Wednesday, May 27, 2015

IT'S HARD TO KICK AGAINST THE "CLIQUES"!!

Praise the Lord everybody!! because He alone is worthy to be praised. I pray everyone is enjoying God's blessing. I am celebrating in my heart on one hand because my wife is returning home tomorrow after a twelve day trip due to the family business, thank you God, but on the other hand, I am mourning the loss of one of my church family. Sister Karen was special, she touched many with her powerful testimony and the joy she exhibited due to her subsequent salvation. She was truly thankful and I will miss her. I am dedicating this post to her.

Jesus told us in His word that the world would recognize His disciples by the love they have one for another. In John 13:34-35  34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.

It's a wonderful feeling on a Sunday morning, or whatever morning you go to church, you enter in expecting to experience the love and comfort of Christ from your fellow believer, you are a member of the body of Christ, praise the Lord! A disturbing pattern has become evident over the past 10 - 20 years in the body of Christ, cancer has crept in. Some of us have forgotten what the word "member" means pertaining to the body. especially the Body of Christ.

I have seen it and have heard so many sad stories. "I don't go to church anymore because I didn't feel welcome or needed."  they claimed that instead of the "right hand of fellowship" they got background checks and the third degree. And if you were not accepted by the "Cliques" then they made their "fellowship" very uncomfortable.

You see most churches today are looking for club members and not body members. 1st Corinthians 12: 14-23 Paul states   14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

We need to remember that it is not us but God who adds to the Church as He sees fit, and EVERY person He sends has a role to play in the body. How can we function efficiently if we cut off our arms and legs because we don't like them or they don't "fit in." Sister Karen I believe was a part of our church body to bring us joy and an attitude of gratitude. Paul went on to say in verses 24-28  24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

So let us welcome in all our body "members" with love and thankfulness to God so that the joy of being in Christ can be enjoyed every time we come together by everybody.


  1.                           God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

YOUR FLESH AIN'T GOING WITH YOU!!!!

praise the Lord everybody!! because He alone is worthy to be praised!! I pray you all are enjoying God's blessing. I'm asking everyone who knows the word of prayer to keep me before the Lord concerning my recent illness. The doctors are saying one thing but I am not receiving that I'm putting my trust in the great physician, my Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. He is able to do exceedingly more than I could ever hope for or ask.

 I started out writing this blog about another subject but the Lord let me know that He had something else in mind. God began dealing with me about an issue a lot of Christians have and that is feeding our flesh and giving in to our flesh more than we feed and obey the Holy Spirit that is sealed and dwells within us. When it comes down to the flesh I have a lot of it, and that's because of I and it loves good food, as anyone can tell by just taking one look at my 400 plus pound frame.

Let me tell you something, the flesh is like a spoiled child and it wants what it wants when it wants it. Whether that be food, sex, power, fame, pornography, gambling or anything else it decides it needs. and your flesh does not care what you have to do to get it. Paul said in Romans 7: 18-24  18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Nothing good dwells in our flesh, our members, And let me tell you something, YOUR FLESH  DOES NOT CARE IF YOU GO TO HEAVEN OR NOT, BECAUSE IT AIN'T GOING WITH YOU!!
1st Corinthians 15: 41-50 states        4 1 There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

No flesh can enter the kingdom of God. Our flesh, when it's in charge, is like a deep "black hole" sucking the life out of our spirit man. I know that sounds harsh but it is what it is. We need to stop feeding and petting our flesh, telling it "everything is going to be alright" when it cries out demanding that it be fed. Paul talks a lot about the flesh in Romans 8:1-8    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 
Amen, I couldn't have said it better myself. Sometimes we have to give blaming the devil a rest because it's not always him it's our flesh. The flesh cannot be the strong man in yours or my house, period!
1st Peter 4:1-2    Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 
                         God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

CHURCH!! THIS WORLD IS NOT THE SOLUTION: IT'S THE PROBLEM!

praise the Lord everybody!! Fore He alone is worthy!! Worthy of all glory and worthy of all praise. I pray that you all are enjoying God's blessing. God has really been dealing with me lately concerning my role in the body of Christ in these last and evil days. The road ahead is a lot shorter now than it was twenty years ago. Time is winding down and I have not always been as diligent in my work and my commitment as I could have been. I believe God put me on a sort of "time out" so I could really think about these things when He allowed broken elevators and snow storms to keep me home bound these past months. Now God has lifted the "time out" and I believe my time to go fourth in ministry has come.

The other day I was consecrating and spending time before the Lord when I began to listen to Michael W. Smith sing "My place in this world", a beautiful song, a song that always touched me with it's passion. All of a sudden the spirit of the Lord said to me "no wonder he's so passionate, he's looking for his place in THIS world and there is no place for him in this world!" Then He began to quote scripture to me saying "In 2nd John 2:15-17 it states    15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.       

Mr. Smith like a lot of us are, was  seeking acceptance by the wrong crowd. We've been trying to fit in where we don't fit and where we're not welcome. This world is not our home, we are supposed to wear it like a lose garment, easy to slip off when we reach the finish line.
When Jesus comes for His Church we should be ready to drop this world like a bad habit. Jesus said in John 16:33  33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Even with the word saying all these things about not desiring the world and maintaining a safe distance, churches everywhere are trying to assimilate the things of the world into the body of Christ in order to be more attractive to the world to draw them in, we have forgotten that it's not the music, dancing or even the speaker that draws them to God. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and draws us into relationship with God. God said in His word in 1st Peter 2:9   9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Who are we peculiar to? The World that's who! We can't be peculiar if we are living and acting the same way. "My place in this world" is still a pretty song but that's all it is, a pretty song that has no meaning in the body of Christ.

                             God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall