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February 27, 2008

Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty — He is the king of glory! Psalm 24:10

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Psalm 25 1:3

My thoughts are in a flurry this morning so please bear with me. I read the first verse and at first it honestly didn’t say that much to me. So I read deeper, looked for context clues, I mean the verse was so obvious, I thought there has to be more. Then I read the second verse and it clicked for me but it clicked for different reasons. So who is he, like who really is thins King of Glory? This statement is two-fold for me, at a first glance i think of it in an adversarial way as if someone is challenging my belief, challenging my faith. And to that the second part is so correct, the almighty Lord of course for he is the King of Glory. But then re read it from a  different perspective. Who is this King of Glory, God, do you know him, are yall close? Because if you know him, would you do the things you do, would you say the things you say. Well how well do you know him, do you go the extra mile to build a relationship with him or are we just praying because tradition tells us so. Like who is he, what does he mean to you, and how can he benefit from your relationship with him. These are just my thoughts but to me the verse spoke volumes. is God just this mythical figure who I believe in because my beautiful Grandmother God rest her soul said so. She knew him, she knew him well, so well that when she was sick she wasn’t concerned about doctors. SHE PUT HER FAITH IN THE LORD. Today marks 14 years since my grandmother passed away and I remember when she died I immediately had all these questions. A lot of them biblical, because I knew that she would know, because she believed! Not in a mythical figure, no, she believed in the Lord Almighty, the King of Glory and in her  belief she made sure that she got to know him so that she could answer, WHO IS HE?

I am confused by all of this, so then I read on. Once again I think of someone challenging me when I read the second verse. The word says let me not be ashamed. Why is it that nowadays to be of God is frowned upon. Have we evolved as man that much that we have now become better than the Creator. Is it because of all the scandal within churches that people have lost their faith, did they ever really have faith, did they ever really know who he is? Daily we are tested and challenged as Christians about our faith, spirituality is mocked within the media and the commercialization of Christ has become a detriment. When I speak of commercialization I am speaking of capitalism, I am speaking of the currency some business people are earning in the Lord. Not based on the word but based in finding a quick buck, and while doing so polluting the masses with false representations of what it is to be spiritual. These are the things that are turning people off and making them question our faith. But so what! The word says do not be ashamed, lift your soul up to God and do not let the ways of your enemies triumph over you. Those who believe in God who want to get to know God, we should never be ashamed. Boastful neither, let us be humble knowing that we are the epitome of imperfection striving for direction in the way of the Creator. Peace and Grace be unto you!

February 20, 2008

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

I had a conversation with someone this weekend and their words inspired me to think a bit deeper on the concept of RELIGION. Then I read this passage this morning and I was wondering what it said to me, what it would mean in my life. For to be carnally minded is death, sometimes the bible speaks in such metaphors that it’s easy to get lost in the interpretation and completely lose the message. It is my understanding that the flesh is more like the concept of sight over faith. Even more when we are committed to the flesh we are not committing ourselves to our spirit within. We can do wrong because we are doing what feels good and not necessarily what is right. To be spiritually minded is to speak with God, to allow him to resonate within you. 

So in a world where being spiritually minded is under attack, I ask myself why is that; why is attempting to know oneself and the creator often shunned upon. Because it has become no different in the minds of those who follow the flesh, who blindly follow a preacher, or whatever they do to keep up with the Jones’. The concept of spirit has left many of us, whenever someone ridicules me for believing in God the first thing they point to is the fallacies within the church. The gossiping, the poor congregation yet the rich pastor, and many other scandals that go on in the church. But my charge to them and us is why are we so engulfed in the ways of a man or a group of people who may be just as much sinners as we are to gain our spirituality. Just because some of the people in my organization are wack does not make my organization wack, it does not make the reason, the principles and my beliefs wack. I think this dilemma that is going on in the world is spoken to with this verse, stop being slaves to the things we see and hear, turn off those negative images and be more concerned with the beautiful image within. Be more concerned with God and the right that he does and how if we are being misrepresented rather than bicker and ridicule, let us find a way to make those things right. So when people attack you because of your beliefs remember they are rooted in the flesh, if you are rooted within the spirit and all of the beautiful blessings that we receive you will continue to receive and as the passage says, life and peace. Peace ad Grace be unto you!

The fool speaks the wise man listens