Category Archives: Off the cuff

Blogs in this category are more about the personal issues, trials, temptations, and victories I’ve gone through and the demonstration of God’s grace through them.

You’re busy, but is it what God wants from you?

Posted on April 4, 2016 by | Comments Off on You’re busy, but is it what God wants from you?

you're busyYou’re busy in your church; believe me, I understand that. You’re already teaching a Sunday school class, you’re actively participating in the various activities and services of the church. When your pastor or someone else comes to you and asks you to do just one more thing, you jump on it. You have a hard time saying no to the requests because you know that you do have the abilities and skills needed to get those things done. I know what this feels like because this describes me just one year ago. This past Sunday, I was asked to share my salvation testimony as a part of the Sunday morning worship service of the church that I attend. As I shared my testimony, the Holy Spirit laid on my heart to share the concept that a person could be extremely busy in the various ministries of the church and not be fulfilling the ministry that the Lord has placed in front of them.

You’re busy: why I buried myself in the work of the church

I have never been comfortable talking about the work that I do. One of the things that I dislike about college/university teaching is the bi-annual updating of my educational resume. I simply don’t like a lot of fuss made for what I do; I never have and probably never will. Not only do I believe this is scriptural [Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips (Proverbs 27:2); But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)] , it is also a part of the environment I grew up in that I will undoubtedly carry throughout the rest of my life. In no way am I sharing this to brag upon myself but to share how busy I was within the church.

When I was attending Gospel Light Baptist Church, I had become a church trustee, a Sunday School teacher, song/worship leader, worked the church’s audio-visuals with help of family and others, videotaped the sermons, edited and posted them online, and took care of all the church’s printing needs. At one point, I even offered a basic Christian discipleship class for young-in-the-faith Christians. The entire time I was doing these things, I knew it wasn’t the calling that the Lord laid upon my heart. I justified my not surrendering to the Lord’s will by believing that since I was doing all these things for the church then He would just understand. I even tried to wrap up what I was doing with the ministry the Lord had laid on my heart by telling my pastor and others that I wanted to expand the printing ministry to be able to serve small and struggling congregations. Yes, while the Lord has called me to serve small and struggling congregations, it was not the exact way or method that He had laid on my heart

In my mind, I had very good reasons why I was busying myself in the various ministries and support of the church and not being completely surrendered to the Lord’s plan for my life. There’s comfort in what we know; the exact ministry that the Lord had been working on my heart on for the past three years is full of uncertainty to the point that my family and I would have to completely rely on the Lord. Within the gospel of Mark, there is a story of a man, a father, who comes to Jesus about the condition of his son. The father, as any parent would do, asks Jesus for a miracle. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:23-24). For most of us, we will come to a moment in our lives where we know the Lord is capable of a miracle, of taking care of our needs, but we still need to see something before we will let go of our doubts, fears, and worry. I was comfortable were I was at; and in my form of justification, there was no reason that I could not stay there and serve struggling congregations through a printing ministry. 

One of the other reasons were there were things in my past I felt made it nearly impossible to overcome. Even though I have read the verse a hundred times at least, it never really sank in: For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). It is easy to stay in a place of comfort regardless of how busy you have become when you feel that there is something in your past that you believe simply cannot be overcome, that serves as a barrier, or that holds you back from doing what the Lord has called you to do. It becomes easy to see the Goliath and rather than confronting him as the shepherd boy did, to stand back with the armies of Israel, trembling and terrified with every taunt the giant throws out. It took the Lord three separate people to remind me that if He has led me to a certain ministry, then He has prepared the way for me to do it, as long as I put my complete trust and faith, as David did, in the Lord. David knew he had already been promised by the Lord to be the king of Israel. He also knew that with the promise of being king some day, the Lord would protect him from the wrath and anger of any giant that stood in the way, as long as he would keep faith in the promises of the Lord.

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Posted in Christian Living, My Walk, Our relationship with God

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Depression and my Christian faith

Posted on March 23, 2016 by | Comments Off on Depression and my Christian faith

not based on emotionsI am glad and thankful that my salvation is not based on emotions. For those who know me I’ve made no secret about my struggle with depression. Since 2000, I’ve learned a lot about the causes of depression, some of the causes, and even the various treatments available. I’ve also learned that there are many Christians who struggle with depression; unfortunately, I have also learned there are Christians who do not understand the struggle with depression and use it to question the faith of those who do struggle. Before I go any further, I must add that I am not a trained psychologist nor am I offering psychological advice. I’m sharing my struggle with depression and my faith in Jesus.

The Bible does talk about depression…

As I have shared in the past, I really began to learn about myself and about the Lord in 2006; at that time I was 36 years old and had gone through one of the darkest parts of my life. Shortly after accepting the Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, I began intently studying the Bible, trying to find answers to why my life had come undone. I found this verse: As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart (Proverbs 25:20). This verse nearly jumped off the page at me –  here, in the writings of Solomon, was exactly the way I felt when I was emotionally down. I’d go to church and hear from well-meaning members that all I needed to do was to pray, to fill my heart with song, and be around other Christians and it would be enough to help me overcome the depression. That’s exactly like someone taking away your coat during the winter. What I really wanted to tell those well-meaning Christian brothers and sisters was to go sing their song somewhere else!

It is not the only place where the Lord gives us advice on comforting someone suffering from depression. The apostle Paul wrote, Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep (Romans 12:15). While this verse is talking about sorrow, I do believe it can also be referring to those who suffer from depression. What has always helped me more than anything else is to see genuine concern from by brothers and sisters in Christ, willing to share my burdens and pray for me. Those of us who suffer from depression do not need to feel as if we are being judged by others; we feel enough of that in our own minds. Our emotions – for those who suffer from depression – our feelings are already doing double duty…

David wrote My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word (Psalms 119:25). David, a man after God’s own heart, appears to be struggling with depression. For those who suffer from depression, we know this feeling well. Solomon, his son and the wisest of the ancient kings, wrote: The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14). When someone is fighting a round of depression every part of their life is affected – their relationships, their employment, their sleeping and eating habits, and even the relationship they have with the Lord. It takes away enjoyment of life’s simplest pleasures.

Paul also wrote, That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12:25-26). It’s easy for a congregation to celebrate the birth of a baby to a young family, an upcoming wedding or anniversary, or a promotion or award to another member. These are the good times where we can rejoice and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercies, as we should. However, it is something altogether different to comfort one who is hurting and struggling with depression. I don’t get depressed often, but it has always amazed me when I do, how many brothers or sisters in Christ simply do not have the time to spend in fellowship with another Christian who happens to be hurting.

Depression does not affect our salvation…

If you watch any of the popular television evangelists there is an impression that many lost and many Christians get an idea that Christians are supposedly filled with joy and happiness all the time. Somehow, that simply being a Christian brings such happiness into the heart that Christians cannot help but to feel joy. Back in 2007, I shared my struggle with depression with the pastor of the church I had attended for nearly a year. What he told me truly astounded me: “Brother, your faith simply isn’t where it needs to be. You need to give up this depression and just simply trust in Jesus…” From a scriptural standpoint, our emotions are totally separate from our relationship with the Lord; our salvation does not depend on us being in a constant state of joy. 

Continued on the next page.

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Posted in Christian Living, Difficulties and Trials, My Walk

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Road work ahead: Christian growth demonstrated

Posted on March 14, 2016 by | Comments Off on Road work ahead: Christian growth demonstrated

road work ahead signRoad work is something that seems to plague modern civilization. For many of us, just the sight of the orange diamond sign sends a wave of frustration and panic into what would normally have been a fairly uneventful drive. Family vacations can become quite stressful as those all-too-familiar signs begin to warn of road work ahead. If you’re like my family where our adventures to visit family takes us through larger cities such as Nashville and Knoxville (Tennessee) and Jackson (Mississippi), it seems as if those signs are a permanent part of the landscape. On a recent trip to visit family, I began to wonder if others can see such signs as road work ahead as we journey through our faith. I once heard an old country preacher explain during a sermon that if a person isn’t growing, they are dying.

Road work ahead: our spiritual growth is ongoing

For those of you who follow this blog on Facebook, a few weeks ago I shared how I had gotten rid of about fourteen inches of CDs. I love music and still have a variety of music that includes everything from classical to heavy metal – or at least I had. Since about November of 2015, the Holy Spirit began leading me into a direction that at first I resisted: get rid of music I knew was holding me back from spiritual growth. At that time, my Bible reading had taken me to Psalms, but one verse seemed to leap off the page at me: I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me (Psalms 101:3). As I continued reading that morning, I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit urging and pleading with me. I didn’t listen to the CDs when my daughter was home because I didn’t want her exposed to the lyrics on them. I justified keeping them because I liked the music, but as the Holy Spirit began working on my heart I realized that if I didn’t want my daughter to listen to them, I probably shouldn’t listen to them either. 

As we begin to grow and mature in our faith the Holy Spirit begins to do road work on the path that our life will take us. Jesus told us about the work of the Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26). Once we have received Jesus as our personal savior, the Holy Spirit begins its work to mold us into the new creation God wants us to be.  Where the Holy Spirit began a work on my heart to rid myself of music I shouldn’t listen to, He may be doing a work in your life calling you to give up something else, such as a toxic relationship, a habit or addiction, a television show, or yes, even some sort of music. When we are obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit we actually please the Lord: And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). Yes, I had complete free will to either obey or reject the leadership of the Holy Spirit; if I sincerely desire to place the Lord’s will above my own, then the choice becomes simple.

Rest assured, if you are a child of God, even if you do not see it, there are areas of your life, as there still are in mine, where the Holy Spirit will lead us to change. It relates directly to what the apostle Paul strove to teach the early Christians in Corinth: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). What Paul is describing in this passage is that God calls us to prepare for road work in our lives. He tells us to be ready for it!

Road work ahead is proof the Lord really cares

Each year, the local department of transportation evaluates roadways and traffic patterns around the cities within its jurisdiction. From these periodic evaluations, decisions are made to widen some roads, redirect traffic flow from others, to build new routes, and in some cases, to stop service and maintenance to others. This accurately describes what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer.  As uncomfortable as road work can be for the traveler, it can also be uncomfortable in the life of a Christian. The Bible clearly teaches this in two verses: Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee (Deuteronomy 8:5) and For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebrews 12:6). The work of the Holy Spirit within our lives is proof of the love of  the Lord towards us. The Lord would not waste the effort to correct, to mold, to direct the life of someone who rejects Him. Even Hosea the prophet testified to this: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children (Hosea 4:6).

We continue to grow spiritually and should look forward to the growth with great excitement. Yes, there are going to be growing pains and there will be times when it seems that we are being asked to surrender more than our share. Just keep in mind that each of us are on a different path in our walk of faith with the Lord.

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Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Discipleship, Increasing Faith, My Walk, Our relationship with God

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