nobody else exactly like you.  Consider this.  Fashion dictates conformity to the current season’s most popular colors, fabrics and styles.  My friend, YOU are infinitely more than that, so stay out of the ‘superficial-imitation-lane’ when it comes down to identifying and actualizing your God-ordained reason for being alive and present on the planet.

Hey YOU…show up!  HUMAN LIFE, from Heaven’s perspective, is definitely a CHAMELEON-FREE ZONE!

Why?  Firstly, God not empowers your created distinctiveness, He is ultimately glorified by the uniqueness of YOU.  Secondly, while seated on your rocker in the twilight of your journey, you would never want to languish in life-regret, looking back and thinking ‘If I had only been ME’…

Identify Heaven’s highest hopes for YOU, and deploy your destiny.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

CHRIST, OUR REFINER

CHRIST, OUR REFINER

Have you ever wondered whether there is actual purpose in the pressure of personal tests and trials?  Well, carefully consider the following story for valuable insight into your life-situation: 

Some time ago, a group of women met in a certain city to study the scriptures, and followed up with a thought provoking discussion.  While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” 

One woman’s opinion was that this verse intended to convey the concept of the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ.  She proposed to visit a silversmith and to report to her classmates what he would say.  Accordingly, she visited the silversmith, and without divulging the scriptural object of her errand she inquired about the process of refining silver, which he described in great detail to her.

“Sir,” she asked, “do you sit here all the while during the process of refining?”

“Oh, yes, madam,” replied the silversmith with conviction.  “I must sit here vigilantly and keep my eyes steadily focused on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining is exceeded by even the slightest degree, the silver is surely injured.”

The woman at once saw the beauty and comfort of Prophet Malachi’s expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”  While Christ finds it necessary to allow His children to experience the discomfort of the ‘furnace,’ He does it for our ultimate good, and His eye is surely and steadily intent on the gracious work of purifying us.  During our sanctifying process, His wisdom and love are fully engaged for the best possible results in the lives of His beloved children.  Therefore, believers’ trials do not occur randomly or without purpose, for in the words of Jesus Christ, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:7) 

As the inquiring woman departed the silversmith’s shop, he called her back and said he had something more that was extremely important to mention.  He said, “The silversmith only knows that the process of purification is complete when he sees his own image clearly reflected in the silver.” The woman smiled knowingly and thanked the silversmith for sharing such valuable information.

“What a beautiful illustration!” she thought.  When Christ sees His own image reflected and shining brightly in His people, the sanctifying work of The Holy Spirit will surely have been accomplished in us, by the grace, mercy, wisdom and love of our God.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

GOD INSPIRED MAMA WHO INSPIRED ME: "FEED THE BIRDS!"

GOD INSPIRED MAMA WHO INSPIRED ME: “FEED THE BIRDS!”

There are several things I love to do when God awakens me in the morning.  I love sharing time with Him; it’s a divine appointment that edifies me and blesses my day.  I love preparing breakfast for my wife, Belinda, who does more to benefit me than words can convey.  And I love taking pieces of bread out on our deck to feed the birds.  Squirrels stop by to dine also.  I know this might seem odd to some.  Allow me to explain.

As a young boy, Mama occasionally gave me an occasional and unusual task.  She handed slices of bread to me and told me to tear them into tiny pieces.  Then, she directed me to take those bread crumbs to the back yard and spread them on the ground to feed the birds.  There are several reasons this seemed somewhat strange to me.  I was a child and my first thoughts were rather selfish.  There were twelve mouths to feed in our family, and I wondered (silently I might add) at the necessity and wisdom of doling out ‘our bread’ to random sparrows. Secondly, it never occurred to me that it might be ‘our job’ to feed nearby birds; I thought nature handled such matters.  After all, it seemed logical to me that birds have their own buffet of bugs and worms at mealtime.  Finally, it seemed patently unfair for Mama to ask ME to don winter coat, hat, boots and gloves and head out into the icy cold and snow to handle this aviary meal matter. The depth of her concern about these birds puzzled me to no end.

One day, I decided to inquire (respectfully) about it.  Mama responded, rather matter-of-factly, “God made the birds, and everything God made is precious in His sight.”  I had no way of knowing that a full-fledged ‘Sunday School lesson’ would be forthcoming!  Indeed, Mama was my Sunday School teacher; so, she opened her Bible and read slowly so I could glean an important lesson about our caring Creator.

Luke 12:6-7

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

And then, without further commentary, Mama started singing the chorus of a song I had heard a thousand times: “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.  His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Then, Mama explained that God created everything.  Afterwards, He made us stewards over all of creation. Suddenly, it all made perfect sense.  If the birds could not find an adequate supply of worms due to the wintry weather, it was indeed our job (as good stewards) to supplement their diet and sustain them.  In that way, all of us have significant participation and partnership in the ongoing creative activity of God.  Wow!

Mama took time to emphasize a powerful point that Jesus had made in the aforementioned scripture passage: “If God cares that much for birds, just think how much He cares for us?  If God meets the needs of such tiny and seemingly insignificant creatures, how much more will He take care of us and supply all our needs?”  From that point on, I did not mind so much sharing our bread, or venturing outdoors to feed God’s birds, regardless of the weather.  All of this has stayed with me.  I can still hear Mama’s voice, and by extension, the voice of our Creator: “Feed the birds.” 

Admittedly, I don’t know if bread is the healthiest diet for birds.  Undoubtedly, bird seed would be a better alternative.  I must buy some.  Thank you for this important life-lesson, Mama.  And thank you, JESUS, for your constant care.

Mrs. Mary Watts Bass, Happy Mother’s Day in Heaven!  Your absence is still felt by your offspring, but we will surely see you again – in The Rapture.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

YES, YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANCE

YES, YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANCE

Whenever you are tempted to feel like you or your life’s work are rather small, relative to others, or in comparison to your original plans and dreams, prayerfully consider the following story.

A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy.  Scattered along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide, which were likely to die before the tide returned.  The boy walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down to toss the stranded starfish back into the ocean.

The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a lesson in common sense, walked up to him and said, “I have been watching what you are doing, son.  You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish will die daily on all these beaches?  Surely such an industrious and kindhearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time.  Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?”

The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish laying at his feet.  He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, “It makes a difference to that one.”

If you can make a difference for just one person, your life is indeed significant and bountifully blessed.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THERE IS HELP ALONGSIDE

THERE IS HELP ALONGSIDE

Jesus Christ extends an extraordinary privilege and promise to every believer: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) Wow!  His statement simply suggests that there are no problems, pains, or challenges which will totally overwhelm believing disciples who persistently pursue and practice the presence of the Lord.

So often, I am encouraged by Christ’s departing decree to his disciples (and by extension to us): “I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU.” (John 14:18) Since JESUS CHRIST is the High Priest who is intimately involved and constantly concerned, He shows up, every single day and in every life situation, to engage and enlighten us.  Indeed, He is THE PARACLETE, the One who walks alongside us for fellowship, direction and comfort.  We need not seek alternatives or substitutes since in Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith,” we have THE REAL THING. (Hebrews 12:2) As Jehovah Shammah, “THE LORD IS THERE” – with us at all times. (Ezekiel 48:35) These inspiring truths remind me of an intriguing story:

In a rural area, a poor farmer was tending to Buddy, his horse, when a stranger walked over, desperately in need of the farmer’s help.  This stranger had lost control of his vehicle and ran off into a ditch.  After informing the farmer that his vehicle was quite small, he asked if the horse could pull his car out of the ditch.  The farmer said he would come and look, but would not be able to help if there was any possibility that his horse could be injured.

The farmer saw that the stranger had assessed the situation correctly and that the vehicle was indeed small, so he fastened a strong rope, one end to the vehicle and the other to his horse.  He was confident that Buddy would be able to pull the car out of the ditch.  But then he did a strange thing.  The farmer shouted, “Pull, Casey, pull,” and the horse would not budge.  The farmer then called out, “Pull, Bailey, pull,” but, again, the horse would not budge.  The farmer then hollered, “Pull, Mandy, pull,” but his horse would not move one inch.  The farmer then said matter-of-factly, “Pull, Buddy, pull,” and his horse quickly pulled the vehicle out of the ditch.  The stranger was most grateful, but puzzled.  He asked the farmer why he had called his horse by four different names.  The farmer replied, “Buddy is blind, and I had to make him think he had a lot of help pulling the car out of the ditch or he might not have pulled at all.”

Quite interesting and applicable to us, isn’t it?  For whenever we embrace the mistaken notion that we are alone and somehow incapable of accomplishing Christ’s Kingdom mission and mandate on our lives, we too wind up living far beneath our predestined position, power and privilege.  Certainly, we were designed to live in connection and community with others, but we must never forget that the ONE TRUE SOURCE of our help is ALMIGHTY GOD.  He is the ever-present Supplier of assistance, encouragement and strength. (Philippians 4:19) No wonder the Psalmist David exclaimed with such commitment and confidence, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…my help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)  

Point To Ponder: With God’s help, are you pulling your intended weight in His Kingdom, in your community, or in your family?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

THE WARRIOR WITHIN

THE WARRIOR WITHIN

In the face of opposition or difficult circumstances, we are tempted by the enemy of our soul to doubt the goodness, greatness and sovereignty of God.  During moments like these, we would do well to reflect upon a powerful directive in The Holy Writ: “Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (I Timothy 6:12)

Kiplimo Chemirmir, a Kenyan warrior, is convinced that there is an awesome untapped power that resides within.  Prayerfully consider his words:

Tough people dare when others doubt.  Believe in yourself for the walls around you do not define the will within you.  See everything that you face in life as a test; face it because your heart wants what’s beyond it. Embrace your results and never give less than what you expect, and always remember in your own ways - you are powerful, you can do it, and you are a champion.

In my tribe, we believe that beneath our skin stands a warrior.  Our ultimate belief is that there’s a shield and spear that is grasped by the warrior within us, which must always hang in the walls our hearts.  We can only use them to protect ourselves and never hurt anyone in any way at all; to fight bravely but only for peace and victory that builds our lives from poverty and all that weakens us.

We must hunt for our goals and never cry when we are wounded by failure or disappointments.  To be brave and never forget to be wise with our strength because your greatest enemy is yourself, so make sure that the choices you make in life will not cause you to dig your own grave.

Never use that spear to beat or hurt yourself, nor use the shield to hide from your battles.  Use it for its purpose and for what is right.  Always fight a good fight when life brings you challenges, for sometimes life is a beast that must be tamed.  And, if this beast brings troubles that are mightier than your strength, remember a wise warrior listens keenly to those who advise him, but he never lets anyone decide for him.

You are the maker of your own destiny.  Fighting is in your spirit, valor is in your heart, endurance is in your blood – and this is why you must always believe in yourself, for deep within you stands a warrior who cannot be defeated.

You were born to be a warrior and this you will always will be; this is your birthright, you must not deny it.  So do not fail yourself because of fear, nor what’s standing before you; the victorious fighter within will define you.

So fight back.  Strive for a better life, strive for peace, strive to become all you can be and never settle, for in life we are growing and always moving forward.  All is possible if you do not run away but believe tenaciously in yourself.

In our tribe, I have become a warrior who is destined to be an elder.  A boy must go through a gruesome rite of passage, and the last day is the highlight of it.

I was fourteen years old when my time came.  The last week of the month of December was when I had to face a lion to complete my passage.  I remember that day like it was one second ago, standing breathless with my spear, a dagger on my hip, a quiver with twenty tranquilizing arrows hanging tightly on my back.

My bow fell to the ground while stalking the lion.  The lion turned back roaring and staring at me with fiery eyes that pierce the soul of its prey.  Even lightning and thunder could never make my heart stop like in that moment.  But being there was not about courage; it was about destiny.

What made me stand strong and ready to charge is who I was, told by my elders and a powerful voice inside me.  I grew up being taught to believe in the warrior within.  It is hope, courage, strength and all that shapes a man to bring out his best, to rely on who he truly is, to triumph no matter the circumstances.

On that glorious day, the way the lion stared at me, I saw him as he saw me.  I could see a slice of fear on his face, which made me even braver.  I was only a young boy at that moment but I did not feel like I was a boy, or young, or weak or anything less.  I felt the spirit of the warrior breathing within, declaring “Today I will conquer the lion and I will roar through all the rest of my days.”

To this day defeat or failure never hurts because if I let them control me, I will be betraying the warrior’s path that I grew up following.  My friend when you are alive, just like the lion, you must never stop hunting. Just like the warrior, you must never stop conquering and believing in the God who resides within.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

THINK AND DO

THINK AND DO

King Solomon, the sage, penned powerful insights concerning the connection between one’s thoughts and one’s destiny: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) This is the foundational truth undergirding one of his more memorable directives: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) As we carefully reflect upon our lives, we recognize that everything (good and bad) emerges from how we think.  How so?  Every decision springs from internal thought processes, and the actions that follow are merely reflections and realizations of how and what we think.

It naturally follows that our thinking must be judiciously regulated.  Nevertheless, how are we to accomplish this when our senses are overwhelmed daily by a tidal wave of worldly input via mass media and our interactions with others?

Firstly, we must adopt a HIGHER COMPASS by which to navigate and govern our lives.  King David’s prayer concerning this is key.  He petitioned God: “ORDER MY STEPS IN YOUR WORD, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133) Perhaps, this is the only logical and practical way for us to fully embrace Solomon’s advice (referenced above) to ‘guard our hearts.’  ONLY THE “WISE GOD” is consistently “able to keep you from falling” into sin or error. (I Timothy 1:17 and Jude 1:24)

Why not ask GOD for help in filtering out all the background noise, the worldly distractions, the confusing voices and the media assault on our senses, so we are able to think wisely and super-naturally?  Indeed, this is absolutely necessary since the Word declares that “the carnal mind [the natural or unredeemed mind] is enmity [the enemy] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)

The scriptural solution?  “Do not be conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) This may only be accomplished in the life of one who seeks full surrender to The Creator.  Thus, David’s prayer: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.  Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law.  Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” (Psalm 119:33-34)

Paying attention to what we are THINKING first involves paying attention to what we are hearing, what we are reading, what we are watching and what we are ultimately internalizing.  Back in ‘The Stone Age’ – when I was an elementary school student – we had English grammar workbooks entitled “Think and Do.”  It was an entirely effective way to learn the fundamentals of our language.  Those practical workbooks taught us how to read and write well.  In truth, all of us would be better positioned for life if we would adopt a similar model.  Now hear this, my friends: TODAY…THINK AND DO!  Reflect on the right things, then follow the right path.  Your life will be infinitely better for it.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!