Dormant Demons

One Sunday our Pastor preached about human trafficking through the verse of Acts 16:16-20. There was an enslaved woman who was possessed by a spirit which made her see the future and in turn she made her owners tons of money. Clearly I am not forced into a realm of prostitution, but I do think that we as people have dormant demons that we must deal with. It is only through constant evaluation, prayer, and strong faith that we are able to confront them daily and move on.

 

An after church discussion brought to mind a conversation about Beyonce and how she claimed that when she’s on stage, she has no idea who that person is. She doesn’t feel like herself. In real life, if she was asked to move the way she does on stage, she would fail miserably; therefore, she created this alter ego to let the spirit that encompassed her exist peacefully. Mentally, we all have these internal struggles in which there are things that we would like to do vs. what we should/could do. The demons are not physical as they would be portrayed in movies, but mental and self-influenced, and in most cases they manifest in our insecurities.

I have a few  dormant demons hanging around in the crevices of my mental, but I’ve learned that in order to deal fully with them I have to first begin to call it them by name. Mommy brought it to my attention that there is power in a name, and as I began to think about it, I concluded that it was true. Think about your relationships and the phases that they move through: with each title/name comes certain guidelines, restrictions, expectations. Even when titling ourselves, we begin to think and act like the name we're given. In order to face our demons and exercise them out of us, we must first be able to honestly and openly admit what they are.

 

Two demons that I most recently dealt with were superficiality and lust. There have been many instances when dealing with men that I’ve made myself believe that this guy was perfect for me because aesthetically he fit my “Ken” requirements.  I would allow their physical features to blind me to the essence of who they really were (not saying that they were terrible people, they just were not right for me). I had found someone who met all of my physical desires and I lusted for him temporarily. Typically this guy would be tall, dark, easy on the eyes, in shape, great smile, and in my mind we’d make beautiful babies and take amazing wedding photos. We fit the standard for our wedding cake topper. I could wear my heels and he’d still be taller than me, and he would typically be begging me to jump into bed with him so he made me feel desired. Talk about wanting a man for all the wrong reasons.

I had gotten so entangled in my own selfish perversions and ideologies that I was willing to sacrifice my self-respect, self-worth, my time, the respect of the people who have proven on a daily basis how much they love me, and my relationship with our Heavenly Papa for a delusion.

Mark 16:17 states that “In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.” It was not until I began having constant conversations with Heavenly Papa, Mommy, and anyone else who was willing to listen that I realized the only way to deal with my convictions is to name them one by one and turn them over to Heavenly Papa. Sounds simple, right. Wrong. It takes a lot of faith and a whole lot of patience to change, but I’m working on it and Heavenly Papa is working on me. When I learn to be most comfortable with him and only him, he will provide for me what my heart desires, which should only be to walk in likeness of him. Until then, I will be calling out my demons one by one, turning them over to my Lord & Savior.

A Stepping Stone to Faith

In a world where chaos is the new norm and the people are becoming desensitized to random acts of violence, sexual deviance, and any other example of immorality, one may find themselves asking, “Where’s God?” Proverbs 15:3 states that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch over the evil and the good.” Even though the world is full of despicable things, Heavenly Papa sees and knows all, but it is only those “whose hearts are fully committed to him,” that will be truly saved through Jesus’ redemption.

The problem with that is that not everyone knows quite how to allow Jesus in their hearts. To reiterate my previous post, we as people are in a constant state of brokenness. It is only through this state that we can be redeemed because if we lived in a perfect world, there would be no need for Jesus. The issue that arises is that some people are so victimized by their brokenness that instead of seeking God, they begin to resent him and start to lash out in other ways. Think of the child who lost his/her parent to an untimely death and was left to fend for itself in a world that is harsh and cruel to vulnerable people. The girl too afraid to call herself pretty because her mom was too busy working two to three jobs to notice and her father wasn’t around, or the young boy who will never know what it is to be a man because he’s spent his days watching men disrespect his mother, with no Christian male role-model in his life. What about the children who spend hours alone or feeling unloved because their well off parents were too busy traveling the world without them or focused on loving their money? People who’ve been raped, battered, victim of hate crimes, the list goes on. All people find themselves victims at one point or another, but the way to pull you out of the dark place is to find something to believe in. To come to an understanding that Faith & Hope saves lives.

There are many means of learning about the word of Christ and how to apply it to the current situation and help you through. The Bible, real life situations and circumstances, other people, nature, music are all means of learning about Christ. All of these useful tools can be found in one place in particular: the church.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states that “you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you.” For those people who do not know God or have not accepted our Heavenly Papa in their lives, the church can be a stepping stone to allot them to begin thinking about a working relationship with Christ. It is only by accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior that one begins to realize that the body is a temple in which Heavenly Papa dwells.

My Bestie took me to fellowship with her at church and it was through those meetings when I began to acknowledge that there were changes I needed to make in my life and that I wanted to be a warrior for Christ. Since that time, I’ve had a much more peaceful life knowing that I can Hope for a better future by trusting in the Lord.

There is a Mount of Olives church in Saint Louis du Nord, Haiti that is in need of a stronger roof that will withstand the constant tropical storms that plow through the area. The building project is $15,000. So far, the organization has raised $12,520. That leaves only $2,480 left to be raised. If you’re interested in helping to secure a church home that will help bring the brokenhearted closer to Christ, please click on the following link  https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4g3dd/ab/02EI6a Remember every little bit helps!! We all could use just a little more Jesus.

Roll of Thunder

Today, it’s storming outside. The thunder is roaring louder than lions, jet planes, and trains on tracks combined. It makes me feel at peace, and reminds me of a time of innocence. When it would thunder like this, as a kid, my grandmother would turn off all the lights and the televisions, unplug the phones, and say, “Hush child, that’s God talking.” I would sit still for about fifteen minutes, and then try to ease my way back into conversation about questions that danced around in my head. Each time, she would repeat the phrase, and the cycle would continue until I either fell asleep or the storm ended. I miss those days.

My grandma lives about 8 hours away now, and sometimes during storms, I call her and mention casually that its thundering and lightening outside, just to hear her say, “Hush child. That’s God talking. Get off this phone.” The phrase means something a little different to me now, and I’ve taken it to apply it not just to storms literally, but to problems (storms) that may arise in my everyday life. Any time, there is a storm brewing, I need to take the time to focus on the bigger picture that Heavenly Papa has planned.  

Whatever you want to call that tumultuous period in your life: storms, wilderness, mountains, rock bottom, etc., it is a time that Heavenly Papa is warning you to slow down, seek him, and see the bigger picture. I’m not sure if my grandma knows exactly how her words help to guide me through, but I now know that in the midst of a storm, I need to not focus on external factors that make up the storm, but be sure to hone into God and learn how to benefit from the storm.

I had the opportunity to watch the movie “Focus on the Family: Irreplaceable” in which the overall message was that we as people are all broken and it is through our broken state in which we can be redeemed. Redemption is the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. The documentary made a valid point when it affirmed that in order to become one with our Heavenly Papa, we have to go through pain and suffering, because if we are not tempted, broken, or in a constant state of loss, then  everything is perfect. In a perfect world, there is no need for redemption.

 

Storms are not only reminiscent of our struggles that force us to transcend, but they also reflect the relationship that our Heavenly Papa has with humanity. It’s this ongoing cycle; the reason behind our imperfections. Heavenly Papa gave us free will so that only those who truly believe in him and love him will be able to spend eternity with him in Heaven. When he administered that right, he knew that he would be opening himself up to disappointment because he’d expect everyone to follow him willingly, but he knew it would not be the case. I like to think that every time it rains, Heavenly Papa is shedding his frustrations with mankind, just like he did in Genesis 7:1,4 when he recognized that Noah “[was] righteous before [Him] in this generation,” and made the decision to “cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and destroy from the face of the earth all living things that [he had] made.” While he is not sending great floods, thunderstorms reminds us that he is present and we need to seek him. Those who truly believe will “hush and listen.”

Jesus: Priceless or Nah??

Lenten Season and Easter is one of the most reflective holiday seasons as people sacrifice and attempt to further their walk with Christ in celebration of Heavenly Papa’s ultimate sacrifice for us, his son Jesus. This year, I realized that despite all my efforts to be good, I’m much better at being bad, especially before I came to this point in my walk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out doing repulsive things, but some of my actions make me aware that at any given moment, it’s my human nature to reject my Heavenly Papa. The heart is a sinful tool.

A penny for your thoughts, a nickel for your kiss, a dime for your love? All questions posed to show that nowadays there is monetary value placed on everything, but the question asked specifically nowadays, “How much for your soul?” In an economy where trade and bartering reign supreme and the world places more value on a dollar bill than that of morality, one must ask themselves, “what’s Jesus worth to me?”

In the story of Jesus’ time on Earth, his demise and departure cost the Romans 30 pieces of silver. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples sold him for thirty measly pieces of silver. Some may scoff and think that is the most ridiculous thing that Judas could have done; however, we sell Jesus on a daily basis for a lot less, regardless of what we’d like to tell ourselves.

I had a conversation with my Bestie about the whole concept of no one sin being greater than the other, and how we as people have to take accountability for our actions once we decide to live a saved life and follow Jesus. When living a saved life, this means that as a Christian I must “put off [my] old self, which belongs to [my] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of [my] mind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:22-24). I know what is right from wrong, and although I do things incorrectly, I must attempt to do things the right way.

When I blatantly do things that I know Heavenly Papa won’t approve of, I am selling Jesus, and sometimes for a lot less than thirty pieces of silver. I am literally telling Heavenly Papa that I know you sent your son to save me, but ehhh…screw your grace. There was a time when I sold out Jesus for the potential of a relationship with this guy (and guess who didn’t end up in a relationship)? In the beginning, I had expressed to this man that I was not interested in partaking in any sexual endeavors, and he claimed to respect that, but as time moved on, he would try to pressure me into doing things. Even though I was uncomfortable with the situation, and stood firm on the no sex part, I would find myself thinking about complying with other requests that in my mind seemed not be that big of a deal. When it was all said and done, just the thought meant that I was selling Jesus and when I did agree to certain things, well…you get the drift.  

Anytime we make a conscious decision to do things that Heavenly Papa will not approve of, we’re selling Jesus. So anytime you get a little twitch in your twat, or an itch in your hot hand, and you decide that your own personal desire is worth more than what is right, you're selling Jesus. It’s the same concept with drugs, alcohol, unruliness, manipulating people for your own good, loving money before all things, etc.

Luckily for us, Heavenly Papa did send Jesus to be our saving grace and 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds me that God is faithful, and he will not let [me] be tempted beyond [my] ability, [and] with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, [and I will] be able to endure it.” Regardless of how many times I fail to please our Heavenly Papa, I know that his love is unconditional and he will constantly test me until I get it right. Some lessons take a little longer to learn, but as long as I am consciously making an effort to get it right, I put a smile on his face. I’m reminded of that every time the sun peeks through the clouds in the sky. He wouldn’t test me if he did not know I was able to handle it, and I’m hopeful that the day will come where Jesus will truly be priceless.

Hold That Thought

Every morning my Grand-Uncle sends me a text message with a daily Bible Verse. The goal is to start my day with a positive word from God which helps me focus on doing what the word says and applying it to different aspects of life resulting in me gaining a different outlook. This morning, my Uncle’s text message came in while I was brushing my teeth. My response was to click the button so that the phone would stop vibrating and continue to brush my teeth. As I continued with my routine, the phone vibrated again as a reminder that I had not checked my message. My Bestie told me that it was going off, and I replied to her, “It’s just my Uncle with the daily word.”

After the message sat there for about fifteen minutes, I moved on to fixing my hair and as I was staring in the mirror at the light bouncing off my face creating a shadow in my reflection, it dawned on me: Did I just say it’s no big deal? Did I just decide to put the “word” on pause?

More often than not, this is an action that many of us do. We get caught up in the everyday routine of life and forget to take the time to appreciate what it is that Heavenly Papa is actually doing for us. We also forget to spend time in his word. For instance, it’s almost been a month since my last post. I was too busy to sit and reflect on the words that Heavenly Papa had given me. I read every day, mostly because I have many different streams of the word coming in. I get it via text, email, phone conversations, real life conversations, church, on-the-line, the Bible, etc. You name it, I get it. The word comes to me through many different venues, but a good work spoken means nothing if I don’t take the time to hear it and apply it to my everyday life. Receiving the word had become not a big deal, and I put the word on pause, which may have led to this anxious feeling I’ve been having lately.

There are several instances in life where complacency gets the best of you and you’re not sure what more it is you should be doing, but you know that you should be doing more. You feel like you’re getting too comfortable in your present state, wherever that may be and you begin to feel a certain level of anxiousness, at least for me I do. This period has come to roost for me. Over the past month, my time spent not hearing the word, I’ve been in a constant state of worry.

Romans 10:17 lets us know that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Because I was so preoccupied with things going on in the real world, I allowed my faith to be altered. If I were to continue to hear the word and not just partake in the word, the month would have been a lot better for me. I’ve scheduled 15 minutes in my day before work and 15 minutes bed to reflect on the word that I’ve gotten for the day. In the morning, I figure out how to apply it to my life, and at night I acknowledge whether or not I did it. If I did not accomplish application, then I explore the reasons why and try again the next day.

I don’t like feeling anxious or out of sorts, so I’m going to do my best to make sure I don’t put the word on pause again. After all, when Heavenly Papa is talking to you, it’s always a big deal. If he has seen fit to put someone in my life who will share with me his word on a daily basis, I’d better begin to appreciate it because there are so many in the world who can’t hear or receive the word on any level. Heavenly Papa. Thank you.

Kindness Mends

Have you ever heard the sound of a heart breaking?  Tried to mend the pieces after they’ve been broken? Were you once that person locked in a room of darkness unable to bring yourself to the light? Has your faith been downtrodden and disparaged to the point of what you thought was beyond repair? Brokenness, pain, or anguish, (ROCK BOTTOM) looks different for everyone, but each person who goes through these tough periods need the same things: comfort and assurance that life will get better from here. A faith of this sort is hard to develop and or maintain during tough times; however, there is a way that onlookers can to help the disheartened get better: Practice kindness.

This morning was not one of my best mornings. I woke up late, forgot my wallet at home, and as I was sitting in traffic 15 minutes away already 5 minutes late for work, I began to get this bubbly feeling in my gut. Needless to say, to me, I was having the morning from hell and I wish that I could have just turned my car around, go home and try again tomorrow. By the time I got to work, I was extremely annoyed and my stomach was in knots. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with any parents. While en route to the nearest restroom, a student ran up to me, hugged my legs and said, “Ms. JoJo. I brought you a snack.” It was a half-eaten granola bar, but that one gesture changed my entire mood. Momentarily, I forgot about everything that was weighing so heavily on my mind and the day seemed a lot brighter.

I began to think about how nice the sky looked as the sun broke through the clouds while I was sitting in traffic. I noticed the light airy walk and bright smile of one of my co-workers and it brought great joy to realize that she never seems to be unhappy.  Then I was extremely excited that there was not a line for the bathroom, and even more excited that there was no one waiting when I got out (thank God).  All of these thoughts began because a child decided to share a treat with me. One small act of kindness influenced my entire day.

Typically, I try to be kind to as many people as possible, especially to those people who I know dislike me. In the book of Luke, I am reminded that “it’s easy to love those who love [me]. It’s easy to help those who help [me]…But [Heavenly Papa] says to love your enemies and do good to them (6:32-35). Being kind to people that I know detest my guts has always been a struggle for me. For example, once during monsoon rains, I saw this girl that was always rude to me trudging along in the rain. She was about three and a half miles away from where she needed to be. My first mind told me to stop, so I did, asked her where she was going. I could see the look of elation come over her face when I pulled over to ask, but then it was light a light bulb switched on and I thought to myself, she's never nice to me. So, when she said where she was headed…I was like yeahh…I’m not going that direction and sped off, leaving her there to wilt away as she continued her walk. I’m almost certain that did not make her day any better. Reflecting on that situation, I can say now that she has a reason to dislike me, when before that day I had no idea why she did not like me. The reason why should not have bothered me at all. Instead, I should have been kind to her and perhaps she would have been nicer.  No one ever really knows the reason a person has a hardened heart, but instead of perpetuating their bitterness, sprinkle a little bit of kindness and prayer in hopes that the person will get better.

 

At the end of our church service on Sundays, we read a covenant in which we agree that "[Heavenly Papa] is sending us into the world to be his salt & light and that we are peacemakers and not agents of confusion." Continuously practicing kindness is one of the ways I try to adhere to my promises to Heavenly Papa. Over the years, I have grown and I know that if I “Trust in the LORD with all [my] heart, and do not lean on [my] own understanding. In all [my] ways [if I continue to] acknowledge him, he will make straight [my] paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Just trusting and believing in God uplifts me in discouraged times, and I am appreciative that he sends kind gestures my way to remind me that he is always with me. It is for that reason alone that I do the best that I can to pay those gestures forward.  So ask yourself, what have I done to touch someone’s heart today? We never know what storm clouds just a simple smile can blow away.

Don't mind the White Jesus

“Son of God” is a pretty entertaining movie and I’d encourage anyone to go see it: believers or nonbelievers. It is interesting to see another person’s interpretation of how the Biblical stories played out. Watching the movie brought about different thoughts about the stereotypes that have been attributed to Jesus over the years. For example, a person could have seen Jesus as a hippie “promoting peace and free love.” Another person could suggest that Jesus was portrayed as a Rock Star appearing to be placed on a pedestal. What I’d like to talk a little bit about is the reason why in most cases Jesus is typically categorized as a white man even though most would argue that visions of Jesus in the Bible portray that “[parts of his body] were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1:15), meaning that Jesus was anything but white.

During the movie, my Bestie pointed out that Jesus was the only person in the movie that did not have a hint of color. He was purely white: skin, teeth, clothes, everything about Jesus was white. Part of the reason for this could have simply been because the color white in religion typically symbolizes pureness and well, you can’t get any more pure than Jesus.

 

With that being said, most people still get irate and find it offensive when they see the images of Jesus as a white man. I used to be one of them until it dawned on me that the portrayal of Jesus is not about his race/ethnicity, but more so what that color represents in its authentic world of colors.

 

Even though Jesus roamed the Earth, we do not get descriptions of him in the physical sense, but we do know that Jesus “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2) and that “when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (I John 3:2). When thinking of this description and the natural essence of colors. White is the only color that can be manipulated to look like other colors. For example, when painting and you’re running low on blue paint, one would just add the blue to the white and the white would then take on characteristics of the blue. Granted, it won’t be the same shade of blue, but it will still be blue nonetheless. In order for Jesus to be a representation of all people, he has to be portrayed as a color that would envelope the characteristics of all people. Because Jesus is portrayed as white and is the light, his presence should be a reflection of who we are as a people. His whiteness is inviting to all those who worship. “The glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23), there is reason to believe that Jesus should be depicted as illuminating that white light because he is our reason for seeing. He’s only depicted as a man because that is what we humans are: men.

 

The next time I see an image of white Jesus, as an African American woman, I will not take offense. I will simply smile and place myself in the image because when Jesus returns, he will be like me, and I am formed in Heavenly Papa’s image.