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

I'M TRIPPIN

Revelation 12:11 (GNT) They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.

So this was a few weeks ago now, but I was working at Velux. The lunch buzzer rang and we all went to lunch, and I had a little bit of Chinese food that I had from the night before. One of the co-workers, commented on the little bit of food I had. So I responded with, "It's better than nothing." Cause I remembered when I had nothing to eat. Anyway, that led into me  telling my story. Living in an extended stay, living in a Kia Sedona parking in parking lots to have some where to rest. Plus a little bit of other stuff. I knew I went through those things, but never talked about it. Never really talked about it to anybody. Not even my family or my spiritual family. I kept that stuff hidden. So after I talked with my co-workers, I felt myself tearing up. "I can't cry at work," I kept telling myself. I didn't want to cry at work because I was that kid that cried at school all the time. I really started thinking about my story, and how I was living then vs now, and realized that I was tripping. I was complaining about this and that, not being like this person or that person. Yet God brought me all that I've been through and I didn't have the courtesy to say thank you. To truly say thank you.

Anyway, and the buzzer rang and lunch was over. Went back to my post, and I was still crying. "Why can't I stop?!?" Co workers asking me what's wrong, I told the truth. Thinking about my life and how I've been trippin'. I mean I couldn't tell them nothing was wrong when they could easily see. I had to tell the truth. I told this one guy a little bit of it and he told me, "To go through what you've been through and to still be standing here working, you're a hell of a man." That helped. Then with the icing on the cake one of my other co-workers looked at me and said, "You're my role model." #waterworks I was crying like Jessie Jackson after Obama got elected the first time.

Why was I crying? Cause I know Daniel Richerson. Needless to say, I've known him my whole life. This guy is no role model. The guy that has an attitude problem. He has self esteem issues. He doesn't like his own face. He think the world is against him. He feels like he does nothing right. This guy has no right to be considered a model let alone a role model. Yet, God some how found a way...

"David was a whore monger, David was an adulterer. He was a horrible husband. He was a horrible father. But somewhere in the text it said David was a man after God's own heart." ~Kirk Franklin

In spite of all that I've done and do do, Jesus keeps on looking out for me. I don't know why He loves me so much, but He keeps on making a way. I'm not the only one that's been trippin' lately, but I can admit it. The fact that people in my life hasn't knocked me out yet is a miracle. I said all this to say don't think low of yourself. God made you for a purpose. I've heard it said, "For I was born with a purpose, placed in the Earth just to give You praise." We all don't have the same story. We all don't have the social security number. We are individually made. Be that individual God made you to be. Don't live to impress anybody. AN-Y-BOD-Y. Live so God can use you any where any time. 

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

SOME PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO HELP YOU

Ladies and gentlemen I have a problem. My problem is this new generation of saints or christians. When I was coming up, the truth was the truth. It wasn't judging. It was the truth. The folks that taught me believed what the bible says, the truth shall make you free. But we live in a generation now where you tell the saints what they're doing is wrong and a sin, they get offended and lash back like it's an argument. There was this famous line that was quoted many times after it was heard, "You can't handle the truth."

My mom told me in no certain terms one time that the truth is the truth no matter who says it. Like shacking up before marriage or cussing. Folks get real offended talking about that. Or the big one, homosexuality. No don't talk about homosexuality. Don't talk about shacking or cussing. Don't talk about why we don't celebrate certain days. I think the problem the devil is trying to shut our mouths. He knows he's heading to the lake of fire and he's trying to take any and everybody he can. I understand that the government is corrupt. We've known that for years. But let's not act like the body of Christ has been perfect. I think the same way we give the devil too much credit, I think we give the government too much credit. We got to take responsibility for our own actions at some point and time. Like black folk blaming the white man for everything.

Now I for one don't like to be singled out or judged if you will. One the many lines I quote often is, "Don't judge me." But yet and still, wrong is wrong. The world as well as the church has become such a "politically correct" society. I hate to tell you but the truth hurts. The truth will offend if you're not willing to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." It is written, "With loving kindness have I drawn thee." There is a difference between condemning and showing loving kindness. I think we as a generation have been condemned so much that we don't know what loving kindness is. We don't know how to take the truth because we take EVERYTHING as condemning or judging if you will. But I got news for you, not everybody is trying to send you to hell. Some people are actually trying to help you. Stop being so sensitive, oh me. I say oh me, cause my pastor says often, "If you can't say amen, say oh me." .

I can't tell you what to do behind closed doors. I can't tell you how to live your life. But I suggest that you read and study the word for yourself so you can grow. A song I learned as a child says, "Read your bible, pray and everyday and you'll grow grow grow." Shout out to Sunshine Learning Center. Anyway, we got to learn how to accept help. We pray to God for help, he sends it, and then we reject it. Something's gotta give.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

I'M HARD HEADED LIKE THAT...

God is alive. He's a living God. Why put your faith in one that is dead I don't understand. Muhammad died in 632. He was alive in the 3 digits. Joseph Smith died 1844. Buddha is dead. My bible says those trust in the Lord shall renew their strength. I blogged last week about the Bible. The living word. His word is alive. This same Bible says God inhabits the praises of His people. In order to inhabit anything you got to be what? Alive, right?

I've been talking with Mormons lately and they've been trying to get me to read the Book of Mormon. I told them I would think about it, but like I said last week, I stand alone on the Word of God. Another testimony of Jesus Christ they call the book of Mormon. I personally believe the Bible speaks for itself. They gave me a verse to justify the Mormon book, the last verse in John which says, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." So they claim that Book of Mormon is everything else Jesus did? The verse says, the world can't contain it. Which means to me the World would not be able to handle it. Don't give me a verse to justify your thoughts and don't expect me to read it. I'm hard headed like that.

I watched a video on YouTube where a couple of Mormons tried to talk to this guy about Jesus, but the guy knew the Word for himself. He old them the truth and one of them got mad. Ain't it funny how mad people get when you don't bow down to their thoughts? Or when you use the same thing they try to use against them? Now I don't want to use this blog to blaspheme anybody, but I realize the skepticism I've been getting when I say I've been talking with these two Mormons. I know one is named Elder Borrows. I apologize to the other gentleman for not remembering his name.

All I'm saying again like I said last week you got to study the Word of God for yourself. Don't just take what anybody says verbatim. Trust in the true and living God.

In that video I mentioned earlier the guy that was talking to the Mormons, brought up this verse Luke 21:15 which says, "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." I looked into it and the study Bible I use went back to Luke 12:11-12, and it hit home with me, "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Side Note: I hope this doesn't come off as hate. I have no hate for anybody...that you know of.