SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE

The week we as Christians call Holy Week is the week an innocent Jesus died on the cross and three days later he rose from the dead with all power in His hands. I find it interesting a little over a week later here we are again having the same conversation about Black Lives Matter. 2020 was not only the year of Covid-19. It was also the year of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the rest of the cases that wasn't in the news. 2020 was the year that I disconnected myself from a guy I knew over 20 years. We had birthday parties. I would go to this person's house to watch wrestling PPVs back when I watched it religiously. Why I don't now is a topic for another blog. I'm all for differing opinions, but racism and my Faith to me is not like debating sports or movies. That's part of the reason I don't use the term friend, ace, homie, etc loosely. I also distanced myself from certain white family members who really let their true feelings be known about black people, and it hurt me cause one it made me wonder how this person really felt about my mom, my sister, and myself when we would visit. I heard all last year that 2020 was the year of "perfected vision," and boy was it ever. 

I put up a status on social media June of 2020 saying, "You know what's scary to me as a mixed man? Like I see all these racist being exposed right now, and what scares me is that what if I'm related to one..." That's was a real fear I had. Ironically the two not named people, made a comment claiming stuff like they loved me and were "not racist." I can't understand why I have trust issues...it's weird.

So now as I'm typing this we got Caron Nazario and Daunte Wright. Many people thought after 45 got voted out of office that things was going to get better, but I know the racist. I told my Dad after Biden got the named the winner, "Trump is a child. He's not getting his way so get ready for  the temper tantrum." Then the news about the election being rigged, and the storming the capital incident, I rest my case. So the question comes, what's the game plan? Do we post black squares again? Do we risk losing friends and family? Do we pray and that's it? What's the move? What's the vaccine to racism? We get flu shots, some of us are getting the covid-19 vaccine shots...there's not needle shot for racism. When we got to go somewhere at night and we're praying not to become another hashtag. There's no vaccine for that. Yes I agree that we need to talk about gun violence in the neighborhood, but does that let the crooked cops off the hook? Some of us on are the same way when we get called out on our foolishness, we try to point the finger at what someone else is doing. 

We got to remember racism didn't start recently, it just got more exposure recently. Some of the things that are preached about when people say, "God is not pleased with..." that didn't start with my generation. It's like that saying, "What's old is new." We got to stop sweeping stuff under the rug for the reputation. Hidden sins are still sins. That's why we pray for forgiveness for sins we committed overtly and covertly or known and unknown. America and the church are trying to progress and yet we can't let go of the past. Modern day Pharisees and Sadducees. When I would teach Bible Band, I would often ask, are they modern day Pharisees and Sadducees? Pharisees "behaved as though their own religious rules were just as important as God's rules for living." Sadducees "were often willing to compromise their values with the Romans and others in order to main their status and influential positions." Got that information out of my Life Application Study Bible. 

How do we solve the problem? I don't have the answers...Sway? I do believe prayer is a solution, but as I heard it say, "we got to feet on the prayers." Faith without works... Conversations not arguments are needed. Listening is needed. If white people are willing to talk, then talk. Don't turn away needed conversations out of frustration. That leads to distrust and life long disgust. I believe that's how some parent and child situations become so jacked. That "that's just the way it is" mentality, and not open to listen. That generation gap is real because of lack of conversation. Too much monologue and not enough dialogue.

These are just my thoughts. I just know something's got to give. Something needs to be done. I still believe "If my people who are called..." (2 Chronicles 7:14). If something was said that spoke to you feel free to share this around anyway you can. I'd really appreciate it. Stay safe and...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

HOW AM I REALLY DOING? PART III

 2020 was a hard year for most of us. Especially those of us that has struggled with low self esteem and mental health, 2020 seemed to enhance it. I heard a preacher say just because we're in a new year that doesn't mean the season changed. As of typing, Covid-19 is still a problem. Racism is still a problem. I'm pretty sure a lot of us are going stir crazy. As an introvert myself, one would think I'd enjoy being home. Not entirely. I get annoyed with people, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I want to be alone all the time. That's one of the main reasons that I watch reaction videos and try not to laugh videos because it feels like, at least for a moment, I'm not alone.

I'm not a hugger. Never really was a big fan of them. I can remember as a kid that I would give people the shoulder besides going in for the whole hug. That caused quite the reaction from people, and of course I took it well. Just kidding. Anyway, I bring up hugs, because if I can be honest about it, I'm going to regret this, but I kind of miss getting hugged. I mean that genuine I care for you hug. Due to the pandemic, that's been outlawed.

Those that have been reading my posts, you know that most of 2020 I dealt with my own personal anxiety, depression, etc. Well recently I sat down with a couple of spiritual advisors to talk about it. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it because I'm used to keeping stuff in not letting stuff out which is where a lot of my anger comes from. I'd hold a lot of stuff in because I didn't think anybody wanted to listen. Matter of fact when I was a teenager I believe, I actually went to counseling or therapy. It didn't last long, and I believe the reason it didn't last long was because I wasn't willing to really open up all the way. I basically cracked the door open with the door latch still on it refusing to remove the chain latch.

So with these recent two talks, I actually let the door open just enough so I can share what I've been holding in. Not all of it, but I got a good bit of old junk out. One question I was asked was, "Was there ever a time where you felt whole?" I thought about it and I honestly said no. I go back to being a church kid, I learned how to fake it hoping that people would leave me alone. Funny I felt lonely but at the same time I wanted people to leave me alone. I will say that it felt good opening up and not getting dragged or preached at. It felt good opening up about the why. It felt good to have an ear to talk to and not feeling like you're wasting your time. 

I was given verses to read and meditate on. One being Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against  you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live." Choose life. With that I've been getting up and walking in place for 15 minutes +, while doing intermittent fasting 9 pm to 11 am, this gimmick called drink to shrink, and taking my medicine.

Another set of verses I was given was Philippians 4:6-8, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." When your mind starts going off the rails, think on these things.

I want to thank all my family and friends that have checked on me and have and are praying for me. I want to thank the ears that were willing to sit down and hear me and talk with me. I want to thank you all for reading as I continue to learn how to love and forgive me. If you got this far, can you please share?

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Still Philippians 3:13-14

Part one: https://bigdusty.blogspot.com/2020/10/learning-how-to-love-and-forgiveme.html

Part two: https://bigdusty.blogspot.com/2021/01/learning-to-love-and-forgive-myself-prt.html

LOVE PAST DISAGREEMENTS

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

In Sunday School in the Church Of God In Christ, we'd have a responsive reading. And the Leader starts off with the verse above. Which is is a little ironic right? The late Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning." He said that in 1963. Here we are 57 years later and not much has changed. One commentary says, "Living in harmony does not mean we will agree on everything; there will be many opinions just as there are many notes in a musical chord. But we must agree on our purpose in life--to work together for God. Our outward expression of unity will reflect our inward unity of purpose." We can't even agree on racism being wrong, yet we try to draw people to a loving God who loves everyone.

Song writer said, "We're shouting, we're dancing, but can the world see a change
Am I just too selfish to see, the love they need you put inside of me
If we say we love Jesus, but they can't see our Jesus
Tell me what's the use if they can't see Jesus in you and me
No more excuses, we give it all away
Because we may be the only Jesus they see." 

Same song writer said, "Sunday everyone looks like you But if our lives are cold inside tell me what's the use."

I got atheist on my social media having field day watching those of us that call ourselves believers act a fool over petty things. To be honest, I can't blame them. 1 John 4:20-21 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:  for that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." I feel that there's a lot of people that are window shopping the Kingdom. People are looking for help. They're looking for what's real. How can we help the people looking for help while attacking each other? We have to get to a point where we love past disagreements.

Let's keep it 100, you're not going to get along with everybody. That's life. But not getting along should not mean hate. Not vibing with people should not equate to hating them. Let's compare it to sports. There's been numerous sports teams that had players on the team that couldn't stand each other, but they knew they had to work together for the common goal. When the NBA played it's season in the NBA Bubble, some knelt for the anthem and a couple didn't, but at the end of the night, they all played together to win the game. Off the court, I'm sure they had conversations about kneeling vs not kneeling, but on the court, the goal was to win the game.

Dwelling together in unity doesn't mean going to the same ministry or church, I understand that. Using terms like black church and white church is not unity whether they go to your church or not. I read no where in the Word that there's a heaven based on your race. I read no where in the Bible that there's a heaven for white people and there's a heaven for black people. Old song says, "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory." Noticed what's not in those lyrics? Nothing about race or ethnic background. Another old song comes to mind that says, "When all God's children get together, what a time, what a time, what a time." A song I learned as a child, "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they're all precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." 

It is written, 'For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without the law God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the week:  I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) 

A former co worker of mine and I were talking. The subject of church came up. He told me that the last time he went to church, he walked in and immediately the preacher started talking about him causing an immediate u-turn. Makes you wonder how many gangstas, homosexuals, white people, black people have that same testimony. Walk into a spiritual hospital, only to be told in a nut shell, "We don't treat your kind here." Forgetting where they were when they found the Lord. If it took love to lift you, what do you think it's going to take to lift somebody else? 

Song writer said, "It ain't a black thing. It ain't a white thing. It ain't a color thing. It's a kingdom thing." The late Pastor Anderson Gray Sr. had a saying about the church. "This is a place where everybody is somebody and Jesus is Lord." Again keyword everybody. We can't let the actions of a Dylan Roof and others like that to dictate how we treat people that look different than we do. We can't let the actions of Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, and others like them dictate how we treat preachers of the Gospel that happen to be white. It is written, "Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." It's written, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15

If you made it this far, I would like to thank you for reading this. I hope it made sense. I hope you got something out of it. If you did, I ask that you share this with friends and family.

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

HOW LONG WILL THIS CYCLE CONTINUE?

"When the weight of this whole world
Tries to slay me
A strong tower from the enemy
You will be for me
So I need to find this place
Yes the special secret place
I'm assured of Your embrace
The place I ca'll my sanctuary
There You are" ~ Lead Me To The Rock, Stephen Hurd

"Truth is I'm tired
Options are few
I'm trying to pray
But where are you?
I'm all churched out
Hurt and abused
I can't fake
What's left to do?
Truth is I'm weak
No strength to fight
No tears to cry
Even if I tried
But still my soul
Refuses to die
One touch-will change-my life" ~Take Me To The King, Tamela Mann

"Pass me not oh gentle savior
Hear my humble cry
While on others thou art calling
Do not pass me by"

The last few posts were focused on mental health. Focused on not holding stuff in and finding people to talk to. Talking about all that, and then the reality of America comes to fruition. The reality that if you're black in America, you are still counted less than a human being. It feels like being black in America, you're still counted as 3/5 of a human being. One would think that the 3/5 compromise was not in affect anymore. Michael Jackson, God rest his soul, put out a song back in 1995 that says, "All I want to say is that they don't really care about us."

Proverbs 23:7a "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" America has tried to push racism under the proverbial rug, but never bothered to address it. I watched this adult cartoon, Family Guy. On a particular episode they had a cut away where the slave owner told the slave he was free and then asked the slave, "So, we're cool right?" It feels like that's what happen after the civil rights movement. America to black people, "So, we're cool right?"

There's a Will Smith quote making the rounds, "Racism is not new, it's being filmed." That's facts. But even when it's not filmed, we should care just as much. People were mad at the group NWA back in the late 80s when the song, F The Police was released. Instead of looking into why the song was written in the first place, or listening to the rallying cry that the song was talking about, they got brushed off as just about of "thugs." Good thing that doesn't happen in 2020....cough cough. The world did to NWA what the church does to the world which is look at what they look like and what they're wearing and disregard them. Maybe the problem is not the clothes. Maybe the problem is the heart that's corrupt. 

Now some may look at me as a mixed man and ask why do I care? Why do I care about Blacks Lives Matter. Why I do I talk as if I'm a black man when I'm mixed? Well first of all, let's not act like being mixed is all Sunshine and rainbows. Let's not act like when I go out in public I don't get looks. Let's not act like when my parents were together, and we went out as a family, we got stared at like we were illegal. Like we were in South Africa during apartheid. I can remember when we would visit my Dad's side of the family in Kentucky, we'd stop at Wendys to get something to eat, and the atmosphere was scary. I remember feeling like I didn't belong. Kinda like I was counted as 3/5...yeah so that's why I speak up. I may not have had a bad encounter with the police, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. All it takes is one time. All it takes is one time for me to get pulled over by the wrong cop and all the sudden I'm a hashtag.

The church has been quiet on this issue for too long. The church has swept this under the rug for too long. It's time to speak up. It's time to say hey, enough is enough. It's to work the faith. It's time to as my dad would say, "Put feet on them prayers." How many more wake up calls do we need? How many more decades have to pass? How many more generations have to hear songs like "F The Police" by NWA or "Good Cop Bad Cop" by Ice Cube and say, "That's still relevant today." How many more moments do we have to get by? How many more deaths do we have to "get over?" When is enough really going to be enough? When are we going to stop hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock? When are we going to listen to the cries of the people and stop putting a pacifier in the mouths so they will shut up? 

This world needs hope. This world needs Jesus. This world needs love. Agape love. True love. That love of Jesus that we say we have? The world needs that. The world needs to see that. Put down the religious rule books. Put down the religious traditions, and show people Jesus. If Jesus gives you joy, why not present that to this joyless society? I'm tired.

I know it's not all police. I know it's not all white people. I know it's not all---but one bad apple...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT

Over the years I've blogged a lot about fear.

"My old manager would tell me when I didn’t have the guts to give a girl a note, “Man, just give it to her.” In other words, put some action on your faith boy. Faith without works is dead. What my manager was teaching me was that in order for the note to do the purpose it was written to do, I had let go of all fear, gain confidence and put action on it and give the note away. Some of us lost all faith because of fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of what other people think. Also because of fear, we lose confidence. Deuteronomy 31:6b says in the CEV (Contemporary English Version), “The LORD your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” Now my manager was a big dude, and I imagine if anything would’ve happened to me while giving away the note, I’m sure he’d have my back. It doesn’t come any bigger than God. With God on your side, there’s no need to lose confidence. In Deuteronomy 31:8, again in the CEV, Moses told Joshua, “The LORD will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don’t ever be afraid of your enemies.” ~ Who Got Your Back?

"“I’ve been running for Jesus a long time, and I’m not tired yet.” Y’all ever heard that song. It’s not a song that will be on my iPod at ever, but it’s a song that plays on the radio a lot. Probably one of those good cliches to say in church to get a reaction. Anyway, I got to thinking. While some of us are running for Jesus, a lot of us are running from Jesus. Running from what we are called to do in the Kingdom. Running from what we are chosen to do in the Kingdom. Why do people run? Fear. Fear of losing friends. Fear of family members not believing in you. Fear of how you’re going to even start walking in the calling that God has for you. Believe me, I understand…" ~ RUNNING FOR OR FROM? 

"I’m not asking all this to sound depressed. I was watching this dude do his thing at a church and I played drums behind this dude for about 6 months while he was on the organ. As I was watching him sing on stage, I had to fight back tears thinking back on how I messed things up during my six months up there. So to not cry I had to stop watching the video and get to this blog. As y’all know this is where I let my thoughts out because I don’t talk to anybody. I have numbers I can call on my phone but I don’t call them out of fear of the reaction. I’ve painted myself as a black sheep. Notice I said I’ve painted myself as a black sheep. So with that pressure I’ve put on myself, I think nobody cares. Even when I know for a fact that is false. Anyway, so missed opportunities. What did I do after I messed up the Midwest trip? Not a thing. I didn’t do a thing. Nothing to move life forward. I took the low road. I beat myself up. Which lead to situations that I never thought in my life I would be in." ~ 05/08/2013 early morning thinking

"We live in a generation of people that are scared to preach Jesus. That are scared to preach the gospel. And these are the same people that quote, "I'm not afraid of the darkness whom shall I fear if God before me. What shall we say to these things. I'm not afraid anymore." We talk about it, but now is the time to be about it. Faith without works is dead. That simple." ~ INSPITE OF ALL I'VE DONE

"What stuck with me was the "running" part. How many of us are running from what God is calling us from? I know I've been guilty of it. I understand the "fear of the unknown" if you will. There was a line I heard in a movie one time, House Arrest, and it said something like, "Feel the fear and go for it." I got asked once, how do you sing in front of people. I just do it. I'm still nervous. I'm still fearful, but once I knew there was no backing out and me "going to the bathroom" or crying to get out of it was not going to work any longer, I just had to suck it up and do it." ~ STOP LIMITING GOD

But where does fear come from? 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." A definition of fear says, "to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant)" Fear is a spirit. That same verse in the CEV says, "God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control." So, what is really going on? A spiritual battle is going on. Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Yet we get mad at each other and we get mad at the police, and, hate to sound like a church mother, but that's how the devil gets in. How? Cause we pass the blame on the flesh and blood while the spirit we should be mad at is laughing at us.

Luke 8:17, "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." Ecclesiastes 1:9, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." So just because it hasn't been seen doesn't mean it's new. What's going on to day has been going on it's just now there's a camera on it. 1989 NWA shared what was going on, but were ignored because of what they looked like and the vulgarity. Now with it all coming to light, people acting all baffled and shocked. Stop ignoring the warning when it comes. Racism never went away. Fear never went away. We just chose to ignore it because it wasn't talked about. Just because it's not talked about doesn't mean it's not happening. Racism is alive and well. Like bullying, it is not going away anytime soon.

Psalm 27:1, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. If there was ever a time for the light to shine--Stop letting fear enter in, and walk in faith. I'm talking to myself as well. I've let fear keep me down far too long. I let fear stop me from doing what I'm supposed to do. I let fear keep me from doing a lot of things. I got to learn to walk by faith and not by--and you too, walk by faith and not by sight.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD (GIANTS WILL DIE)

1 Samuel 17:26b (GNB) "After all, who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?"

Psalms 133:1 (GNB)"How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God's people to live together in harmony!"

U.S.A. United States of America. The country has never really been united unless a terrorist attacks. I remember 9/11 when it seemed that everyone was an American for like a week or two and then after that it was back to normal. What can I compare that to? Our denominations. When is the last time the body of Christ has ever truly united? We can't even unite on what the Bible says. We got the Baptist not liking the Pentecostal folks and vice versa. I hear all the time, "God delivered me from the baptist church." Word?

Homosexuality is not the only giant attacking the church. Don't get me wrong homosexuality needs and must be talked about, but it's not the only thing attacking the church. We got this giant of racism that needs to be dealt with. We got this giant of arrogance that needs to be dealt with. Who are the Davids to slay these giants? Who's willing to stand up these Giants with their rocks and sling shot? If Giants die, who's going to slay them? We can sing and talk about Giants dying and let's slay these giants, but there's got to be some action, right?

James 1:22-25 (GNB)  "Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. Whoever listens to the word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks in a mirror and sees himself as he is. He takes a good look at himself and then goes away and at once forgets what he looks like. But those who look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, who keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice — they will be blessed by God in what they do."

What am I saying? All this talking about the world is coming to an end, and we're about to get out of here is all true, but sitting down saying it over and over isn't changing a thing. Action brings change. People want to know what to do, but if you're not willing to tell them, then what? People are giving up, people are throwing in the towel, and us preaching our denominations isn't going to help. Jesus gave this command that my Pastor recently preached on, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." I didn't read that it was a baptist gospel, or Mormon gospel, or a COGIC gospel. "This gospel" refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ. So if a preacher comes to your church to give the sermon, don't worry about the denomination, worry about if he has Jesus in his heart. Is he or she filled with the spirit.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson