THE AMERICAN CONTROVERSY

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! The Lord in His grace and mercy has truly been good to me. He has blessed me despite my shortcomings, despite my issues, but still, I know I must do better in my service to Him. I cannot continue to take advantage of God's long-suffering love for me, neither can America.

The good old USA, the land of "In God we trust", and the "Ten Commandments" posted on the walls of our courtrooms, and the home of hot dogs, apple pie and "God-fearing" people, God is trying to tell us that we have a "controversy" with Him. This is not the first time God has had a "Controversy" with His people.

Hosea 4: 1-3 states,
1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Everywhere you look these days, from the White House to the Church, We see the lying, the swearing, stealing and the lack of mercy, being demonstrated by the people of America. A country that at one time had such faith that it put the words "In God, we trust" on it's most valuable possession, it's money! Now we want to remove God's name from everything, the mere mention of His many names or His son Jesus is enough to cause tension and dissension between people. In a country that at one time would not even show two married people sleeping in the same bed on T.V. or open it's store's for business on Sundays because it was "the Lords day," now anything goes on T.V. and Sunday's are one of our busiest shopping days of the week.

God is now saying to us enough is enough. The Lord has "controversy" with this Nation and all you have to do is look around to see how far we have fallen. This country is about to explode, it is divided by race, religion and political ideology. And the Church, which should be the steadying force, the "rock" on which this country was supposedly built, is just as fractured as this country is. The Church is divided over race, politics, doctrine and even sexual preference. We have reached the "controversy" stage with God. We need healing!!

2nd Chronicles 7:14 states If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 

This is our lifeline, we need to grab hold of it, we need to humble ourselves in fasting and prayer. We need to stop compromising with the world and recognize sin for what it is, sin. God wants to heal our land, all we have to do is follow His instructions.

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

FOR SUCH A TIME AS TODAY!

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! I am so excited by the times we live in. We can see God moving everywhere we look in this world. Yes, for those who have "eyes" to see, these are exciting times for the body of Christ.

It seems like the more I try to press in to get closer to the Lord, the devil is right there fighting tooth and nail against my every step. This is no time to be caught on the outside of God, looking in with your lamp flickering for lack of "oil" inside it. We have to be prayed up and ready at all times to be used by God in these last and evil days. The following is just a little food for thought that the Lord gave me to share with you all.

                 
Esther 4:10-14          10) Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11) “All the Kings officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the King in the inner court without being summoned the King has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the King to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the King.” 12) When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13) he sent back this answer “do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  14) for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. But who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

A lot of us Christians appear to be in a rut these days, we’ve been Saved a few years now we’re sanctified and Holy Ghost filled and we’re just sitting back enjoying our Christian walk. It seems like God hasn’t asked us to do anything since we first got saved except not to forget the assembling of ourselves together. I believe Esther was feeling the same way, she probably thought her fasting and praying days were over. A lot of us Saints are feeling the same way. We’re just sitting back waiting for our next assignments. We’re waiting on God to “give me a ministry” to open that door that no man can close, we plead “Stir up the gifts Lord!” and the Lord is looking down from heaven saying “WHY?”

“Didn’t I see you walk past a starving beggar yesterday without giving him a second glance? Did not sister Sherry remark to you that she lost three volunteers last week at the food bank and all you said was “I’ll keep you in prayer,” As you kept right on walking to “your” car. Everybody is waiting for an Esther moment, a moment where they are suddenly thrust into harm's way and have to make a decision that could lead to them being martyred or to them becoming the next Christian Idol. We’ll be on all the Christian talk shows and invited to speak at conferences and revivals all over the country.  While we are waiting for our big moment to serve, God is saying “you want to minister? Then minister!” Help unload trucks down at the food bank, give a helping hand at the soup kitchen. Maybe hand out some tracts in the area of your church. How about visiting the sick and the shut-in. Who knows maybe the reason God called you out of darkness in the first place was for such a time as this. “This” being any opportunity that comes your way to show the love of Christ. Why wait for an Esther moment to serve God when there are so many moments that are passing you by. 1st Corinthians 15:58 states  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Our time here is short, who are we to not take advantage of every opportunity that God sends our way to spread the love of Christ and serve for such a time as today.
         God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall



                                                                   
                                                                                   

POWER OUTAGE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST!

Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name. I am loving what the Lord is doing in my life right now. Some of the lessons are painful, but I know God chastens those He loves.

Today I would like to share a little food for thought that the Lord gave me to share with another ministry, and now He wants me to share it with you all. It all started with the following scripture.

              Acts 2:46,47       46) “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

There is a reason the Christian church is not growing as fast as Islam or other religions throughout the world, and it’s not because there are not enough televangelist, Christian radio stations, missionaries or tent revivals. In some Cities in America, there are two and three churches on one block. We have street preachers, subway evangelist and people who just hand out tracts on street corners. Still, the Christian church is not growing as fast as other religions, especially in the U.S. There is something missing from the Body of Christ, we have forgotten some of the things that gave the church power, things that spurred the Lord to bless the church and to prosper it.

The above scripture from Acts talks about the church being in and continuing in one accord. The power of being in one accord was demonstrated on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told his disciples they would receive power from on high and when they were gathered together in one accord they received that power and went on to shake up the world. The reason Christian Church is no longer shaking up the world is because there is no power in the church anymore, we are no longer in one accord.

 We are separated by doctrine, race and religious rituals. When was the last time neighborhood churches truly fellowshipped together? When was the last time they went out into the field together to work the harvest together? Instead, we look for excuses to put each other down and reasons why we cannot possibly be yoked together with “THEM”. We can’t even come together in one accord in our own “Church clubs”, I call them church clubs because we treat them like private clubs, members only! We pull up in our fancy cars and step over the locals as we enter the house of prayer.

 Once inside we Question Gods authority, the authority God put in place to run the church and bring forth His vision for the church. There are instances of disobedience, backbiting, gossip and sowing seeds of discord. And Gods work gets lost in the mix.

We need to get back to breaking bread together and coming together in one accord for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to serve God and worship him in spirit and in truth. We need to flip the power switch back on so that preachers can preach the full council of God with boldness and without fear. Stop fighting the vision and start embracing your pastors vision because he received it from God. Of course, if your pastor goes off track from the word of God point it out to him, otherwise, follow him as he follows Christ. Reach out to the Churches around you join with them in their labors to bring in the harvest, fellowship, break bread and come together in one accord and watch the power of God Flow.

God, Bless you all. Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

Praise the Lord everybody. let everything that has breath praise His holy name. I continuously thank God for His grace and mercy. He is truly doing a great work my wife and I's life. Every day I look forward to what He hs planned for us.

Today He has given me a little food for thought on relationships. People are always concerned about relationships. Relationships at work, with family, with friends and with the opposite sex, relationships with the opposite sex being the most agonized over.

Christians being human also find themselves agonizing over relationships and falling into the same traps as the world. Today I want you to know that there is only one relationship, as a Christian, that you need to worry about, the one that will affect and shape all others, and that is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21-23  21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

We must not fool ourselves into thinking that God will accept any kind of relationship with us. We cannot look at it as just a job where you punch in, do your work and then just punch out at the end of your shift. No matter how great a job you do at work you must realize that the relationship does not end at the end of your shift. You can’t talk your way through a relationship with God either, lip service will not satisfy Him. Isaiah 29:13NIV STATES,  The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

 God wants to spend Quality time with you. God wants to be your everything, your all and all.

God is love and how can we know what love is if we don’t know Him? The bible says in  1 John 3:16-20 (NIV)

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

A loving relationship with Christ is the cornerstone needed to build all our other relationships on. So, make sure the love of God is in you and leading you in every way. Next time someone asks you about relationships, make sure to ask them about their most important relationship, the on with Jesus Christ.

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

     

WE ARE THE "LIGHT BRIGADE!!

Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! I can't begin to tell you how deep the Lord is working in my life. He is digging up the deep things in me that I thought were long dead and buried in me and resurrecting them so that I can deal with them. It is a sometimes painful but necessary procedure. God is doing a work in me, and I like it.

The Lord is in the process of getting His body, the Church, in order. He is coming soon. The other day I found myself thinking about a poem that I hadn't read since I was a boy. The poem was "The Charge of the Light Brigade" BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON.
It was one of my favorite poems at the time, it started off like this: 
 Half a league, half a league, 
Half a league onward, 
All in the valley of Death 
   Rode the six hundred. 
“Forward, the Light Brigade! 
Charge for the guns!” he said. 
Into the valley of Death 
   Rode the six hundred. 

II 
“Forward, the Light Brigade!” 
Was there a man dismayed? 
Not though the soldier knew 
   Someone had blundered. 
   Theirs not to make reply, 
   Theirs not to reason why, 
   Theirs but to do and die. 
   Into the valley of Death 
   Rode the six hundred. 

III 
Cannon to right of them, 
Cannon to left of them, 
Cannon in front of them 
   Volleyed and thundered; 
Stormed at with shot and shell, 
Boldly they rode and well, 
Into the jaws of Death, 
Into the mouth of hell 
   Rode the six hundred. 

Let me stop right here, I'm sure you get the idea. Anyway, as I sat there envisioning their gallant charge with no regard for their own lives, God began to deal with me in that regard. The Bible states in Revelation 12:7-11 that 7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

As I read this passage it came to me that as soldiers of the Lord, covered in the full armor of God, We are Gods "Light Brigade." Our Job is to bring God's light to the lost, no matter what the cost. Jesus told His disciples "14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." in Matthew chapter 5.

We have a mandate from our "commander and chief" to be light for a dying world, and we must carry that light, even if it turns out to be a suicide mission. I don't know about you all but, I'm not ready to die. But even more important than that is I don't want to die before I completely carry out my mission. I want to hear God say "well done Brother Darrell, come and enter into my rest." I don't want to hear "Get away from me, I never knew you." 

We have our work cut out for us because the world loves darkness as stated in John 3:17-2117 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Half a league, half a league, half a league onward, we must advance the love and light of God into the darkness of a dying world. charge!!
               

God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off the wall

I AM SIMON OF CYRENE: REVISITED 2

Praise the Lord, I first posted this at this time the last two years and I was blessed by the response. During this time of prayer and reflection, I was moved to re-post it this year. To God be the glory.



Praise the Lord everybody! I pray everyone is enjoying these holy days leading up to Resurrection Sunday. These are days of wonder, days to look back in retrospect at what Jesus did for us. The other night I was watching the "Passion of the Christ" and as I watched I was again appalled by the brutality of His death. I also was intrigued by the plight of Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus carry His cross. As I meditated on it I was moved to write the following account as seen through Simon's eyes. Luke 23:26
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 


I am Simon of Cyrene and a heartbreaking but wonderful thing happened to me on a  Friday many years ago as I entered the city. There were crowds everywhere and as I neared the via Dolorosa I heard the sound of the woman weeping and wailing mixed with the shouts of men.I could not see to whom or to what all this emotion was directed, so I pressed in closer to get a better view.

It was then that I saw this large wooden cross that seemed to be dragging itself down the stone covered street surrounded by Roman soldiers. I said to myself "how is it that the cross moves?" Then I saw Him, half hidden by the crossbar a bowed and bloody figure stumbling under its burden. Blood was pooled in his every footprint as He grunted and groaned with His every step. Every part of him I could see was ripped and bruised, His flesh hung in ribbons.

