DONT LET DOUBT KILL YOU

To those of us to put on the mask of smiling the mask of faking that we are ok. How are you really doing? Are you doing ok? Well, I just want to say three simple words. Don't. Give. Up. 

Oxford defines doubt, "a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction." The verb form is defined as "feel uncertain about." A lot of us try to take the leap of faith but end up falling before we get to the other side due to panic or doubt. We feel that surge of energy to chase your dreams or do to just do what God tells you to do, but that little hole of doubt sets in and you end up procrastinating. You end up sitting in fear because you're too scared to do something. James 2:26 in the Contemporary English Version says, "Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!" If it takes faith to get started, it's going to take faith to keep doing.

It is written that without faith it's impossible to please God. So why do we try to please God with our performance? That's for another post.

When we find ourselves holding on by a thin thread, we got to have faith enough to believe that God can turn that thread into a closet full of blessings upon blessings.  They say watch out for that first step it's a doozie. "Doozie" meaning it's a big step or it's a deep step. The late Pastor Gray would tell me to walk the path that God has set before me. The path is set before you, but you still have to get on the path and walk. 

I know you're nervous, but take the step anyway. I know you're crying but take the step anyway. I know you've been through ups and downs, but take the step anyway. 2 Corinthians 5:7 in the King James Version says, "For we walk by faith and not by sight." Again I quote the late Pastor Gray, "Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eye can see." Now that doesn't mean what you see is not there. That means you got to keep going despite of what you see. You got to keep moving. Don't give up. Things may be moving slow, but take the step anyway. Things may look to be in a stand still, but take that step anyway. 

Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14 (New International Version), "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I don't consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"

We're all taking this one step at a time. It's not wise to drive one way while looking in your rear view mirror. That's how crashes happen. If you're looking back, you're liable to run into a tree. You're liable to run into another car. You're liable to get out of your own lane and go into somebody else's. Don't let doubt of what's coming cause you to go back to what didn't work before. Or it may have worked, but what if God is taking you to new. We got some people letting the doubt of new hold them back. We sing songs like, "You make all things new, and I will follow you forward." But when new shows up it's, "We've never did it this way before." One thing about this Covid-19, is that it made people change. It forced people to think of "new" ways, when you had no time to dwell on your doubt and the doubt that comes from others, including family. Old song says, Keep your eyes on the prize, never mind what you left behind. Take the step anyway.

I thank you for reading. If you got something out of it, could you share please with your people. This was really directed at me. I'm 33. At times I'm scared, but I got to take the step anyway.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THEY WON'T LISTEN

Some feel like your voice is not being heard. Feel like your voice is falling on deaf ears. You sometimes feel like screaming because you feel like nothing is being accomplished. So you begin to ask a question, "Why should I keep talking? Nobody is listening anyway." I believe a lot of young preachers feel like this. I believe a lot of young people feel this way in regards to opening up to their parents. Simply, my answer is keep talking. It only takes one seed, and you don't know what that one seed is going to turn into.

If you read Matthew 13:1-9;18-23, Jesus shares and explains a parable talking about a farmer planting seeds. Explaining that some seeds fall on good ground, stony ground...some seeds get eaten by birds, and yet the farmer keeps throwing the seeds out. When you're sharing the truth about racism, or the truth about the Gospel, your job is the plant the seed. Every plant you see was a seed. Every idea started out as a seed. 

Hosea 10:12 talks of breaking the fallow ground. The Winans put it like this, "Break up that fallow ground. Before these Earthly cares choke you out, turn you around. Break up the fallow ground." Trying to speak to people that already has a made up heart and mind, it's a tough wall to get through. It's written that the day you hear God's voice harden not your heart. Why? God is love. When your heart is hardened, you're not going to let any one in. God wants your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the  mouth speaks right? What are you speaking out of? It is written with love and kindness have I drawn them. I've heard it said you can draw more flies with honey than you you can with vinegar. 

Don't let anybody tell you how to use your voice. You got people speaking one way, and questioning other's for not using their voice the same way. Questioning ones heart because they are not doing things the way you did it or do it. Where have I seen/heard that before? I don't know about you but that logic reminds me of how some, some I said, church folk feel about praise and worship. If you don't praise God like the who ever has the microphone tells you too, you'll get accused of "not praising." Because obviously, you praise to be seen. Like you protest obviously to be seen. In Matthew 6 Jesus says repeatedly, "thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." It also talks about, when you do things to be seen, you already have your reward. 

So what do you do when nobody wants to listen? What do you don when it seems like nobody cares what you got to say? What do you do when you're talking but nobody likes the way you're presenting it? Keep talking. Some seeds fall on good ground some don't. You can't control the soil in this scenario. Keep talking. Keep posting. Let your voice be heard. Continue to speak the truth in love. So what you don't do it like everybody else. We all got our own race to run, and everybody don't run the same way. Somebody is waiting to hear you, and they can't hear you if you're mouth is shut. Pray that people will break that fallow ground and allow the truth to enter in the hearts. Ye shall now the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Thanks for reading. I hope you got something out of it. I'm still tired mentally, but I got this out. If you did get something out of it, I ask that you share this by retweeting and/or sharing on your Facebook, or how ever else you can. 

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

CHECK THE SNOUT

I looked up the definition of prey and a couple of definitions came to mind, but this one definition caught my eye, "to have an injurious, destructive, or wasting effect."

Webster defines the act of praying, "to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving"

In the wild, when a predator is on the hunt, they usually don't go after the strongest victim. Sometimes the most vulnerable prey is the one that ends up getting caught. The one that's not paying attention. That's the one that gets got.

1 Peter 5:8  "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Matthew 7:15-20 KJV, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

I'm going to share the same verses from Matthew from the Message Bible, "Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned."

We've all heard the saying wolves in sheep's clothing. Don't be impressed with clothing. A clean suit doesn't mean anointing. A clean suit doesn't mean pure in heart. A pimp knows how to look good in a suit too. A drug dealer. A politician. So it has to be more than the right clothes. A white collar doesn't make you a preacher. Basically what I'm saying is, check the snout. There's a difference between the snout of a sheep and a snout of a wolf.

Be careful of who you're listening to. During this time a lot of people have itching ears, and people will tell you anything to satisfy that itch. You don't have to go into everyone's live feed. This is not the time to be church hopping. Ever hear the older generation talk about they don't eat everyone's cooking? Why? You don't know what they put in the food. You don't know if they got cats or dogs all up in the food while preparing the food. You don't know for sure that they washed prior to touching the food. So naturally, so spiritually. You don't know the motives behind the message. You don't know what the message is seasoned with. Is the message using scripture in the proper context or are they using scripture to satisfy the ears of the vulnerable? Be alert. Be sober. 

Ephesians 4:26-32, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

It's ok to be angry. I believe a lot of us are angry. Angry about the racism. Angry about the ignorance. Angry about politics. It's ok to be angry, but don't let the anger push you to do something stupid. Inhale, exhale. Use the anger as motivation to do something productive. Use that anger to do something constructive. This doesn't mean that you let people walk over you. You're standing up for yourself in way that productive and not destructive. At the same time you poke a bear long enough...that's when you use God as your back up. You do as the old hymn says. "Have a little talk with Jesus. Tell Him all about your troubles. He will hear the faintest cry. And He'll answer by and by. When you feel the prayer wheel turning. You'll know that the fire is burning. Just a little talk with Jesus makes it all right."

Exodus 14:14, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Thank you for reading. I ask that you share this with everyone you like and don't like if you got something out of it.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson