WHERE THERE IS HELP, THERE SHOULD ALSO BE GROWTH

Psalm 121:1-2 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

I was sitting in bible study, and the discussion was on Jesus being the resurrection and the life. Based on the John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:" The discussion was also talking about "I am." All I kept hearing is "help." I started thinking back when I played C-Team football for Eastside High School, when I was in the 8th grade. I wasn't athletic at all. To be honest I really didn't want to be there. I was just coasting the whole time. Anyway there was a part of practice that was called conditioning, and it mostly evolved a lot of running. I wasn't the fastest runner in the world, so sometimes my teammates would help me out by pulling my shoulder pad. They helped me out so that I became dependent. When they didn't help me I thought, I couldn't do it without their help. So I would ask, "Who's going to help me?" I didn't have the confidence in my ability to even try to do it on my own because I became dependent. I probably could have done it without help, but I didn't think or believe that I could. Then this came to me, "Where there is help, there should also be growth." I became so dependent on the help that I didn't learn from it.

Like in school when the teacher gives you an assignment, and you need help with something. The teacher may help you with that question once or twice, but they expect you to learn through the help and sooner or later get it on your own. So the teacher helps you so you can grow in knowledge to sooner or later do it yourself. When the teacher doesn't help, how do you feel? You feel like no one cares, right? You feel helpless. Now teachers get tired sometimes. They sometimes get to the point where they don't feel like helping. They'd rather sit at the desk and do other things other than helping you with what you need help on. How many of you are glad that God is not like man?

God will help you through anything, if you let him. First you got to want the help. You got to let go and let God. God won't infringe on your freewill. You can say, "Jesus take the wheel" but if your hands is also on the wheel, what's the purpose? When in school if you got a question or you need help, you raise your hand, right? Maybe if some of us lifted up our hands in surrender, we'd be closer to getting the help we need. Second you got to open up your mouth and ask for help. A closed mouth don't get fed. You don't ask for help in class when you needed, you are likely to fail that class right? So naturally so spiritually. You ask God for help, he'll help you. Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help.

I knew I needed help with getting buying groceries. So when I finally filled out an application to get an EBT card, I got the help I needed. If I had not gone to DSS and filled out an application, I'd have no one to blame but me. Sometimes the answer is right in front of our faces, we just got to get up and move. Nobody is going to force you to move. If you can still make your mouth move to form words, you have all you need to ask for help and grow in knowledge.

Some people are dumb because they choose to be. Some people refuse help. And they got to live with that. But Jesus is standing there ready to take you by the hand and lead you in the right direction. Don't feel bad for asking for help. We talked in bible study that it's a shepherd's job to help because sheep are dumb animals. Jesus is the good shepherd right? Let him lead you.

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