IN DUE SEASON

Romans 14:10-13 "Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother."

Matthew 7:3-5 "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

We're busy trying to cancel people. We're busy trying to play God, meaning we're acting like we have a heaven or hell to put anybody in. We've been on the umbilical cord too long. I respect the old school just as much as anybody else, but we've been feeding off the old school too long that some of us haven't opened the Bible for ourselves. Some have been on milk so long that when someone comes with solid food, they spit it out. Some of us have been so connected to the old school mentality that when the message comes in a new way, we cast it out as demonic when actually it's God trying to tell you something. It's time to cut the umbilical cord. Listen cutting the cord does not dismiss the old school and all the good that it bought.  The old saying goes like this, "Take the meat, and spit out the bones."

We're all exhausted. We all need a break from the news and social media because just about every other posts reminds us that we have a long way to go as a nation. We have a long way to go as a body of Christ. All these posts should push us to to prayer. Should push us to talking more with God and less to our phones or computers. Prayer and fasting still works if you use it. There's a screw driver on my dresser that is not being used. Doesn't mean it's broken. It's just not being used. The folks outside the church realize how important fasting is, why can't the church? The church has belittled the world so much, it's no wonder that people like to window shop churches besides going in a buying anything. Like how black people don't go certain places because they know that they don't get treated right when they go to that certain place. So the question becomes what kind of church do people see when they look in your window? Is it a church of love and kindness? Or is it a church of open rebuke and a dress code?

Imagine if God chose to cancel us after we messed up. The wages of sin is death, right? So imagine if God was like man? Imagine how you would feel? I know people that won't come back to church now because of what we're doing to other people that misspoke. People disregard church hurt like it's meaningless, but it's just like being treated like the proverbial red headed step child. You're technically with us, but you get none of the benefits. Who would want to be in that kind of family? You wonder why kids join gangs instead of finding a church home?

Galatians 6:9 " And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

I know we're getting tired of protesting. We're getting tired of trying to explain why we get angry about police brutality. Why we get angry about racism. Keep going. Yes, we've been marching for years. We've been pleading our case for years. In due season. We've never seen a world wide support like this. We've never seen a death of an unarmed black man cause this much outrage globally. We've never seen so much support from white people, specifically white celebrities. In due season. Don't faint. If they aren't listening, keep talking. If they don't care, keep talking. I remember plenty of times I'd sit in class not giving two cares about what the teacher was saying, but they kept talking. Because they knew they had a job to do. We have a job to do. We have a message that needs to be sent out.

The last clause of Romans 10:14 "And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"

I know there's people on my timeline that don't agree with what I blog about and what I post on my social media, but I still believe that the message needs to be heard. I believe that once you're truly sick and tired of being sick and tired, you're going to do something about it. Saying goes, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Thank you for reading. As preachers that go live on FB say, can I get as many of you that can to please share? I thank those that do share my thoughts on their social media. I thank those that like to comment in person. Thank you for reading. Feel free to go down the timeline and check out the other posts that I've done over the years.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

OPEN THOUGHTS TO THOSE WHO DON'T CARE

I was told when the whole Kaepernick situation was going on, that what Kaepernick was doing was not only against the American Flag, it was against God. The young man that told me that was a proud southern white man. I couldn't even make it make sense how protesting police brutality is against God? Now with the George Floyd situation happening, it got me wondering, where we at now? Is what happened to George Floyd more God fearing? Will those cops have open access to Heaven for what they did?

I got to thinking about my family, and I wonder if other mixed people are feeling the same way. I see my black cousins speaking out and speaking up on what's going on. I know I'm not "all the way black" but I do own a mirror. I hear what I sound like. I realize that it could be me. I could be a hashtag. And with that being said, I found myself thinking about more of my white side of the family, mainly the ones I haven't met. If it was me, would you care then, or would I just be another dead nigga? What scares me is that I got some family members crying angry over George Floyd, and I got some family members who could care less.

You know what? I just want to say thank you to all of those who say, All Lives Matter, in response to Black Lives Matter. I want to say thank you to those who are silent. I want to say thank you for those who like to argue with my generation and not talk to our generation. I say thank you because now we know who really cares and who doesn't. Who really cares that it could've easily been me or my black family members to become a hashtag all because of the way we look.

Why do I say that when people say All Lives Matter they don't care? Cause I'm literally crying in your face and because you're not crying you're wondering why should I be crying? I'm telling you I got a headache, but you're saying because you don't have a headache, why should you care about mine? My pain matters too. Our pain matters. Not saying yours don't, but I'm screaming. Let me scream! Don't say you shouldn't scream cause I'm not screaming. Ask me why am I screaming? How can I help? Humanity. "All lives matter in the eyes of God." So, you're saying that God doesn't hear the cry of black people because he cares for all lives. So if a parent has a couple of kids and one of them are crying, this parent shouldn't hear the cry of that one due to having other kids.

Matthew 18:10-15 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

There's an old hymn called That One Lost Sheep,

"The Shepherd went out to search for His sheep

And all thro' the night on the rocky steep

He sought till he found him

With love bands he bound him

And I was that one lost sheep"

Those who are silent. Silence is speaking loud right now. Silence is conforming. This is not the time for silence. If you're silent, I can't hear that you care. I can't hear if you hear my cry. I can't hear if you don't care.

Some people are looking to argue and not looking to have a conversation. That's why some people in my generation don't go to the older generation. We're tired of conversation that turn into arguments. We just want answers. We want direction. We want help. If they're not willing to help, do your own research.

"Good cop, good cop, where is your dignity?
Where's your empathy?
Where is your sympathy?
Bad cop, where's your humanity?
Good cop, is that just a fantasy?" ~ Good Cop Bad Cop, Ice Cube

"Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I'm tired of bein' the victim of shame
They're throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can't believe this is the land from which I came
You know I do really hate to say it
The government don't want to see
But if Roosevelt was livin'
He wouldn't let this be, no, no" ~ They Don't Care About Us, Michael Jackson

To all that are against black lives mattering, to all the white supremacist in my family, I want to say that I still love you. I'm praying for you. To my family, if we ever meet, I hope we can hug like family and not fight like enemies. Sadly I haven't met a lot of my family members on my Dad's side and regardless of the reason, and I don't even know if you'll ever read this. But I just want to say, I'm Daniel Richerson. I'm mixed. Not by choice. I'm family. If you don't want to accept that, that's ok. I'm still praying for you. I still love you even though you probably don't love me.

And to my family members who are down, who really cares, I see you. Respect. When we're allowed to BBQ again---

~Daniel Richerson