MARTYR OR SELF-MARTYRDOM: EITHER WAY WE ALL HAVE TO DIE.

Praise the Lord everybody, let everything that has breath praise His holy name. God is moving by His spirit in these last and evil days. I look forward to being a witness as Gods plan unfolds and God willing, I live to see it all happen.

 today I’d like to share with you on the subject of death and dying as it pertains to those of us who are Christians or as I like to call myself a “true believer.” I think every Christian at one time or another has searched themselves over the question of martyrdom. We all wonder what we would do if we had to make that choice of living for self or dying for our faith in Christ.

The thing is God has already called us to die. The dictionary describes a “martyr” as these two things: One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.

2. One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.

Let’s look at number two; this describes what makes all true Christians a “martyr”. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-35  34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

Paul also states in Colossians 3:1-4

 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where ChIf ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

God has called us to be “self-martyrs.” To Commit self-martyrdom. Paul tells us that we no longer live but it is Christ who lives through us and in us. (see Galatians 2:20) Once we as Christians grasp the fact that “we” no longer live and no longer are subject to our fleshly desires, it becomes easier for us to live a sacrificial life. Romans 12:1 states I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

If you have read Acts chapters 6 and 7 then you are familiar with a true believer named Stephan who was the first Christian martyr. The bible says he was full of the Holy Spirit and his ministry was followed by “signs and wonders.” He was put on trial by the Pharisees and Sadducees for preaching the “blasphemy” of the gospel of Christ. He was found guilty and was taken out and stoned to death. Acts chapter seven states that Stephen did not deny Christ nor plead for his life verses 59 and 60 states 59 and they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord; lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

You see Stephen was already a martyr, he had died to self a long time before this happened. His flesh did not cry out to live because he had already mortified his flesh and all he could see was Jesus as he asked God to forgive his accusers.

When we can get to the point in our relationships with Christ that Stephan had achieved we won’t have to question ourselves about whether or not we would be willing to die for our faith.  We will be ready willing and able to lay our lives down for our faith, and then we will know what Paul was feeling when he stated in Philippians 1:21 for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Finally my Brothers and Sisters, I say give your lives totally to Christ and let Him decide what to do with it.

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

JESUS CHRIST: A LEGACY WORTH PRESERVING

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! I bless the Lord, I bless the Lord, and His praise shall forever be in my mouth. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate what God is doing in my life. The fact that I woke up this morning in the land of the living is reason enough to praise God, He alone is worthy to be praised.

As I left the weekly "hour of power" service at my church this week began to gaze out the window of the Access A Ride vehicle, and as we rolled through the streets of Harlem on our way home to the Bronx, I began to feel something stir up in my spirit. I began to take notice of all the refurbished BrownStone buildings, some were show pieces while others were still in the process of being renovated. I watched as people struggled to maintain a legacy, an earthly history and something that would bring a certain historic charm to their world.

The Lord began to speak through His spirit, telling me how these people were struggling to maintain a history that can not be saved. He reminded me of what Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 24:1+2   And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

I began to see man as God saw us, struggling to hold on to what can not be held on to, holding on feebly to the natural when we needed to be holding onto that which is spiritual. We are not concerned as much about our spiritual legacies as we should be. Our lives here on earth have become too precious to us, our own creations and ideas fill our hearts and minds. Being out and about our fathers business is something the world rarely thinks about and Christians are following the world instead of Christ.

Paul states in Colossians 3:1-3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

We need to remember who's we are and whom we serve. For the short amount of time we are here on earth God has a mission for us, It's not about establishing our legacy, it's about building the legacy of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us so that by His blood we could be saved from ourselves and reconciled with God. The only thing Jesus was concerned about leaving behind as His "legacy" was His Gospel, and the Holy spirit to empower man to spread the Gospel and to live Godly lifestyles.

As men and woman of God, our concern should be that we bear spiritual fruit, rather than worldly fruit. Jesus states in John 15:1-5    I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Let us bear the fruit that God requires and not the fruit that flesh desires.
             God Bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking off the wall

WHAT KIND OF CROWN ARE YOU LABORING FOR?

Praise the Lord everybody! let everything that has breath praise his holy name. I was going to say that "God is doing a new thing in the church" but that would not be true. God is doing what He has always been doing, trying to bring His saints up to a level of acceptability for the Bride Groom. Time is short and God is getting ready to gather His children.

God has instructed us through His word in 1st Peter 5: 5+6  5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

God has called us to walk in humility and not pride. but when you walk into Churches all over this country and you see what appears to be a competition for which sister or brother has the best outfit on that particular Sunday you begin to wonder.

You see the Saints of God battling over positions and titles like employees at a Fortune 500 company. Unfortunately, I find this to be more prevalent among the woman in our Churches. breaking off into different "sororities", Alphas with Alphas and Omegas with Omegas, each group eyeballing the other and commenting on everything from each others' shoes to who has the better hair.
Well, it's time out for that. It is time out for separation in the congregation, this is not the Miss America contest where they compete for a fake diamond crown of approval, God has called us to something better.
Paul tells us in 2nd Timothy 4:7+8  7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

James 1:12 also tells us,  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him

We need to stop competing over what we physically wear and be more concerned about whether we are "clothed in the spirit" or not.(Luke 24:49) Brothers and Sisters, it is harvest time and time to make up our minds about what we are laboring for. Are we in this to be seen and approved by men, or are we in this to serve God and show Him our love for Him because He first demonstrated His love for us? Are we seeking a corruptible crown made by human hands or an incorruptible "well done" crown from God? The choice is ours to make.

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

PASTOR CAN YOU TONE THAT DOWN A LITTLE: REVISITED

Praise the Lord everybody!! let everything that has breath praise His holy name! Because He has done great things. Today God has put it on my heart to share again a post I first posted over six years ago, it was relevant then and unfortunately, it is still relevant today.
I pray that one day that will no longer be the case.


        PASTOR CAN YOU TONE THAT DOWN A LITTLE!


 Through it all God has been faithful regarding His ministry, Speaking Off The Wall. Giving me eyes to see and giving me what to write concerning the Body of Christ. Lately, I have seen Preachers and Pastors like my own Pastor who preaches about living holy and forsaking sin, no matter if that sin is homosexuality, fornication, lying, or stealing. They are preaching Holy Ghost messages straight from the Throne and heart of God. Yet their Churches are not thriving, people are leaving and going where they can hear a more "user-friendly" message just like the children of Israel in Deuteronomy chapter five.

Deuteronomy. 5:22-27    22 These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me.

23 And it came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

24 And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

25 Now, therefore, why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.

26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it.

They could not stand before God and His Holy glory because in their hearts they knew that they were carrying with them the idols and sin they picked up in captivity and they were not willing to forsake them. They knew that no flesh could stand before God and live and they wanted to continue to feed their flesh and not die to it. They were hoping that the sheer holiness of His glory would get lost in translation. "You speak to God and then you speak to us for Him so that we don't have to die!" meaning die to their sin.

God is raising up a remnant of holy men of God, Holy Ghost-filled and uncompromising to preach to his people. Preaching with power and authority and the convicting power of the Holy Ghost. Now just as then there are those who count themselves as part of the body of Christ, Christians, who when they hear the anointed word of God coming from the pulpit with conviction and power refuse to die but rather say " Good word Pastor, that's telling them!" and continue on in their sin, or they say "Pastor can't you tone all that fire and brimstone down God is a God of love." Others just up and leave saying "It doesn't take all that, God knows my heart."

Even though the Children of Israel said they would do everything that God would tell them through Moses God knew better and said in verses 29, 29 O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

News flash! We must be willing to forsake our flesh and die to sin, God has called us to that. Paul said "I die daily" The things that Paul went through he could not do in his flesh. He had to die to self
 We must not run from the Holiness and majesty of God and the convicting power of his spirit and word but embrace it, asking God to deliver us from our secret sin, to help us mortify our flesh and appreciate the Godly sorrow we feel when we fall short of the mark.
You Holy Ghost Pastors keep preaching Holy Ghost fire until that day when God closes your mouth and says "well done".

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

THE CHURCH OF THE CASUAL CHRISTIAN!!

Praise the Lord everybody, let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! I can't thank God enough for His grace and His mercies that are new every morning. He who has ears, let him hear, and he who has eyes, let him see.

Those of us who have our spiritual eyes and ears open realize that God is moving in a mighty way in the Church. God is getting His body in order as a "bride" for her wedding. and He is pulling off covers and exposing the transgressions of each and every church just as He did in Revelations chapter 3.

First, the Lord admonished the Church at Sardi and then went on to the Church of Philadelphia and addressed it's infractions. None was blameless but both had some redeeming qualities, then He came to the Church at Laodicea, and this is what God said, Revelations 3: 14 to 18   14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

God is sickened by "lukewarm" Christians and even though Sardis and Philadelphia had their issues they were not casual about their faith as were the Laodiceans. They put their trust in their wealth and possessions and saw no need to trust Him. A lot of Christian "elitist" are that way today, they tell other more devout Christians "that's good for you, you need to hold on to your faith like that because of where God has brought you from." they look down on those of us who God has delivered from drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, gambling, and homosexuality, etc. To them, God is just something or someone to fall back on when their own plans don't work out.

The Church at Laodicea along with the others needed an attitude adjustment and Jesus went on to say in verses 19 - 22   19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

God desires a zealous church, a church willing to confess and repent from sin, A Church that realizes that God chastens those He loves. To the body of Christ, I say Jesus is standing at our doors and knocking. What will He find when He walks in your church? Will there be casual indifference or holy ghost fire?

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

HOLY GHOST POWER: THERE IS NO APP FOR THAT!!

Praise the Lord everybody!! The Lord is in His holy Temple! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! No matter how many times the devil attacks my body, no matter the pain, I will never turn my back on God because He has never turned His back on me. You see no matter what the enemy says, I know from whence cometh my help, my help comes from the Lord!

The Lord opened up something to me while I was reading one of my favorite scriptures the other night. It was Psalm 24: 7-10 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

The Lord was showing me that His people were no longer looking to Him for answers nor to supply their needs. We have turned to ourselves and the wisdom of the world in our times of need. We see the world with all of it's fast growing technology and we are amazed and we are sucked into it's "we have an app for everything" mindset. Who needs the Holy Ghost when we have "google" and "Siri."
Many Christians feel that depending on God has too many requirements to be met before you can get your problems resolved and you have to do too much "waiting on Him" in this microwave world. "God is too slow," they say. The world cries "Seize the day!" without acknowledging the God who made it. We should know better. David said in Psalm 121: 1+2   I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

We must lift up our eyes like David said and seek the one who made the heavens and the earth. Psalm 24 tells us to " Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." God, by His spirit, wants to come into our lives and be an ever present help to us, but first, we must lift up our heads and seek His face, invite Him in and look to him for all our needs.

God wants us to look up so He can lift us up. Next time we find ourselves in a situation where our anxiety levels are rising as we struggle trying to find a solution on our own, let us lift up our heads in complete surrender and let the King of Glory, with His holy Ghost power, come in and handle the problem.
Jesus said in Revelation 3:20    20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

Man may have the APPs, AI and robotics to call on but we have the creator of creation to call on, Jesus Christ.

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

TAKING OWNERSHIP OF OUR GOD GIVEN POSSESSIONS!!!

Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name. God is clearly doing great things these days as He prepares for these last of the last days. He is getting His people into their proper places in the body of Christ so they can be at their most effective in these final days of the harvest.

God has given us who are saved and under the blood of Jesus the power and the weapons, in His word, to take back from Satan what He stole from us from the beginning in the Garden. Satan became the Prince of this world after Adam and Eve were hoodwinked by Satan, and Satan wasted no time establishing his dominion over it.
In Job 1:6+7 verifies this   6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

There was Satan basically boasting about how he had been on earth doing just about anything he wanted to do in it. Satan shows that he has no problem exploring his boundaries and the full extent of his power. Satan is fully aware of who he is and the extent of his power.

We as Christians must stop shortchanging ourselves. We have to remember God's promises and start taking possession of our possessions. We need to study God's word and learn what our inheritance is in Christ and like satan begin to walk "to and fro" and "up and down" in them. Preachers need to preach, teachers need to teach, prayer warriors need to pray and soldiers have to keep on soldiering. We can't be afraid to get in the devils face because he's not afraid to get in ours.

The word of God says in Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.  

We have to know that when we go out into the world we do not walk alone we are working on Holy Ghost power. we have weapons at our beck and call, God's word which is filled with His promises and God is not slack concerning His promises. It is time to put our gifts to work, in their fulness, for the Lord. It is time to rebuke Satan and call out demons, heal the sick and open blind eyes. We need to Stop using our gifts to win awards and adulation from men and the world and start using them to touch and change the hearts and minds of the lost and the saved. WALK UP AND DOWN IN WHO AND WHAT GOD CALLED YOU TO BE!

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