As I detachedly watched, the agonizingly slow procession I was suddenly thrust into the surreal scene when I heard a voice loudly growl "YOU!! YES, YOU! COME HERE AND HELP HIM CARRY HIS LAST BURDEN!" as the soldiers laughed, I hesitated and started to protest, then I thought about running but thought the better of it.
As I approached this poor soul I could feel his pain and anguish, it was weird. I sped up to avoid the lash and arrived at his side just in time as he fell into me placing all his weight and that of the cross on me. I summoned all my strength and somehow kept us both upright.

Just like that, I found myself going from onlooker to the eye of the storm, surrounded by a whirlwind of emotions. As I joined in this obvious death march I was conflicted as I looked upon Priest and Pharisees and other devout men cursing this man yelling "blasphemer!! Crucify him!!" as they spit at us as I now shared in his shame. I thought to myself "my God what has he done to deserve this?"

At that point, he lifted up his eyes to me and I saw tears, not tears of anger or pain but tears of compassion FOR ME!! FOR ME! OF ALL THINGS!  he was concerned for me, even as he was suffering in what was undoubtedly his final moments. He looked at me and never said a word but that look said it all.
He then righted himself and continued on ahead of me leading me and his cross toward Golgotha the hill where hey liked to crucify and leave them hanging to be seen by everyone as an example. He could barely carry his own weight and as we drew nearer stumbled again and again, finally I dragged Him, myself and the cross to the top of the hill.

"OK you can go on your way now!" barked the Centurion as they began to unload the hammers and the nails. They ripped him out of my grasp and though I wanted to turn and run away I reached out to Him and asked "Who are you?" but He did not speak but again I felt his compassion as I finally turned and walked away covered in his blood. One of the soldiers cried out "YOU SHOULD BE HONORED, He CLAIMS TO BE A KING! KING OF THE JEWS!"

As I walked away I tried to wipe his blood from my person but I am glad I was unsuccessful, even though you can't see it anymore it is always there and the man whose name I did not know, three days later rose from the dead, I know Him now as Jesus the Christ my Lord and my Savior.
                     God bless you all, Simon of Cyrene

     I KNOW IT WAS THE BLOOD!   BROTHER DARRELL, A WATCHMAN

THE BUNNY IS WINNING!!: REVISITED

Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name, for He alone is worthy. I pray everyone is enjoying the Holy week. I'd like to share with you a post I wrote on last years "resurrection Sunday." I feel the topic is just as important this year, if not more so. So here it is again for those who missed it, or just want to revisit it, God bless.


I began writing this post today, "Easter" Sunday to the world and known as "resurrection" Sunday to most of us Christians because I noticed something different in the spirit this year. Even though I could not get out to Church because of my disability my wife was able to get out to our Church today and she was able to confirm what I had been seeing, and feeling.

The Bunny is winning! Where are all the "Church folk" with all their finery crowding into churches in reverence to the Lord? On a day that the joy of the Lord is usually seen and felt everywhere, there was a distinct lack of fanfare for our "risen" Savior throughout the city and even the nation. I couldn't even find a decent sunrise Resurrection day service on television or cable, but everywhere I looked on T.V. or social media the "Easter Bunny" was leading the charge.

There were Easter egg hunts everywhere including the White House. Commercials about chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Easter eggs were everywhere. Facebook was filled with pictures of children and pets dressed up as bunnies, and a lot were posted by people calling themselves Christians. I asked myself "where are the tributes to the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Are these the times Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24: 3-14  3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Anyone with eyes can see that we are in the Last days and Jesus said that in those last days, and that "the love of many shall wax cold." Their love for their fellow man and their love for Jesus shall dwindle and is dwindling away and it becomes more evident every day. On the day that celebrates Jesus Christ rise from the grave after dying on a cross for the Sin of mankind, the bunny got more media coverage and more reverence.

In a time when every Christian holiday is being downsized, it is time for Christians to take a stand, especially in the United States of America. The spirit of the anti-Christ is running rampant in America where Christians are trying to blend into the world rather than resisting the world in order to show the world a better way.

Brothers and sisters the bunny is winning and it's time for us to wake up.
          God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall