“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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”- Ephesians 3:20-21

Do not say that you do not have time for God. The busiest of men will have the most leisure, and the laziest will always be short of time, for the former utilizes time and the latter only wastes it. If you really want God, you will find time for Him. - Hinduism

I’ve said many times that I respect people of all faiths and I admire the passion and faith that resides within people who live spiritual lives no matter what their affiliation. Often on my website I quote members of other religious affiliations but I have always wanted to show here in the pardon me message how similar the teachings of these different religions can be. Today I included words from the Hindu culture, Islamic faith and my own faith of Christianity. The messages are so similar in nature in that they ask us to love God, to make time for God and honor his words.

Upon further study you see that the more spiritual members of these different faiths look to their word to live peaceful, love-filled lives and seek to help one another. At this very moment a friend of mine who shares a different spiritual background is ministering to me about the works of God. She could very well be the brother or sister next you in church who is praying for you but she is not because she follows the Hindu faith. Does that mean she does not have a true connection with God. Earlier today I was reading 2 Timothy and Paul was speaking of false teachings and people who will hold so fast to religion and doctrine and not the holy spirit and how this was not the way. This made me think of a question I asked a mentor of mine. I said “do you believe that Muslims are not God’s children, that people of other faiths are damned. I asked could it be possible that we all are praying to the same God and calling him different names”.

He replied to me that many of God’s people may very well be practicing in a different fashion than we are. He also said something to the effect that many who say they are God’s people are in fact not and will be judged on judgment day accordingly. I sat and I reflected on what he said, and today I am taking a step towards loving God’s people, all of God’s people no matter what race, religion or cultural background. Ask yourself this “are you God’s people because you call yourself a Christian or a Muslim or are you a child of God because you follow his commands and teachings while you spend your time here on earth? Peace and Grace be unto you!

The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so when the clouds shut out his rays. When egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon you.

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. Psalm 33: 1-3

These messages get later and later this week huh. Excuse me, I have been trying to beast on these finals, I should be back to getting out the message before 10am starting next week. I am really excited because I am only one exam away from finishing my first year of law school. I really owe so much to God that today I just had to read a scripture that talks about giving praise. Today when I was done with my Constitutional Law exam I just wanted to say thank you, and I did. This was one of those valley classes. Often the material just did not make sense to me. I would read the questions in the book or hear the questions asked in class and be so confused that giving up was definitely a strong option.

However I pulled through and while I do not know the grade on my exam, I am just excited to be done with the class. My worst fear is that I would walk into the classroom on test day and not understand the questions on the final exam. I mean imagine that, you sit in class for four months and you have nothing to write about on the final exam. I kneeled down to the Lord this morning and was like please give me the strength and confidence in my abilities to take this exam and do well. Well I got in there and I wrote for the 2 and a half hours that the exam alotted, were they the right answers, I dunno. But either way I felt grateful that I was able to articulate myself and the material I sorta learned and I knew that was all because the lord was guiding me. I’m smiling for the rest of the day, I hope you are too. Peace and Grace be unto you.

We must do a good job, irrespective of race, and do it so well that nobody can do it better.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1

This scripture stood out to me as I was thumbing through the book of Ecclesiastes. I can already tell that there will be many more messages set from this book alone because it is so rich with knowledge. Today’s scripture reminds me of my thoughts as a young man and some of my thoughts right now. I grew up watching my Grandmother be holy and sanctified. She was a true woman of God, she kept his word near and deep to her heart. So my concept of being saved was seen through the lens of her salvation. There was a lot of things that she did not do and would not indulge in because it was against the way of God. My own tattoo that I bear on my left arm celebrating her life would be an abomination of the body. So I grew up knowing that I wanted to go to heaven but figured I would make the transition when I am older . I’m still having fun; it didn’t seem like you could have to much fun and truly be committed to God.

Slowly in my mind however, fun is changing, what was fun at 14 is not fun at 24. I am also starting to see that one does not wake up and be as devout a Christian as my grandmother was. Like with everything else, spirituality it is a process. Today’s word once again pointed out that fact to me. I often hear people preach fear into our hearts when they talk about getting to know the Lord. “You don’t want to end up like those who will be judged and thrown into the pit of fire”. No one wants to be judged in that way but I find more happiness in not just thinking that the Lord will save me from a life of eternal damnation but what can I do for him while I am here to put forth the principles that he has has blessed us with. Humility, nobility, and being kind towards others. All of this to say we don’t have to be old, driving a Buick to get to know God. It is important that we get to know him now so that we can give glory to him through our works and appreciate his blessings all the same. Peace and Grace be unto you.

The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.

So the lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand sheassess. Job 42:12

I use today’s verse to illustrate the blessings that the bible teaches us our Creator will bestow upon you if you are faithful to his word. The scripture comes from the story of Job; where Job’s life had been turned upside down while the devil continuously meddled in his life. Despite all of the negativity, hardship, pain and suffering Job endured, he remained faithful to God. For that, he was blessed more in the latter part of his life than he was in the first part of his life. Might I add that the first part of his life was not too shabby either; so he was ballin in the end!

I use this story because today I was given some sad news. A fraternity brother of mine emailed me and asked me to pray for his family, his church family and his pastor for this morning their church had burned down. A year ago, I would have been like “man that’s messed up” and then continued on in my day probably never giving it much thought again. However today I was upset to hear such information. People have lost their spiritual place of worship, and everything that church was doing for the community around it is put on hold for just a second during these trials and tribulations. That’s upsetting when you understand the type of impact a church can have on a community. So I got down to pray and while praying I realized it was just a test. This church and congregation will be even more blessed in the second part of their existence than they were in the first, if they remain faithful to the Lord and his ways. I see a new and improved building in their future, more ministries that reach out to the community around them, and an undeniable faith placed in the people of the congregation when they get through this together. So I pray for this church and congregation but I know that they know they will be blessed ten fold just because of their faith. Might be some hell in the hallway but they will find that other door of opportunity that the Lord has blessed them with and they will overcome these obstacles. Peace and Grace be unto you.

Where there’s a will there’s a way

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: thought it tarry, wait for it because it shall surely come……. Habakkuk 2:3

A close friend of mine sent me this scripture a few nights ago. Prior to receiving it we had been on opposite ends of a conversation about how to handle certain things. So as a fool does, when I received this scripture, I read through it but I did not try to understand it. When our own ignorance is bliss sometimes we do not see when a lesson is being presented before our very eyes. I try not to stay ignorant for too long and I went back and read the word again. I started to allow the words to resonate within me, searching for the reason that this particular scripture had been sent to me.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time. My vision, your vision but most of all God’s vision for the greatness that we will achieve. Many of us get worn out, and frankly become tired because we feel that our dreams are taking to long to come true. Our prayers are lying in wait and while they sit in limbo, we live in the world daily with these thoughts on our brains. It takes a wise person to realize the dream is still in the universe, the prayer will be answered and when it is, it shall speak truth into our lives. However, it is not the time; what you mean it’s not the time Ced? Don’t get mad at me; I’m asking the same question with you. But just maybe if tomorrow we could achieve our greatest good, our destiny. Just maybe at this time in our lives we would not be able to appreciate it or handle the greatness we are to become. The Lord says though it may linger, have faith because his blessing will surely come to us. We are all being tested daily in our ability to have patience and to have faith in the Lord. I’m down to wait; I pray for all of us, that what we receive doubles our expectations and we laugh when we remember that we had little faith at one time and how blessed we have become. How blessed we were all along. Peace and Grace be unto you.

Proverbs are the daughters of experience

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

While watching an old episode of the Arsenio Hall show, Louis Farrakhan quoted Jesus saying “know the truth and the truth will set you free”. Powerful words, which have been spoken so many times from our different leaders that we forget the originator of such wisdom. Truth can be a vague term however, there are no absolute truths, except for the Glory of God. But I always try to look deeper into the God within me, and I ask myself for my own truth. When we live in the truth’s of other people we are essentially living our own lie because we are not being true to ourselves.

We must define ourselves prayerfully through the noble principles that have been set forth by our Creator. We have to really find the truth within this path the Lord has set for us, so that way we are truly giving it our all. Think about when people live for their parents; solely what their parents want of them, or their friends. They live empty lives because they are not chasing their own true passions. I don’t think it’s any different with our belief in God, we must seek out what God means to us and how he resonates within us. I can’t just rely on the fact that my grandmother was a devout Christian and let that guide me. What happens when I am faced against a wall and I am working on borrowed faith; I may abandon it because it was not genuinely within me? So today I am looking to follow the words of Gangstarr and “step back and observe with couth for we all must meet our moment of truth”. I want to be able to look within myself and define my reality for me, define my relationship with God, friends, and family for me. So that I am not chasing a false dream but walking towards the truth that Jesus told us will set us free. Peace and Grace be unto you!

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12: 22-26

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

This scripture is right on time! Earlier this morning I wrote a piece about following one’s destiny, and being in tune with your calling. Words can be so limiting, sometimes when I hear words like “calling” and “destiny”, they sound so far away. They sound like these glossed over dreams that we may never achieve, because we all know many people live and die on this earth without ever knowing their true purpose. I’m not sure of my purpose but that’s why I love this scripture. All things work together for good; well that means the negative scenarios we face, the positive ones, and those situations where we really don’t feel one way or the other are all working towards the good of us. These situations are preparing us for our greatest good, that’s our destiny!

That’s dope, like I really like the concept that the different situations in our lives whether good or bad are actually working for the good of us. This for those who love God of course, but no matter what your denomination or religious background surely we all love God. How can we not, when God resides in all things, God is all knowing and he exists everywhere. God is in me, and God is in you so we all love God there’s no debate there. But when we don’t love ourselves, when we constantly put ourselves in situations that are harmful to us, we are not allowing things in our lives to work together for the good of us. Today is Friday, the weekend is here, let us not get bogged down in our purpose and how we are going to save the world or how lack our finances (like mine) may be. Instead lets move toward a closer relationship with God, understanding that he resides within us and start allowing all of our circumstances to work together for the good of us and towards our purpose. Peace and Grace be unto you!

It is the calm and silent water that drowns a man.

Food for thought:

Do not believe everything that you read in the newspapers, hear on the radio, or see on television or youtube. I was browsing through a forum and I read the title “Oprah denies Christ, Trouble for Obama”! I quickly clicked the link because I was curious as to where this information could be coming from. Low and behold; the same bible toting soldiers who have been claiming Barack Obama is a Muslim and substituting Jesus’s love message with hate for all those who do not believe as they do, are behind this same message. These same evangelists, as they call themselves must have never read the book of Romans where we are taught not judge for if we judge then we condemn ourselves.

So I watch the clip and Oprah did no such thing, I am not writing this to support Oprah but to ask people to take the lid off of their truck yard minds and allow objective thoughts and reason to seep through. I am a Christian man, I go to church on Sundays when my time permits. I send out daily messages that quote the scripture in the bible. This is all fact; I also listen to the teachings of Brother Malcolm, Louis Farrakhan, Father Pfleger, and a host of other spiritual leaders. I post quotes of the day from spiritual leaders such as the Great Buddha, Dali Lama and other figures who do not represent Christianity. To tell me because I understand that we are all praying to the same God and just calling him different names is the most bigoted, ignorant, non-factual statement that I have ever heard.

Spirituality is about finding the God within; Jesus never taught us to hate or judge anyone! Instead he taught us to love and care for one another, the same principles that other religous groups teach throughout their teachings. The way that media outlets are using these types of edited, chopped up videos to perpetuate a message of evil is rather disgusting. Rather than unify the people of this world under God and create a love language, we would rather use our differences to create further division; only heightening the problems of the world. So the next time you get an email, or a message like the video I am about to show you, think objectively before you react to the propaganda that fear mongers and hate mongers put forth in order to create more chaos in the world as we know it. Peace and Grace be unto you!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA&hl=en]