"Telephone" Gone Wrong

If you have ever played telephone with 10 people or more (or even 5), we can pass down a message from one person to the other with the hope that the last person in line repeated what the first person wanted to say. During this process, we think we might have heard something so we pass on the message to the next person who then thinks they heard what you said and starts to paraphrase or even completely mess up with you wanted to convey. You get "I actually do not own a pair of toms" to "I am not an astronaut that eats Tums" (Okay, maybe that was a horrible example...give me credit.)

We in a sense tell God that he can write the story of our life. The moment God is ready to press His pen onto paper, we in a way push his hand out of the way and assure God something like "I was actually kidding, did you actually think I could live with someone dictating my life without editing the final version? You, instead, can narrate my story." How does this differ?

I'm in the sciences and what we look for mostly consists of cold hard facts on paper, not what someone said. For instance, we would rather believe in Newton and his physics principles that has been written on paper instead of what your local mailman can tell you about when it comes to science.  If you didn't know of their credentials, how on Earth is hearing facts from people reliable? Scientific facts does not become official unless there is research on paper with fancy numbers and data.

What am I getting at? Without asking for discernment, we would rather let God "narrate" our story so that way we could easily switch His words to things we think  He might have said. I'm not saying God is unable to speak to us, but I am saying that it would be best if we just let God write our story. We don't know what's best so why do we try to twist God's plan? I'd rather bank on having a cold, hard truth written by God instead of how I feel a certain day and how I plan to twist on God's word intentionally or by mistake.

- Moises -

Lets Raise Up A Standard!

I'm going to open this up by saying this simple statement: There aren't too many things worse than a half-hearted christian.  A christian that knows Jesus, a christian that believes in Jesus, but for some reason or another doesn't want to follow Jesus.  This christian is forgetting about the '-ian' which literally means "follower."  So if you are a Christ-ian you literally are making the commitment to follow Christ.  Denotations aside, differences aside, the Holy Spirit is Jesus interacting with us.  And when a Christ-follower purposely decides not to continually listen to the Spirit, then there is a huge problem.

The great thing about God's grace is that he is indeed a God of a second, third, fourth, fifth...infinite chances.  That's one of the reasons I'm completely in love with God.  But with those chances do come consequences because the Bible reminds us that the wages of sin is death.  So every time we miss the mark, we are literally killing ourselves even if we don't know it.

Now, if an unbeliever continuously misses the mark, that's one thing because they don't really believe in the mark to begin with.  However, when a professed believer "misses the mark" DESPITE the warning signs that the Holy Ghost gives us, that...that's a WHOLE 'nother issue.

It is clear in the Bible that God treats ignorance and complete disobedience on two separate levels.  On the one hand those that are ignorant of God will indeed suffer his wrath if they never confess Jesus Christ as Lord.  BUT, those that know what they know and DESPITE that still disobey, that's a huge issue.

An example from the Bible is taken from Jeremiah 3:11 where God speaking through the prohpet Jeremiah says: "Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah." (emphasis mine)  Now lets give a little background information.  Israel and Judah used to be one nation (God's chosen people).  However, Israel continuously disobeyed God thus propelling God to weed out his "true" peeps = Judah. So, from that point on Judah was considered God's chosen people.

One of the reasons that God allowed Israel to drift apart (because God could've kept Israel around because..well, he's God) was to show Judah what he was capable of.  God used Israel as an example in hopes that Judah would not falter and if they did, repent.  So time elapsed and Judah started to follow her sister, Israel, down the same path.  By the time this verse in Jeremiah comes along, God is pretty much disgusted with both nations.

But let's point out that God emphasizes that the now ignorant Israel is held to a lower standard than the kept Judah!  What does that tells us, that those who have the Gospel, those who know the Gospel are held to much more esteem.  And with that esteem comes a responsibility   And when that responsibility to taken advantage of, consequences will happen.

I'm here to challenge those of us who profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Will we rise up and set a standard that says that we will not be moved!  Sure, we will fail every once in a while because we are humans, but in the long run, we need to be committed to following Christ's teaching to the best of our abilities.  Lets raise up a standard!

We don't have too much wiggle room because the world already looks at us with suspicious.  Like hungry hyenas, waiting for us to stumble so they can pounce on our mistakes and boast at our failures.  I say, we like the Apostle Paul boast at out own failures.  Acknowledge that we have all screwed up but it's only by the grace of God we are now becoming a new creation!  If we take our standard, our calling seriously, the devil, the prince of the air, will have no way to criticize us.  The Bible reminds us that Satan will flee from us if we attack him with the Full Armor of God!

There aren't too many worse things that a "christian" that is only half in.  When it comes down to it, if you aren't for Jesus; you are against him (Matt 12:30).  When will we take our burden, our responsibility serious enough and go out and be the salt & the light to the world (Matt 5:13-16)

Lets Raise Up & Follow Our Standard!

-MJA

How To Love

I am currently reading a book by Bishop TD Jakes (whom I designate as one of the wisest men alive) called Let It God: Forgive so that you can be forgiven.  This reading focuses on the many aspects of our day-to-day lives and how the unforgiving heart can stunt our growth in every conceivable way.  I absolutely had to read this book since my first sermon was on forgiveness.  So let me preface this blog by saying that the main idea came from Bishop Jakes.
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I am one emotional man.  I will be the first to admit it.  Sometimes during movies I can feel a tear coming during those impactful scenes (but for the record, I don't cry!).  It's easy for me to admit that my emotions made me who I am today.  Although most of the times I shade them and hide them until I can't control them anymore (which can be good and bad), I am no longer ashamed to admit that I am just an emotional man.

One of issues that really has an impact on my heart is self-love.  Maybe it's because I grew up with 3 older women or maybe it's another reason, but my heart goes out to people who don't love themselves and just beat themselves up on a daily.  I just want to wrap them in a love that tells them that they are worth more; tell them that they are loved...

I am privileged to have grown up in a stable home with both parents fully present.  I'm not just privileged to have that, I'm blessed.  The older I get the more I realize that my nuclear family is becoming the exception rather the rule especially in the urban context that I grew up in.  I've never had to question my parents support for me even when I do something that was to their disproval.  So that no matter what, I felt loved.  Even before I fully comprehended my Christian faith, I felt the love of Christ on my life.

Growing up with that blessing, I've come to realize that many people don't have that.  Some people grow up with their mom and/or dad talking down on them.  Making them believe that they will fail.  Or even worse patronizing them for their errors over and over again.  And if one of you are reading this, I am, from the pit of my heart, very sorry.

I'm not hear however for a pity party.  I'm hear to just say that regardless of the past, you can move forward.  For every time someone tells you that you can't, God tells you that you can thrice that!  Sometimes it's hard to believe to understand without feeling the love or support growing up that you can't do it.  As a result you take it out on your self with self-mutilation, depression, anxiety.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but if we don't love ourselves, how can we learn to love our neighbors.  A lot of people I know that have the issue of self-disdain treat others around them like kings and queens and then as a result get trampled on by people like yours truly   When that happens the cycle continues. Over. And Over. Again.  I can't tell you how to love yourselves.  I can only pray for you.  I can only pray from our generation.  I can only pray that you feel the unconditional love that I receive from my father. No, not my earthly father, but my heavenly father.

I can support you.  I can love on you like a brother or a sister.  I can tell you that you were made in the image of God and that God didn't make a mistake when he made you.  I can affirm you and remind you that because of God's love for you that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.  I can and will do what I can to help the hurting.

One of, if not my, favorite gospel artists is Kirk Franklin.  Kirk Franklin has an interesting story of a kid who grew up without a father, and he overheard his mother say that he was a mistake.  As a result he became a constant people pleaser, always looking for affirmation in the wrong places.  What makes him amazing is that he allows his emotions, his past, to bleed through the lyrics of some of his songs.  One song that it's evident in is called Imagine Me.  The song reminds me that no matter what your past has done to you it's gone.  Your past is literally your past.  Imagine you breaking free from the chains of bondage yesterday put you in to live today like theres no tomorrow!

Like I said, I don't have the blueprint for teaching people how to love themselves.  All I can do is point, point to the Bible, point to the cross, and point to my Father in heaven.

My heart goes out to all those that are hurting.  I pray that you discover that unconditional love and accompanied by peace.  A peace that passes all understanding.

--MJA

Imagine Me

Sometimes You Just Don't Know

I was doing my nightly bible study and I cam across this verse, Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts."

This is one of those verses that is quoted on a daily basis and I'm not really going to say anything radical but I'm going to emphasis the fact that: sometimes you just don't know.  I don't know why God does what he does.  But I do know that it is going to be for my good.

For me, that not knowing thing is a huuuge issue because I'm the type of person that likes to be kept in the loop; I'm a planner.  Realizing the validity of Isaiah is an extremely hard thing but at the same time it's refreshing.  Knowing that I don't have to do everything, knowing that I don't have to plan everything is a releasing thing.  I don't have to be perfect.

So when I don't understand, I just trust.  When trouble comes I keep going, I persevere.  It drives me absolutely nuts because I really don't know what my future holds but there is one thing I know for sure: as long as I am continually praying to God, and reading his Word, I can't fail!  The closer I get to my calling in my life, the harder it's going to become.  But when you persevere and endure, the fruit is your character. And after you're character is formed, you find hope.

Without hope, we, as Christians are nothing.  We have hope that everything is alright.  We have hope that God's ways are greater than our ways!  Just gotta keep on believin and hopin when things are bleak!  We can do this! We can endure!  We can trust God!  It's true that sometimes you just don't know why God does what he does.  But I'm here to tell you that that's alright!  That's how it should be. Keep on Trusting God.

--MJA

Oh and by the way, Check out Romans 5:3-5

Part of My Thoughts on Relationships

I wanted to repost this blog I wrote a while back:

Relationships 101

I personally love talking to people about what I learned about romantic relationships. I mean who doesn’t love talking about love and what not? I know that during high school years and my time at Messiah College, whenever there was a discussion group or chapel about love and sex, those places were normally packed! God made us interested to be love and to love, and even to learn about anything that has the word “sex” in it. Point blank, they are just God-given desires!
I want to dedicate my first blog about what I’ve recently have been talking about with a friend of mine. Along with some input thoughts from my girlfriend, I wanted to write something short and brief.
For all my fellow guys (and ladies if you’re taking a sneak peak of this blog) here are my thoughts to make you think:

1) Dating for a long-comittment:

Two things: Why are you pursuing a relationship? Are you doing it because your friends are in a relationship and your obligated to be in one? Or do you cherish her and you can see yourself with her for possibly your entire life? I know it’s too early to think about that if you haven’t gotten to know that girl well enough. So why not start with pursuing a friendship before you’re thinking of her as future wifey?

2) “All guys are jerks!”

Does this quote sound anyway familiar? Yes, we do have our flaws, but what has happened to our role to make the female population have this thought? My point is as guys, what are we doing to make many girls say this? How are we treating them?

This might be a little weird, but pretend that there’s a random guy who has a bad reputation hitting on your little sister. I don’t know about you, but I would do anything in my power to protect my little sister from having some kind of disrespectful guy to even touch her. Not take that thought and think about that girl you’re pursuing or wanting to pursue. Are your motives to be with her pure? What are you trying to get out of this potential relationship? That girl is somebody’s daughter, sister, granddaughter. She deserves to be respected to the utmost and protected.

3) God works with you if you allow him to

I kid you not. God works with us if we include Him in our day-to-day decisions, even romantic relationships. I used to think that God doesn’t really care about that part of my life until I realized that most of my past relationships were no good because God was nowhere to be found. My girlfriend, before I asked her out, told me something that changed my perspective about God’s will. God’s will is made known if you’re intentionally putting God first over everything. Looking for God because you want a girlfriend is not going to make the cut. If you truly look for the Creator of Love, God will grant you the most amazing, unique love story that will be so particular for you!

A true man will man up to making sure God is the main priority.
These are just some of the things I had in mind as I continue to hear complaints from our fellow sistas. Overtime I would love to discuss more about this topic. Fellas, continue to seek God and His righteousness and God will respond to your needs. Lets change this generation by reflecting God’s character daily.

-Moises

When Ushers Become Bouncers

Recently my heart has been stricken with the realization that things just aren't the way they should be.  I'm not necessarily talking about the world we live in, but I'm talking about how we, Christians 1. Treat each other and 2. Treat others.  To increase the scope of this discussion even further, I'm talking more about the church.

A little less than a week ago one of my brothers in Christ posted a blog talking about Grace in the Church (which I encourage all of the readers to read; its very short).  The church is supposed to be one of the greatest proprietors of grace and ironically, at times it feels like it's the most against it.

When I think about what church, the first absolute first thing should come to mind is Grace followed by Mercy.  When you come to church you are acknowledging that you have fallen.  You are hurting.  You need to be surrounded by other people like you.  You need to go to the hospital and see Dr. Jesus in the ER.  Jesus reminds us in Mark 2:17 that healthy people aren't the ones that need the doctor; rather its the sick.  Not just the sick, but the professed sick.

When you become a Christian, when you decide to be in the fellowship of other believers, you are acknowledging that you need help.  That living this life in isolation is desolate.  That you absolutely need Jesus.  That you absolutely need to be Taken the The King!

I pray that this isn't taken by deaf ears and I will be as respectful as I can possibly be, but, with that premise, why are we turning people away from the building?  A free clinic will not turn away people regardless of their insurance policy but the church, the ultimate free clinic will turn away someone because they haven't been "churchified" yet.  It is one of the most disheartening things to me, when I hear stories of church ushers that should be defined more as bouncers.  We shouldn't be turning away people that sin differently than us, we should be embracing them.  We should have our church doors open to those that think differently than us, dress differently than us, think differently than us.  That's what the beauty of Christendom is.

If you see a young person with their pants hanging half way on their waist, hat on backwards, walking up to your church building you have every right to tell them respectfully that it's not proper etiquette to wear the hat in the building.  I have absolutely no problem with that.  But when you, as the "church goer" gets to the point where you talk down to them and say that same phrase snarlingly.  That, I have a problem with.  With the former situation, you are talking out of love.  You are not asking for a huge commitment and you are respectful.  With the latter, you are just talking out of plain disrespect and animosity to people different from you.

Jesus didn't make people change in order to be in his presence (and this man was the Son of God!).  No, he came to the level where the most hurting where at.  He took a lot of criticism for it. But he went after their heart, not their outward expression.  He let the people be changed through constant interaction not forceable interjection.

Now let me be clear.  I again have no problem if a church has specific policies for leaders.  For example if both men and women can't wear clothes that reveal too much while they are on stage because when it comes down to it, leadership is a privilege   But when church-folk try to super-impose a second form of salvation; that you have to be just like us or you can't be taken to the King, we have a HUGE HUGE HUGE problem!

No wonder Christians have this bad reputation of being judgmental   No one, I repeat NO ONE should have to feel like they have to "get right" in order to go to church.  I pray that this doesn't fall on deaf ears because it's something that we need to take into serious consideration or I'm afraid that insituation that we know as the church may crumble to pieces (especially in the Western Hemisphere).  We need to extend that Grace & Mercy that Christ has given us because if we are completely honest, we are just as consistently broken and torn down as some of these people that get turned away.

--MJA

Making Sure That My Worship is For Real! (Worship At It's Best Part 2)

I'm beyond ecstatic that my brotha Moises posted a blog about Worship earlier today (Worship At It's Best) because ever since the article (posted at the bottom of his blog) went viral there have been many thoughts swirling through my head.

If the readers out there don't really know who I am, I was a Gospel Director for 2 choirs for the past 3 years.  I've been known as being a bit eccentric  crazy, wild, and just about any likewise definition you could think of.  There's only one way I can really portray how I am when I direct and that's to show you.  So here's a video of my Alma Mater, Messiah College doing Kirk Franklin's Song Hosanna.  Now I'm not directing the song but I want you to guess which one I am...

Sometimes when I watch this video I cringe at how crazy I become when I'm praising my God.  But if I'm honest, I wasn't always like that.  Long story short, I didn't become like that until I freed myself.  I'm naturally an introvert, but when I worship the Lord, I don't care who's watching and what I do.  My God is great and is greatly to be praised!

However, I will be the first to admit that there have been times as a worship leader where I haven't felt like worshipping.  Where I didn't want to be up there directing because I was having personal issues with God.  When that happened 1 of 2 things occurred   

The first time it happened I forced myself to be the man that everyone expected to see.  It's like I had my head on wrong.  When I first came out of my introvert shell and just danced like David danced I surprised myself.  I didn't know that that much Jesus love was in me.  After a while though, you hit that point where you start to get a little burned-out as a worship leader/choir director.  When that point reached, I was putting on a show.  I was trying wayy too hard.  I was like the worship leader in the aforementioned article.  I staged and planned everything.  The worst (actually, probably the best) part about it was that people could tell.  I was trying wayyyy to hard to put on a show and when I was approached by a couple of friends in my church, I denied it.  I didn't see it, I thought my mask was secure.  But it wasn't.  After that point I talked with Pastor Woody about it and he reminded me to just be myself.  Stop trying to hard.  You see we as worship leaders get into trouble when we try to impress others with our style.  When we try to impress the crowd with what we do.  That's a dangerous problem  to have.

The second time I caught myself in a rut however went a little bit differently.  I was leading the school choir before chapel and I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  I wasn't gonna really hide how I felt too much; I wasn't really into the directing thing but I couldn't just stop because I was the Student Director.  So I just chugged through the service.  BUT GOD had other plans for me.  As we sang our last song (which to be honest wasn't one of my favorites), God worked on my heart ya'll.  The hook went "Lord Have Your Way in This Place."  And just kept getting repeated.  All of a sudden I felt something on my heart.  By the end of the song I was about to be into tears because of how great God is.  For the first time in my life, I was about to weep for Jesus.  Mannnnn that was one of the best moments of my life even though I still don't like the song very much!

What am I trying to say?  We, as worship leaders, choir directors, music ministerials need to make sure we have our hearts in the right place at all times!  There are going to be those days where you just ain't gonna feel like goin up there.  But we have a job to do, we have a responsibility to be respective leaders in our churches.  So when you go up there just be yourself.  Don't put on a show.  I'd rather a leader go up in front of a church and admit that he or she is struggling than for someone to put on their Sunday's Best and act like they are lollygagging through the flowers.  Church is about real people with real issues so let's start being real with each other.  Life sucks sometimes and that's ok.  Let you brothers and sisters in Christ come around you and support you.  That's what they are here for! :)

One of my favorite moments as a choir director was a couple of years ago when UVP (Messiah's Gospel Choir) did Byron Cage's rendition of the Praise & Worship song Breathe.  I'll be the first to admit that the first part of the song was rehearsed but that was just the primer.  But when you move out of the introduction and allow the Holy Spirit to enter into the sanctuary, things happened.  I can't explain it ya'll. But to this day, I relive that moment in my head over and over again.  Be a vessel for God. Since you are up there leading other people you HAVE to make sure your head is right.  Don't put up a front.  Just...Let Em UZE Ya! Cuz when the Praises go up!  The Blessing come down! (Psalm 67)

--MJA