The pastor says they sit front and center. The gay boys. Sometimes they hold hands. And some folks have said he should address the issue. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say.
There is the couple who are pregnant and not married. Walks in shame as her father a “Man of God”, physically slaps her legs while she is having morning sickness and the Boyfriend who is not wanting to marry her. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say.
And then there’s the man who sneaks in the back door. Fresh off the street. After the service starts. And leaves before altar call. The people sitting close complain about how bad he smells. Of beer and smoke and sweat. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say.
And then there’s the young mama who wears dirty clothes and lets her four children come in and eat all the donuts and drink all the watered-down juice. Some church staff say they “…eat like little pigs. Like they haven’t eaten in weeks.” While the Mama just stands there and lets them. And the elders say something must be done and said. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say.
And there’s the whore sitting among the faithful. And everybody knows her. She sits with a painted-up face, cheap perfume, and a broken heart. And those who sit close, well, they all treat her for what they think she is. And at the last staff meeting, her name came up. Something must be done about her. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say.
The pastor is a good man. Holy and just. And he wants to do the “right and loving” thing. And he wants to “look like Jesus”. And he asks me if I have any thoughts on anything he could say.
Yes, sweet Pastor. I do. Start with this and say it Louder than any other words:
“Welcome to Church. This is a place of love and hope and safety and forgiveness. There will be food for the hungry. Living water for the thirsty. We are so glad you are here. You are invited. You are loved. Come on in—we’ve been waiting on you. Welcome here. We are the church.”
Say that. To the called and to the called-out. To the leaders and the greeters. To the dirty and the clean. We are all the same. We are.
May we blow the dust of religion out of our souls and choose affection instead. May our words and actions and reactions be a sanctuary for all.
Jesus broke many laws to love. So, Jesus, be our voice. Be the only words we should ever speak.I believe this with all my heart. Years ago we were kinder. Everybody looked out for one another. We need to go back to that. It takes us all. We gotta do better at looking out for each other instead of breaking each other down.
I'm going to make a bet, that out of my family and friends, less than 4 will take the time to put this on their wall.
Who Are My four?

Prayer for November 29

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1 Corinthians 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Chapter 13 in 1 Corinthians is known as the Love Chapter. The “it” being referred to in today’s verse is speaking about love. Love always protects, love always trusts, love always hopes, and love always perseveres. Love NEVER fails (1 Corinthians 13:8a).

In today’s verse we see that not only should WE be hopeful in all areas of our lives, but our own behaviors are also able to demonstrate hope. Love is hopeful and expects the best for others. It is a confidence that God loves us and will always do as He says. It was this great love that saved us in the first place, and our hope should remain strong in the love of our Lord (in this passage “love” comes from the Greek term “agapao” and is the love of God, perfect love).

The Greek term for “hope” is “elpidzo,” which is translated as hope and an expectation of good things. Doesn’t that define our God? Always giving us good things. Grace. Free. Mercy. Free. Salvation. Paid by Christ and free to us. His agape love is so perfect and complete that our elpidzo hope trusts that He will continue to offer us great things throughout our lives.

The rough, but more detailed, description of this third point in our verse would read like this: “Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others.”

Throughout the New Testament, we see faith, hope, and love used together again and again. One is usually not mentioned without the other. Today’s verse is just one example. Love and hope go hand in hand, bound together by faith. Our love is hopeful, and we have faith in the Lord to provide.

Love is an action. In this case, love is full of hope and anticipation, or hopeful. Are you?

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Heavenly Father, On this Thankful Thursday morning, we come before you with grateful hearts and open minds. We thank you for your endless love and grace that has sustained us through every trial and victory.

Today, we are reminded of the powerful words in Proverbs 3:5-6, to trust in you with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. We surrender our worries and fears to you, knowing that you are in control and have a perfect plan for our lives.

We are also reminded of the gentle reminder in Philippians 4:6, to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, present our requests to you with thanksgiving. We thank you for your promise to listen to our prayers and provide for our needs.

Father, we lift up our voices in praise and thanksgiving for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us. We thank you for the gift of life, for our families, friends, and all the other things we often take for granted.

As we go about our day, may we never forget to thank you for your goodness and faithfulness. May we trust in your unfailing love and walk in your ways, for you are our strength and refuge.

We pray this in Jesus name, Amen

Jeremiah 33:3 - ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

What do you do when you really want to talk to someone? You call them. You go to their house. You look for them at places you know they usually visit throughout the day. You make the effort to reach out somehow instead of just wishing and hoping to run into them.

God does the same with us. He speaks to us daily, calls to us, walks alongside us…. We are just too busy to notice, too distracted to answer, and too focused on other things. And today He is sending you a message through the prophet Jeremiah and this devotion, if you will listen.

He wants you to know He is there, waiting for us to call out to Him and hoping we listen to His reply. He wants us to pray (Ephesians 6:18). He wants us to seek His wisdom and guidance in the decisions we make. He wants you to turn to Him in times of suffering and discouragement. He wants you to turn to Him in your weakness so He can be your strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). He is always there, always ready and waiting (Psalms 121:4).

Jeremiah wrote these words about when he was imprisoned. He was lonely, discouraged, and broken hearted (he is often referred to as the weeping prophet). But despite being alone, he had God. God reminded him He is always there and to call out and listen for His reply. He has new things for you to learn and to realize. But you have to call out and then listen.

Today stop and take some time to call out to God no matter where you are. Then listen. Listen hard. Listen closely. Listen carefully. But listen.

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Heavenly Father, We come before you today with hearts full of gratitude and thankfulness. As we enter into this Thankful Thursday, we want to take a moment to recognize and appreciate all the blessings you have bestowed upon us.

We are grateful for the gift of this new day, for the breath in our lungs, and for the opportunity to experience your love and grace. Thank you for the provision of our basic needs, for shelter, and for food on our tables. We are thankful for our families and friends, for the love and support they give us each and every day.

Lord, we also want to express our gratitude for the challenges and difficulties we have faced, as they have made us stronger and taught us important lessons. Help us to always have a thankful heart, even in the midst of trials.

Above all, we are grateful for your never-ending love and faithfulness. Thank you for your guidance and protection, for your mercy and forgiveness. We are truly blessed to have you as our Heavenly Father and for that, we will be forever grateful.

As we continue through this Thankful Thursday, may our hearts overflow with thankfulness, and may we never take your blessings for granted. Thank you, Lord, for all that you do. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Hang in there. He's got you in the palm of His hands.
#HappyThursday

Good Wednesday morning ! May God bless your day! Cherrae and I offer you our love and hugs and prayers on your behalf!

Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise, but as wise.

This chapter in Ephesians gives the believer instructions on how to live. Once we become Christians we need to make changes in our life that reflect the internal change to our heart. This is how we grow spiritually. Paul provides many examples of ways a believer should live, then says be careful in how you live and reminds us to be wise in our actions and behaviors.

Wise people are aware of the things they used to do, the sins of their previous lifestyle. They have a new perspective and outlook on life. A wise believer sees life through new eyes, as Jesus sees things.

As Christians we are called to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2). But walking in love is not enough. We also need to be walking in wisdom. How do we do this?

Submit to God - Do what God says to do. This means reading your Bible and praying are a must so that you can determine what He is telling you.

Be an example - Live a good life, one that is pleasing to God. Others will see this and learn from your example. This also means avoiding gossip, slander, and any offense behaviors.

Wise speech - the tongue is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad (James 3:5+6). Be sure to choose your words wisely.

These are just a few things you can be doing to walk in wisdom. Are they part of your daily practice?

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