GOD SWEATS THE DETAILS!

Praise the Lord everybody, let all who have breath praise His holy name!! God has put me in a situation where I'm either going to trust Him or trust myself. God has been showing me that I just don't trust Him enough when it comes to certain situations that I have found myself in. I find myself falling into the trap that many of my fellow Brothers and Sisters have found themselves in. We try to take control of our own destiny instead of waiting on God for His instructions on how to handle the situation. We do not believe that God is concerned enough about us to get involved in our day to day living.
David said in Psalm 8:4 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Even David, who has been called "a man after God's own heart," could not fathom God's concern and interest in us. But from the beginning, God displayed His concern for His creation. Genesis 2:18 - 20   18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground, the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam, there was not found a help meet for him.

God has always been concerned about His creation, whom He made in His own image and gave dominion over all his other creations. Our comfort has always been "job one" with Him. He gave us Woman when He saw we needed the companionship of a helpmate. When we fell from grace He made a way for us to get right with Him. David said in Psalm 139:14 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

God cared enough to give us the best anatomy systems. Systems that no matter how much we try to understand and reproduce them, man cannot recreate the genius of God's intricate design. Jesus even tells us in Matthew 10:29 - 31   29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God has numbered the very hairs on our heads! How great is that? I get angry when I hear nonbelievers and even believers, say to other believers "who do you think you are?"or "what makes you think God has time to deal with your daily issues? God doesn't care whether you get to work on time or not" I feel for those who feel that way, they don't know the God that I know.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6+7  6 Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Paul said "in everything" not just what we decide is "important," In everything, we should pray and ask God with thanksgiving to help us with whatever it is that concerns us. In 1st Peter 5:6+7 it says
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We have to truly humble ourselves under Gods hand and realize we can't fix anything without His help, casting all, yes all our cares and concerns upon God because He does care for us. Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28 to 30 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

So let us unburden ourselves of worldly concerns and anxieties and put them where they belong, On Jesus Christ our Lord.

  God Bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking off the wall.

IN CHRIST BY AFFILIATION!!

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! because He alone is worthy of all our praise. I love what the Lord is doing in my life right now. I can't tell you how important it was for me to totally submit myself to God's plan for me so that I could finally grow into the man of God I am called to be.
This is not a one-time submission, this is a lifetime submission because I am ever evolving into a higher position in Christ. God is concerned that a large number of Christian are becoming "lifers", meaning those who claim to have been "saved for years" but have not grown one inch since that day. They have become stumbling blocks and "millstones" around their own necks and those who are new and are trying to grow in Christ.

 Jesus rebuked the Pharisees of yesterday and today when He said in Matthew 23:1-13    Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Today a lot of Christians want to be affiliated with Jesus without becoming too involved. They don't want to get involved in the following doctrine or the process of sanctification and living holy. They just want to be seen in church on Sunday and do their own thing the rest of the week. They don't want to be totally washed clean by the blood of Jesus, they just want a little "sprinkling" so they can say they had the experience. 

The Church is in need of more members with the spirit of Peter who expressed how he felt about following Jesus in John 13: 3-9  3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that, he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Peter was all in!! Peter wanted all the Jesus he could get. If it meant getting closer to  Jesus then Peter wanted to be totally washed and submerged in Christ. We all need to wash the world off of us and out of us as we walk this walk with Jesus. We are in the last of the last days and there is no time for looking back into our past lives and holding on to those things that pleased our flesh.

We can no longer be Christian by Affiliation only, we must now be in Christ by not only Affiliation but also by facilitation and consecration. We must remain in constant fellowship, we must do what we can to help facilitate the spread of the Gospel of Christ while remaining a holy and consecrated example for the world to see and follow.

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



 

DYING, AND LOOKING GOOD DOING IT!!

Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! I will bless the Lord at all times, His praises shall be continually in my mouth. I am in the middle of a fiery trial right now but I am going to praise God anyhow!! I know from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord!!

I am late with blog post because of technical problems with my computer, I need a new one but God allowed me to get this one repaired. Now my air conditioner, which is only a year old is blowing hot air in the middle of a historic heat wave. I do not do well in heat!! but I trust that God will bring me through this. God cannot and will not fail me in my time of need. Hallelujah!!

More and more I have learned to die to self. The flesh and self, go hand in hand. My flesh, my selfish desires are what always get me in trouble. When I was using drugs it was one of the most selfish times of my life, I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it and nothing and nobody else mattered. When I finally realized that God was more important to me than drugs, that's when I was able to quit. Paul said "...I die daily" in 1st Corinthians 15:31, something I am still learning to do on a daily basis. Paul also stated in Romans 8: 12-14
 12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Every day I fight a life and death battle with myself in hopes that I die, to myself. I have to completely die so that Jesus can completely live through me, and so I can have a closer relationship with God.When Jesus tells us we must "take up your cross and follow me" He is reminding us that we must die in the flesh daily, the cross being a reminder of how He suffered and how we must also suffer in the flesh.

The bible says "no flesh shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" so now my goal is to kill my "self" and let the beauty of Christ shine through me. I no longer want to be stained by the ugliness of sin, I want to be marked by the beauty of holiness. Living holy sounds "pretty" but it is not for the faint at heart but compared to the ugliness of sin, Death looks good on me.

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

CHRISTIAN CARBS: THE PROMISES OF GOD!!

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name. God has been so good to me, His grace and His mercy toward me have been indescibable, what more can I say, other than "oh taste and see that the Lord, He is good!"

I think that we can all agree that we are living in the last of the last days. If your spiritual eyI es are open you can see this for yourself. As we get closer and closer to that "great gettin' up morning" more and more Christians are experiencing anxiety and some are even abandoning their faith. Some have expressed a feeling of despair and a lack of hope. They are like marathon runners who run out of energy in the final leg of the race.

God's word says in Hebrews 12:1   Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

In the world, marathon runners "carbo load" the night before the big race, meaning they eat big plates of pasta for its carbohydrates which they burn for power and endurance during the race. As Christians, we also have a race to run. It is a spiritual marathon and the bible says in Matthew 12:12-13  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.

In order for us to endure, we must also "carbo load." Christian carbs consist of God's word and His promises. God has given us His word for such a time as this. We must load up on these things if we expect to finish this race in the winners circle. If you are not aware of God's word and it's promises, you have nothing to call on when the going gets tough and you're running up "heartbreak hill trying to make the finish line".

The bible is filled with God's promises, such as Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

The bible is filled with God's promises, this was just a very small sample. The bible also says in 1st Corinthians 9:24  Know ye not that those who run in a race all run, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.

If you want to run this race and win, you have to be fueled up with the word of God. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him" another of God's promises designed to help us to run and endure this race till the end.
        God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall





  

THE NEW MONEY CHANGERS: BEWARE OF THE NONI JUICE

Praise the Lord everybody! let everything that has breath praise His holy name. I can't thank God enough for His grace and His mercy, He has demonstrated it to me by waking me up this morning, one more time. He did it even though I didn't deserve it. I look forward to every day just to see what He has in store for me.

In my last post, I wrote about God's plan for anger management.
Today I would like to share what God has shared with me about something He was angry about when Jesus was here among us and is still angry about today. Jesus first addresses it in John 2: 13-16  13 And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

Fundraising in the Church is one thing but Jesus was upset because some in the Temple was trying to turn a profit by selling "merchandise" in the form of sacrifices to their fellow Jews who had come to worship. In today's Church, the moneychangers have quietly crept in from the outer courts into the sanctuary itself. You may be asking yourself, "who are these moneychangers?"

They are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The first time I noticed was ten or twenty years ago or so, I started seeing little ads. on the church bulletin board describing this lifesaving drink that had healed many people and it was called "Noni juice" and all you had to do to get your "body right" was go and see sister or brother "Smith." They advertised their wares in the church bulletins and even the backs of the Sunday Programs.

Since "Noni Juice" The amount and the variety of "merchandise" has grown by leaps and bounds. I have been approached by my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ about everything from vitamins to "Christian" car insurance. All these things designed to line the pockets of the seller and all offered to you as if God was using them to bless you. Some even came with "testiphonies" from the seller.
God understands that some of us want to augment our salaries by selling Avon, Noni juice and whatever merchandise that is trending at the time. But what is not acceptable is selling things to other Christians whether they need them or not just to boost your sales and then adding insult to injury by telling them that "God put it in my spirit to offer this blessing to you." Don't be the cause of your sister or brother not being a "good steward" with God's money by talking him or her into buying something that either they don't need or something that doesn't live up to the hype.

If you want to be an entrepreneur, get a website, send out e-mails and stop shaming your brothers and sisters into buying your products while at church. If there is a specific need make that need known and God will make a way to meet that need.
LET US KEEP THE "HOUSE OF PRAYER A HOUSE OF PRAYER!
            God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

IN THE CASE OF ANGER: SLOW IS GOOD!!

             
Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name. Again I can not begin to give God enough praise for what He is doing in my life. My wife and I are about to go through a three-week trial that I know will require much prayer and grace. But I know God will see us through.

I'd like to share with you an article I was asked to write for another site. I pray it blesses you.

 There are several things that I have found that can stunt our growth as Christian men and woman and one of those things is anger. Anger and unforgiveness are a deadly combination. Let’s focus on ANGER for now. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:26+27 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

 This lets us know that anger in of itself is not a sin. It is one of our God-given emotions. God is letting us know that there is a Godly or righteous anger that is acceptable to Him. God gave us our emotions to help us control and express our feelings, and not the other way around, as when Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple in Matthew 21:12. Jesus was angered but did not sin. God warns us not to sin due to our anger and commit an act like disobedience or hurting someone physically. Moses struck the rock out of anger and because of his disobedience was not allowed into the promised land along with the Children of Israel. Read Numbers chapter 20.

The bible addresses anger also in James 1:19+20 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

If we follow those instructions we will find that we will encounter fewer opportunities to get angry or sin in our anger. God is letting us know that man’s anger stems from the flesh and does not encompass the righteousness of God. If we are quick to listen, listen to what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us when we find ourselves in various situations that can lead to frustration and anger. At the same time, we must be slow to speak, making sure we measure the impact of every word we speak and making sure that our every word is seasoned with salt and grace toward the hearer.(see Colossians 4:6) Then we must be slow to wrath or anger, examining the reason for our anger as to whether it is Godly righteous indignation or of the flesh.
Ephesians 4:29-32 states 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

This scripture puts it in a nutshell. As Christians, we must remember to do these things out of obedience and also in appreciation of what God has done for us. When feelings of anger begin to well up inside us think of these words always remembering also that we have the mind of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

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

CHRISTIANS AND MARRIAGE: HEAVEN OR HELL? IT'S UP TO YOU!

Praise the Lord everybody! Because He alone is worthy to be praised! I can't even begin to tell you how good God has been to me. Some who are watching my life from the outside might disagree, but they don't know like I know what God has done and is doing for me.
I have been a little slow when it comes to posting recently because God has been blessing me through my freelance writing business lately through a site called Fiverr.com. I'd like to share with you a teaching God blessed me to write for a client on Fiverr.

   HOPE FOR THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

Praise the Lord everybody, for He alone is worthy to be praised.
I guess everybody knows by now that the divorce rate in the church has reached the point where it has drawn even with that of the World. Ever since Moses men have sought to get out of their marriages, Jesus was asked about this in Matthew 19:3-9  3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.  9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Jesus makes an important point all married couples need to remember, and that is when a man and a woman come together in marriage the two become one flesh. A married couple can no longer see themselves as two separate entities, they are one being working together in love and in service to the Lord. No man or woman has the right to come between them. Fornication is the only grounds for divorce in Gods eyes, and He only allows that because of the hardness of men’s hearts.

The first step to a successful Christian marriage is this from 2nd Corinthians 6:14  14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

This is the jumping off point to a good marriage. Make sure that you and your partner are both on the same page spiritually. If you are married to a nonbeliever then your first task is to get your partner saved.
Next Paul advises married couples in Ephesians 5: 21-25 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Husbands and wives must first submit themselves and their marriages to Christ and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and then to each other remembering that the man is the priest of his home with his wife serving beside him as helpmate.(see also Colossians 3:17-19)
If you find yourselves at odds with your partner, don’t let a day go by without addressing the situation, keep the lines of communication open at all times. Ephesians 4:26,27  26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.

God has ordained marriage and family from the beginning and the Devil has been on a mission to destroy marriages from the beginning. You must take timeout to pray together, study the word together and fast together in order to stay spiritually strong and leave no opening for the enemy to come in. If God is truly the Lord of both your lives, and you keep him first and foremost in everything you do, maintaining an obedient spirit toward Him you will find God will guide you safely through the trials and tribulations of life and marriage. Your marriage will be, and is, as strong as your faith.

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