NEVER THOUGHT I'D KNOW GOD LIKE THIS

June 11, 2015 marked 4 years since my mom picked me up from the hotel to take me to Greenwood, SC. The night before that my Dad and I slept in a bed for the first time in 3 days. More than that if we're talking comfortable bed. First time taking a shower in days. First time taking a good shower in probably weeks. Just coming off sleeping in a van in parking lots and spending the day at the park. Dad took Ginger, our dog at the time, to the human society. I really don't know what happened to her after that, but I like to think that she found a good home. I hate to think the worse. I wasn't the best owner when it came to Ginger...

Back to that day of June 11, 2011. Mom picked me up and I had some of my clothes in a garbage bag. I was badly in need of a haircut. And I got one. No charge at that.

A lot has changed since 2011. I've been in the hospital twice for high blood pressure. I got a full time job and got fired after a year and 4 months. Had a few temp jobs. Finally got my drivers license.  I became one of the sound men at church. I started teaching Bible Study on Wednesday Nights. To the same most of the same folk my Dad was the pastor over. Never thought that would happened. I remember when Bishop Johnson would ask me, "You're going to be preacher like your dad?" I would quickly shut that down. I really should've known better than that. My mom and Dad both teachers in their own right, and now here I am. My current pastor would ask me, "Daniel, are you ready to teach?" My eyes would get wide and I would say, "No sir." The seeds were watered.

Now negative, I'm staying under my mom's apartment at 28 wasn't a life goal I had in life. Neither was going to the E.R. Never thought I'd still be single and not ever have a date. I'm learning more and more that God's timing is not our timing. Never thought I'd have an EBT card at 28. Never wanted that to happen. Never thought I'd be starting the day off taking 6 pills for my blood pressure, weak heart, and one kidney. Never thought I'd be on a low sodium diet. But God is still faithful.

Song writer said, "Who would've thought I know You [God] this way?" I will admit that resistance is not my strong suit, but I am still here by the Grace of God. I'm also learning how to be myself. Like really not be ashamed of Daniel Richerson. I am who I am. I'm crazy. I'm learning I have a choice to be weird or mopey. I choose to be my weird self more than my mad mopey self. I tell my family all the time in responds to "You seem chipper today."I say, "It's better than the other mood right?"

God is not through with me yet.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

RIGHT IS RIGHT...AND WRONG IS WRONG

We live in a confused society. We as a whole seem to think that one sin is bigger than other sins. I was raised to believe that sin is sin. Wrong is wrong. Right is right. If you're wrong you're wrong. If you're right you're right. Truth is truth. So forth and so on. I watch this satire news show on Comedy Central The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I don't agree with everything Jon Stewart says on this show, but he does make strong points in my opinion. On a recent show he interviewed presidential hopeful Rand Paul. During that interview he made the point that if you see people you don't ask them what sin they committed, but some how when it comes to homosexuality, they automatically get questioned. Honestly, when the subject of homosexuality comes up on The Daily Show, it's always on the side of the LGBT, and I usually change the channel. But, I watched this interview on a rerun that came on in the morning and I thought what he said it was a valid point. And it really struck me that we as a Christian or "Kingdom Minded" society has made the lifestyle of the LGBT the major cause of the world's issue. Because they compare it to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now here's my belief on that and I may have blogged about it before, but here we go. If you really read up in the Bible about that, yes homosexuality was involved in the story line, but remember God said, if he could find 50 righteous, he'd spare the city. Could not find 50, could not find 45, 40, 30, 20, or 10. Maybe America has been spared all this time because He found...

Back to the point, sin is sin. Not one sin is bigger than the other. Liars get served all the time without being questioned. Liars preach in our churches without any conviction, but let a homosexual lead a song or play the piano, all of the sudden, now the church is in trouble. Sin is sin. It is written that all of us have sinned and fallen short. We got praise and worship leaders, Sunday school teachers, and other leaders in the church have done crazy things that God consider sins, and they come back week after week like nothing is wrong. But when it comes to homosexuality, they are automatically condemn to hell because homosexuality is the worse sin of all the times.

John 3:17-18 says, " For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Jesus didn't come to condemn, but for some particular reason, some of us feel we have the God given right to condemn folk. Word? Quick question. What makes you better than Jesus? The only begotten son of God? Sin is sin. Wrong is wrong. Yes, but we have no right to condemn anyone. The bible says that those who do not believe are already condemned, what more can you do?

John 14:6 says, 'Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"'

So Jesus is the door. Stop blocking the door for people who are trying to get through. I recently saw an interview that really bothered me. Secular rapper Tech N9ne did an interview with Rapzilla stating he wanted to work with Christian Rapper Da Truth but Truth's people blocked it. Tech then went on to say that he needed help with certain things, and wanted to talk to Truth about it, but it didn't happen. People are begging our help, and we are so close minded, that we can't see past a lifestyle we don't agree with. We have no heaven or hell to put ANY body in. If someone asks for help, we should try our best to help, or lead them to who or what can help them. We're supposed to lead people TO Jesus not AWAY. 

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson