The Covenant, Jesus the Christ

Good morning to all. I just finished reading the "Help" today and was inspired to Blog about what I gleaned. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a White woman writing in the voice of Black women. It wasn't just the Ebonics; it was the unspoken connotations of what Aibileen and the other maids shared with the reader, which came out of the mouth of the White author, Kathryn Stockett. How can this be I ask myself and the words of Aibileen came back to me - we are all the same people underneath it all. Don't I wish more white people embraced this concept!  We all have the potential to be all the characters in this novel given the correct circumstances. Having said all of that, the South (white southerns) have gotten rich off the free labor of Black people and there has never been any reparations. Perhaps this Ms. Stockett should go ahead and pay the real Aibileen her $75,000 as her contribution to the reparations that never happened for my forefathers or to the forefathers of many of you. Anyway, its still a good read and I think the younger generation of African Americans should also read it to understand that we come from a people that did not rely on Welfare--we worked hard and made do with very little. This cancer/opium of Welfare just serves to enslave poor people and supports the middle class and allows wealthy Americans that broker poverty programs on Wall Street to get that much richer. If the cycle of poverty is going to be broken it has to be broken by people who have an investment in the future of African American, Hispanic American, Native Americans and all impoverished Americans.

Enough with my soap box, I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 11: 1-5 "This is the Word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey Me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.  Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.” I answered, “Amen, LORD.”

The Lord is reminding Jeremiah of the Covenant that was made between God and Abraham and extended through Moses. The right to be "chosen" was predicated on the children of Israel obeying God's commandments. Since this conversation predates the birth, death and resurrection of Christ, God is instructing Jeremiah to remind the children of Israel that the covenant is fulfilled through the life and breath of the Ten Commandments. What this also means, specifically to the tribe of Judah, is that they were not fulfilling their relationship covenant with God by embracing the 10 Commandments which is important for this tribe because the mortal lineage of Christ would be established through this tribe. God knows this; He already has a plan in place to bring Jesus forward, so He has to find the faithful few that He can rely on to embrace Him as God and He embrace them as His flock.

It is not so different today. God is looking for the faithful few who have embrace the Covenant through Jesus. When we are distracted by the world, we cannot concentrate on the Kingdom building job we have on a daily basis. When our own needs supersedes those of God, we are very much like the people to whom Jeremiah was preaching to. If the Fruits of the Spirit are not evident in your life for all to see, then the Covenant with the Promise cannot be manifest in your life until you move on toward the life Christ died for.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

Lord Discipline Me but Not in Your Anger.

Good day to all on this Sunday the 28th of August. Waine and I are in Upson, GA this weekend and as I write this blog, he is competing in a golf tournament so I am anticipating that he did well and will be anxious to tell me all about his day.  I had a good work out today; I use these weekend jaunts to catch-up on my cardio and my reading. I purchased "The Help" on my Kindle reader and although I am not enamored with the author or her motivations, the story is a good read. Freddie and Tracy just sent me a video of Hailie playing in the bath tub and saying Oh-oh. Where does the time past. My grandchildren can light up my face on a cloudy day and I thank God for them. Thank you for your prayers for K. She is fine and her baby boy is also okay. Please pray for their complete recovery. I am reminded everyday how God takes care of us all. He sends the rain for the just and un-just. He provides shelter from the storms of life. I just get goose pimples when I am reminded of His awesome love for me.  Koichi had a birthday on August 26th and is staring in the face of the big 50 next year! He's getting old.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 10, verses 17 - 25 "Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege for this is what the LORD says: At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured. Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, This is my sickness, and I must endure it.  My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My children are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. Listen! The report is coming— a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals. "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word. "LORD DISCIPLINE ME NOT IN YOUR ANGER!"

Jeremiah has been having a tough time for 10 chapters delivering the Word of God to a disobedient people. He knows first hand that the people of Israel cannot exist without the love of God on their side but yet they will not give up the worship of idols to serve only God. Jeremiah has seen, first hand the wrath of God and in these verses he has finally realized that he too is probably not without sin so he prays for the discipline of God but not through anger but through Love. Hallelujah! Jeremiah has a personal relationship with God. He had to, to request that God not destroy him with His anger and Jeremiah had no problem asking that God discipline him but not in anger.  Have you ever asked God to give you a "pass" on some area of your life in which you have been disobedient? The first time I heard this concept was from a friend of mine in Madison, Wisconsin. We were praying and she asked God for a "pass". I am like, this is very revolutionary. You know you are wrong; you didn't handle something with the love of God in your heart. You acknowledge and ask God for a "pass". You know what? His Grace and Mercy is available to give you a pass. He only desires that we acknowledge our sin; move from it and let the Fruits of the Spirit shine through us. He doesn't want us to dwell on our sins; He wants us to ask for forgiveness and move on. He wants to however, let us know that our sins will block the abundance of life He wants to provide for us. So now you have another resource. Ask God to discipline you but not in anger. There is Power in the Name of Jesus and He will give you the "pass" that you need at any point you ask for it! Amen and hallelujah!

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace!

Stephanie

The Lord Almighty is His Name!

Good morning to all on this Tuesday morning. Waine and I are safely back in Atlanta and I was compelled to praise God this morning even as I opened my eyes. He is such a good God and will heal any wrong if we just let Him. I am saddened by so many people who are not loved and have no safe havens for love. Those of us who are loved can never take for granted the love that is shared with us by those close and far. I am overwhelmed with how blessed Waine and I are to have family and friends who love and care about us and I wanted to thank God and you. Please pray for K and her baby. Pray for their safety and healing.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 10 verses 1-16 "Hear what the LORD says to you, people of Israel. This is what the LORD says: Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. No one is like You, LORD; You are great, and Your Name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers. But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King. When He is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure His wrath. Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens. But God made the earth by His power;  He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;  He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of His inheritance— the LORD Almighty is His name." Amen!

There is Power in the NAME of Jesus! Some folk don't understand that by just saying the Name of Jesus you can cause the World to Stand still! We serve a mighty and gracious God. The Children of Israel did not See this God as I do. They crafted images to worship from wood, gold and silver without ever thinking Who made these elements possible for them to even craft such images. In our day and time, people worship the wind, the air, the rain and miss the fact that God I serve made the earth with His Power. He SPOKE and then there was the firmament; He SPOKE and parted the waters from the firmament; He SPOKE and hung the stars; He SPOKE and the sun shone. In stead of worshipping the CREATOR,  fools worship what the CREATOR created and I ask myself WHY? BECAUSE SATAN WILL HAVE YOU BELIEVE IN CHANCE. Satan understands that your folly will continue to confuse you and in your confusion Satan wins. You see, we all have an innate need to worship and believe in a Power higher than ourselves. For some it is money; for some it is power; for some it is outward beauty and the pursuit of it--people need to worship something.  What God wants us to do is worship Him. This is the sole reason we were created! Align our interests with His and worship the Master, Who when He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar!  Hallelujah! Isn't that a wonderful statement! When our God thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. What a mighty God we serve! What is even more awesome is that we matter to Him just as the children of Israel did. He never gave up on them and has not and will not give up on us.  The world needs Jesus today and what are you going to do about it? Be about kingdom building today.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Be blessed today because God ordains it.

Stephanie

God Never Gives Up!

Good morning to all on this Friday, the 12th of August. My beloved and I are celebrating our anniversary today! We have been married for 23 years and look forward to 23 more! We had a great day with friends in Kingston and partied like it was 1999--the old girl and boy still have it. We are still in Kingston and enjoying every day. We were able to host a friend the other day that is applying a for a position with a local phone company. It was fun to catch up with him. Thank you for your well wishes and continue to keep us in your prayers!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 9 verses 18 - 26, "This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids. The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: How ruined we are! How great is our shame! We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins. Now, you women, hear the Word of the LORD; open your ears to the Words of His mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament. Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares. Say, “This is what the LORD declares: Dead bodies will lie like dung on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather them. This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, or in these I delight, declares the LORD. The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearing and doing of His Words.

Can you imagine Jeremiah giving this message to a hostile and disobedient people? He, Jeremiah, has for nine chapters let the children of Israel know that God was not pleased with their behavior of idol worship and wanton living. He, Jeremiah, has talked about death as the consequence of their behaviors and yet they do not turn away from their sins and continue in their behavior. How many of us would have stayed the course and continued to deliver the message? How many of us would have walked away because it was clear that these people would remain in their sins? I am sure he, Jeremiah, was not popular among his family and friends. In fact I am sure many you knew him probably thought he had lost his mind and accused him of all kinds of things. I am sure he was encouraged by family members just to tone down some of the rhetoric but Jeremiah was obedient and we see in these nine chapters that he continues in his faithfulness and conveys the warnings of God. Although these Israelites were probably tired of hearing these warnings what they should realize is that while God is still chastising us, we have time to turn away from sin and turn to God. God does not give up on us! He is disappointed at times; He weeps at our sinful lives and choices but He never gives up on us. He cannot however change the ultimate decision that if we die in sin we will live an eternity without Him which is why He urgently tells us to turn from sin and turn our hearts to Him. He delights in exercising kindness, justice and righteousness however He also says that the day will come when we die to this body and are then face to face with our sins. We need the Blood of Jesus to cover our sins on that "Great Gettin' Up Mornin" and then we will spend an eternity with Him Who loves us the best! Hallelujah!

Yesterday, Waine and I found out about some calamity that had befallen a couple that we know in Atlanta. The man is not a very nice man; arrogant and full of  himself much like the folk Jeremiah is writing about. Not an honest person in his heart and in fact once he told Waine he always records a "normal" blood pressure so that when he is audited or a bad outcome befalls one of his patients there would be no untoward consequences for him.  When I heard this story I knew this physician was not a good person. As it turns out, he was also a philanderer and when his wife found out she attempted to stab him. I was saddened by this news because they have four children who are now affected by these events; they are the innocent ones. This is what God is talking about in Jeremiah. There are consequences to living a life outside of God because outside of God is much confusion. It doesn't matter how educated we are or how well off we are when confusion is in the picture you can believe that sin is in the picture. Chaos is the "fingerprint" of Satan and sin. When you find yourself in the middle of chaos, don't fight it just pray and you will find that the Peace of God that you have allowed into the equation will not only stabilize chaos, you can actually get good out of evil.

Like Jeremiah, we need to pray for this world of chaos. The last several weeks have been no less that catastrophically chaotic in the world. The world is imploding on itself because of sin. We need to be about Kingdom building constantly. We are the Jeremiahs sent out to preach the good news that through Jesus, peace, hope and abundance exists. This sad world needs this Good News!

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

God is refining us!!!

Good Sunday to all. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville and will be leaving for Kingston tomorrow so pray traveling mercies for us. Mackenzie and Brooks were with us for the better part of two weeks and we were able to be part of these two children's lives which is always a blessing. Mackenzie is a vegetarian and her discipline is truly inspirational. She reads every label and never shied away from asking the necessary questions to assure herself that she was indeed not eating animal products. Her main objection is the way in which animals are raised and then rushed to market. She does believe in the Power of One and Waine and I applaud her. She actually had a positive affect onus as we also then ordered entrees that were meatless. You see everyone can make a difference.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 9 verses 7-16 "Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: “See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them. Should I not punish them for this? declares the LORD. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds have all fled and the animals are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there. Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? The LORD said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.” Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearing and reading of His Word.

When God loves you, He will REFINE and TEST you which is all that He can do when we yield to sin. This is what He did with His people of promise and this is what He will do with us. When we deceive ourselves because we do not have the Love of God in our hearts we will be refined and tested because at the end of the day what matters to God is US. We are His sheep; we are His chosen ones and we are the people that He loves. But He does not love sin and cannot be in the same space as SIN so He has to refine and test us until we leave sin alone and get back into communion with Him.

It is clear that many Christians are living their life of abundance and then there are those that struggle everyday. What's the difference? Well it is not the love of God; that love is metered equally among all of us. Could it be the sin in the lives of Christians which prevents and blocks the abundance of God? I do believe this is the crux of why some Christians are enjoying the life of abundance promised to us and others have not yet gotten there. The journey is the same for all and the pace of the journey is completely up to each of us. The Life of Abundance that Christ sacrificed His life for is truly one that God wants all of us to experience. We need just turn away from false gods (pride, anger, deceitfulness, unkind hearts and thoughts) so that He can stop refining us and testing us and we can start experiencing the abundance that all of this life has to offer.

Be blessed today and I thank God for each and everyone of you.  Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

Jesus is the Rcok for a Weary Land

Good morning to all on this 1st day of August. Waine and I are in Orlando. Mackenzie and Brooks traveled with us to Orlando to celebrate Kai's 3rd birthday. Kai is quite the wonderful toddler. So loving and generous with his kisses. Ms. Hailie has quite the personality. She doesn't back down from much and is already exerting her will in little ways. It was Monkey Joe's on Saturday followed by brunch at the Grand Floridian with Disney characters and family. We had a blast catching up with Michelle and Marco and Mackenzie and Brooks had a grand time beating up on Poppop in a game of dominoes. We will be driving back to Atlanta today so pray God's traveling mercies for us. Being with family is always an enriching experience--the tapestry of personalities paints a wonderful picture. I am sure all will agree even if it is through reflection.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 9, verses  1-6, "Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge Me,” declares the LORD. Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver,and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge Me,” declares the LORD." Amen and amen.

Jeremiah has a voice! He has, up to this point, communicated the directives of the Lord to a very foolish and unrepentant people but today Jeremiah has a voice!  He is lamenting over the sinfulness of the chosen people of God. He describes them a crowd of adulterers and liars. Friends cannot trust friends and no one speaks the truth. They are lost in their own iniquities and their sinful ways. They deceive themselves into thinking that they can live without God and therefore are consumed with their own sins. And that is how SIN works! Sin at the base of it, wants you to think that God is not needed in the equation of your life. That you are enough in and of yourself to  navigate life. What SIN fails to tell you is that since this life we lead is a GIFT from God it would stand to reason that you need God to get the most out of life. Without God, then your life is a series of lies, manipulations, deceptions and self serving behaviors. All in the pursuit of self fulfillment and happiness.

If you have been watching the US news concerning the need to raise the ceiling on the amount of deficit the US can support, you would have seen examples of everything Jeremiah saw. You witnessed people with tongues like a bow, shooting arrows of lies. You saw friends deceiving friends and people of power more interested in their own point of view than reaching a good conclusion. I did not see one group of the "conservative Christian right" get on the TV and ask for God's wisdom to solve the problems this country has. I didn't see our President ask that the factious right and left come together in prayer. I just saw people trying to exercise power. I think the message of Jeremiah is so relevant for the US today. The US is supposed to be a nation that is devoted and built on Christian principles so where are the prophets of God? Who is out extolling the Words of God for a lost nation?  As God admonished the nation of Israel to repent and turn from their evil, deceitful ways, so too is God tell our nation to do the same. We live in the midst of deception; in our deceit we refuse to acknowledge God, declares the LORD.

As you go about your Kingdom Building today, let the Light of God shine through your life so that the people in darkness can come to the saving Light of Jesus, the Christ.  Now may the LORD bless you and keep you;

may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Amen

Stephanie