GET UP AND HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS!!

Praise the Lord, everybody, because He is worthy to be praised!!! I pray everyone is enjoying Gods blessing. God is doing a new thing in my life each and every day it seems. My wife and I are at this point living from day to day by faith and loving it, just waiting on Him for our daily bread.

A little while ago while I sat wondering why God was allowing all these trials to come our way He brought me to the book of Joshua chapter 10. I read the first nine verses about the defeat of Israel's army at Ai and how distraught Joshua was and how he fasted and prayed to ask God "why" and this is what He answered, Joshua 10:10-12 10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you anymore, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Have you ever found yourself going through something and you're not getting the victory you expected over the situation, so you start fasting, praying and then crying out to God. After a while, you begin to think your prayers are not getting through and then God says to you what He basically said to Joshua " get up and handle your business, there's sin in the camp!"

All the praying and fasting in the world can't help, Joshua had to get up and deal with the sin. I began to check myself for sins. Sins like drug abuse, adultery, stealing etc. are easy to identify but as was the case with Achan some are hidden away and not obvious to others and often justified in the eyes of the sinner. I found myself to have been disobedient on a number of occasions when I heard God speak and did not carry out what I was assigned to do. This is rebellion and Gods word says "rebellion" is as the sin of "witchcraft" and "stubbornness" is as "iniquity and idolatry", I had to change, I claim I know His voice so then I must be obedient when He speaks. There is no justification for disobedience. Thanks be to God I don't have to do to myself what Joshua had to do to Achan and his family, I just have purposed in my heart to be obedient and I have asked God to help me with this.

The body of Christ in America finds itself having this same problem. Every time something happens in this country that knocks us out of our comfort zone, like 9/11 or Katrina we turn to God in droves. Years later we find ourselves still caught up in the war on terrorism and the weather is more unpredictable than ever. sexual immorality is the new normal and We seek God for answers and it seems like He's not listening. The Church the moral compass of this country is ineffective, THERE IS SIN IN THE CAMP and God is saying "GET UP AND HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS!"

. The Church in America has lost its way. We have compromised and politically corrected ourselves to the point where Gods word is so watered down that what we teach and preach is at times borderline sin at best and heretical at least. We need to stop trying to simulate the world and start assimilating the world for Christ. We’ve got to get back to sound doctrine and stand flat-footed against the winds of change and the Anti-Christ spirit that is growing in this country. Let’s get back to calling sin what it is, SIN, and root it out of the Church.

We are the Church, so we must each examine ourselves and recognize our sins, by the way, disobedience is not the only thing I found in my life but with Gods help they are no longer in my "camp" I put them on the altar to be burned by Holy Ghost fire. So get up handle your business and be effective for God.

              God bless you all, Brother Darrell, speaking off the wall        

  

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, MEAN WHAT YOU SAY!!

Praise the Lord everybody because He is worthy to be praised! I'm walking in victory, hallelujah!! Back in the day there was this hit song called "walking in rhythm" a big R+B hit we used to groove to, but now I'm walking in victory and loving it. Everyday my goal is to walk in rhythm with the Holy Spirit of God. Today I can say that my conscience is clear between myself and God and myself and Man, what a great feeling.

A while back God began to deal with me about something that I'd like to share with you all today. He asked me one day "who are you seeking to please?" A simple question that I could not answer truthfully without admitting that at the time I was a people pleaser.
Galatians 1:10(NIV) STATES, 10) Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Apostle Paul was definitely not a people pleaser.

There are too many people pleaser's in the body of Christ, I know because again I was once counted among that number. God began to deal with me over ten years ago concerning this. I found myself on many occasions sitting around with non-believers nodding my head in agreement with them about things that I knew I did not agree with and God did not agree with, from adultery and fornication to stealing and lying. and not standing up for what I really believed, just to fit in with the group. Then I would go home angry with myself because I let them believe I agreed with them when I did not.

 Peer pressure, loneliness and low self esteem are terrible things and have no place in the body of Christ. How can we give the proper witness to non-believers if we are not able to stand up and proclaim what we believe in. I should have declared my faith in Jesus Christ and been a bold witness for Christ.

 We can’t try and please man and serve God, It won’t work. We must as believers stand on Gods word, say what we mean and mean what we say and in this way we can please and serve God, and at the same time influence men to follow us as we follow Christ. Now When the conversation turns to fornication, porno, adultery etc. I excuse myself from the conversation and I tell them why, I no longer contribute to the negativity by being passive, now I bring a positive to the negative, light to the darkness.

Next time you find yourself passively condoning sinful behavior, open your mouth and declare who's you are and whom you serve!
            God bless you all, Brother Darrell, speaking off the wall

I CAN'T SHUT IT DOWN PART 2: THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHRISTIAN

Praise the Lord everybody, fore He is worthy to be praised!! I can't tell you how excited I am about what God is doing in my life and my ministry. My wife and I are still waiting on healing and a release of finances but we are growing in our faith everyday. Talking about living by faith and actually doing it are two different things, we thank Him for the growth.

All these things have caused me to look back on what God has called me to do, what is my purpose in Christ? Focusing on that purpose that assignment keeps me from looking to the left or to the right, both filled with the distractions of this world. Nehemiah was a purpose driven christian. Nehemiah 6:1-4 states   Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

² That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

³ And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

⁴ Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner

Nehemiah new he was charged with the rebuilding of the walls of Judah and he would not be deterred.

A lot of us know what God has charged us with, what our callings are but we somehow never got started or we came down off the wall to deal with some trumped up distraction orchestrated by the enemy or we got tired of "well doing" and abandoned our task.

I know because it happened to me years ago when I was a new convert giving my all to God in full time ministry at a place called "The Upper Room" in NYC. an out reach for the homeless. I came down off the wall after being tricked by the enemy and it took me years to get back on task, back on the wall. This blog is the first of many steps to get back up on that wall.

I had to remember my purpose, what I was doing and why I was doing it.

I fell off the wall because I was not fully committed for various reasons, Nehemiah was fully committed to seeing the job through to the end. He could have fallen for the tricks of his enemies, he could of come down for a break, he was  ALMOST finished.but he finished the work and he and his people were blessed. 

Nehemiah 6:15+16 states ¹⁵ So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

¹⁶ And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

His enemies lost heart because they saw he was committed to Gods work and that God was committed to helping him. The time has come for staying on the wall, staying on task, the task that God has charged YOU with. If your up there stay up there but if you have fallen off like I did or come down and wandered away on your own for whatever reason remember your purpose, what God has called you to do. Say to yourself "I want to be a purpose driven Christian like Nehemiah". When I am tempted I say "why should I come down? 

I'm doing a good work and why should that stop?"

So let's all remember our purpose and get back up and stay on the wall till our work is done, Amen!
                            God bless you all, Brother Darrell, speaking off the wall       

TO THE TINDER BOX: LORD LET ME BE A MATCH!!

Praise the Lord everybody for He is worthy to be praised! I was truly blessed this past Sunday at church. The spirit of praise came through in a mighty way and Pastor Green brought forth a powerful word,
The moment my wife and I walked in I could feel the bubbling undercurrent, something was about to happen. We walked in at the end of Sunday School and as each class gave a summary of what they learned that day you could feel the anticipation grow, there was a special joy in the building, more than the usual. As the service began I noticed that the people were hungering and thirsting for something from God, the place was like a tinder box and all that was needed was a match to get things started.

At this point I felt the Lord say "get up on your feet and give a testimony of my goodness", I have no problem giving a testimony but it was the "get up on your feet" part that caused me to pause because I never stand for anything because of my disability and everybody knows this but this was the Lord speaking so when the time came I was obedient. I spoke about how God had worked out my problem with my transportation so that I was able to come back to church after four weeks of being stranded.
As I spoke the spirit of joy was all over me and I shouted "Hallelujah!!" and Glory to God that was the "match" lit the whole place up. Then Pastor Green came with the word of God and gave drink to the thirsty masses. Praise God.

All I could think about after we arrived home was another "tinder box", the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance

A tinder box is a place that is full of highly combustible material, like a church crying out for a touch from God. Pentecost was such a time. Over one hundred were gathered there, seeking God for direction and understanding after the death and resurrection of Jesus, some were confused, some were distraught but all were seeking God for answers, It was the perfect volatile mix and all that was needed was a  spark. Enter the Holy Spirit, the "match" that would set everyone on fire, the match that would ignite the "tinder Box" that was the upper room. Now the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we carry Him where ever we go.

God says in His word in Psalms 104:1-4 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
² Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
³ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
⁴ Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire

He makes "His ministers a flaming fire", I want to be one of those ministers, I want to be a "match" for the Lord, I want to bring Holy Ghost fire where ever I Go. I want to be His minister. I want to bring fire to those places that just need a spark for praise to break out, for revival to breakout along with yokes being destroyed and healing taking place. Not for my glory but because I desire to do all I can for God because of all He has done for me, I love the Lord.

Getting that kind of anointing requires Holy living, fasting and praying and spending quality time before the Lord. These things I can never do enough of because I am flesh, but I STRIVE everyday to serve Him to the best of my ability.

USE ME OH LORD FOR YOUR GLORY AND HONOR AND TO THE TINDER BOX: LET ME BE A MATCH!
                                  God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking off the wall

JEHOVAH SHAMMAH!! (REPOSTED)

PLEASE ENJOY THIS REPOSTING FROM 1/10/2012, GBU

Praise the Lord! I pray everyone is enjoying Gods many blessings. I am blessed every time I open my eyes. I must confess that even though I know this I find myself feeling lost and without the unction to fight this battle when my wife is away from me as she often is for weeks at a time because of her job. I some times find myself getting confused as to where my strength comes from, I have to remind myself who is always there for me, who is never out of town and who was there before I ever knew who my wife was. That would be Jesus Christ my Lord and my God. My wife would be the first to agree with me.


Jesus was there when I was about to jump off the roof of my building as a child while flying a kite. He was there when the enemy tried to suck the life out of me with bad childhood asthma attacks. He was there when I was almost mangled by a train when I fell between the platform and train as a teenager. Each time He spoke to me saying "no not yet" I didn't even know him then but He knew me. He brought me through the madness and self destruction of drug addiction. I thank God for my affliction because finally I got to know Him and accepted him as my Lord and savior in the summer of 1992 at Time square Church. Even though I came to know him in 1992 He was always with me. He states in His word Hebrews 13:5
⁵Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
He has always been there, He truly is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the author and the finisher of my faith. Revelation 21:6+7
⁶And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
In verse seven it says "He that overcometh shall inherit all things..." That is where I'm at now and where I've been for the last nineteen years in Christ, overcoming one trial after another, most of my own making. Through it all Jesus has been right by my side. He has been For me Jehovah Jireh= the Lord our provider, Jehovah Ropheka= the Lord our healer, Jehovah Shalom= the Lord is our peace and of course Jehovah Shammah= the Lord is present. He has always been there for me, He was my shepherd throughout my life, Jehovah Rohi, and He still is. He is my everything, my all and all and unfortunately every so often I have to get refocused on Him because only He can recharge my batteries.I love my wife and I thank God for her but she can't take Gods place, He is my covering, the head of my life and I am my wife's covering and He is the head of both our lives. We can gain comfort from each other and even inspiration as we we observe the lives of fellow believers but only Christ alone will always be there for us. Regardless of where we find ourselves He is there and He can do anything but fail.
                                              God bless you all,
                                                                Brother Darrell, A Watchman    

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Praise the Lord everybody! because He alone is worthy to be praised! I love what God is doing and I pray you all are enjoying Gods blessing in your lives. God has been very good to me and my wife despite what it might look like in the natural. We've been through many trials but our trust will always be in the Lord.

I was reading the paper recently and I noticed all the fuss being made over certain "Superstar" baseball players being caught lying about using steroids and how disappointed people were in their "Roll models". Some fans were very angry and some were almost suicidal. We as humans have a tendency to trust in what we can see and what we can touch. As I was thinking about these things Gods word came to mind. Jeremiah 17: 5+6
⁵ Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
⁶ For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited

I was reminded of something that happened about fifteen years ago while I was in a Christian rehab program called Teen Challenge, It had a profound affect on me. I had been there a few months when a new guy was brought in fresh off the streets and totally broken by crack addiction. He had gotten saved at an outreach and was so happy God had saved him from crack and death. As time went by he became more and more attached to one of the counselors . This counselor was a former graduate of the program who was now a roll model and the programs poster boy success story, we all looked up to him.

One morning when we came down for breakfast we were met by a different counselor who had us sit down and told us to wait quietly and the director would be down to address us. Of course we were not quiet and began to speculate and wonder what happened to the regular counselor. Finally the word came down that Brother "Ben" had relapsed over the weekend and gone back to using crack. Shock waves went through the building, but the person hit the hardest was the new brother, he was distraught. He began weeping and mumbling uncontrollably. No one could console him and he had to be led from the room by myself and a few other residents.

After sitting and talking with him it became clear what had happened, he had stopped trusting God some where along the line and started putting his trust in man. You see in his eyes brother "Ben's" relapse meant he was probably going to fall also, if "Ben" couldn't stand and he graduated and was the programs success story what chance did he have. No matter what we said to that brother from that day on did not help. He could not get past man and see God. He eventually left the program and went back on crack.

He forgot who had called him out of darkness and brought him into His marvelous light. This is what happens when we focus on men, even the man of God. Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ". Men will disappoint because we are just men. God can do anything but fail. You can be cursed as it said in verse six above or you can be blessed as it says in Jeremiah 17:7-8
⁷ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

I pray the Lord sees some fruit on my tree as I stay focused on Him and continue to pray for us men.

                            God bless you all, Brother Darrell, speaking off the wall
 

CHURCH A.D.D.( ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER!)

Praise the Lord everybody, for He is worthy to be praised! I trust everyone is enjoying Gods blessing. It is a wonderful thing to see God moving in your life all around you. Let me say this, the devil is not happy about what God is about to do for my wife and I's ministry and personal life. We just have to just continue to press on a little while longer, Praise God!!

Last week I shared something on the prayer line that I'm going to now share with you. The scripture is John 21:17-22    
¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

¹⁸ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

¹⁹ This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

²⁰ Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

²¹ Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

²² Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

 There is an illness in the body of Christ that has been going on since it's inception. I believe Peter was the first documented case Peter who had denied knowing Jesus three times on the night he was betrayed, was being restored by Jesus and given a charge by Jesus to “feed my sheep.” Instead of Peter being overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of Jesus and thereby out of love and gratitude placing his complete attention on Him, He at that wonderful moment of restoration and love takes his focus off Jesus and starts worrying about what God had in store for another brother. Jesus of course rebuked Peter and in essence told him stop worrying about the next man and focus on following Him.


The same thing is true today in the body of Christ.  Many have forgotten where God has brought them from. They have forgotten His grace and his mercy concerning them and their promise to focus on and follow Jesus. They have become distracted by petty jealousies and gossip. They are focused on man and not God. They begin to question certain decisions and appointments the pastor makes. They want to know why they were not considered or at least consulted concerning those issues.

They begin to question God, wondering why this one or that one is being blessed and they are still waiting. Self importance and pride set in and before long bitterness and anger. They then fade away into a back slided state, all because they have a case of Church Attention Deficit Disorder. A.D.D. started in the world and that’s understandable,
but when it infects the body of Christ, that is unacceptable. The bible says when we put our hands to the Gospel plow don’t look back and we are not to look to the left or the right. If God has called you to feed His sheep, feed His sheep, If God has called you to sing his praises, sing his praises, if God has called you to be an usher, then usher. What ever you have been called to do, do that and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2: 12¹² Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

                God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Watching from the wall