You Can't Clean Yourself
So let’s say you have a body, two legs, and no arms. Now tell me, are you able to clean yourself? I think not, but if so please immediately email us, so we can talk about the miracle that is you. Otherwise, this article is for you.
I have seen many people say things like “I want to wait until a certain point to bring myself to God” or “I am just not ready yet.” I just want to take this opportunity to let you know that God loves you the way you are and wants you to come to Him the way you are. It’s funny, there is no where in the bible where Jesus exactly says “come as you are,” so I can understand why we sometimes may feel the need to get “prepared” for Jesus. The thing is we need to realize there is nothing we can do to get “prepared” to accept Jesus. The bible shares a powerful verse in Romans chapter 5 verse 8, it says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Signifying that He knew, He knew what He was getting into when He loved us. God does not want you to wait until you are ready to stop being in your mess, before you come to Him. He wants to take your mess and help you make it beautiful.
THIS IS WHY WE HAVE REPENTANCE
"Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away."
Acts 3:19
The bible is intentional when it places words where it places them. God does not just say anything, anywhere or anyhow, His words have purpose for their placement. Take a look at the verse again, it says “repent of your sins AND TURN to God…” Repentance is the Turning away from your mess also known as your sin, and redirecting your eyes and focus back onto Jesus. Recognize that when we make our messes, our eyes are not on Jesus. This is obvious because if they were, we would not have gone in the way we did but it’s alright. Repentance is your way of telling the Lord that you are sorry and that you want to get back on the track of His will and not your own. It is known that we make messes and wrong decisions.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious hand"
Isaiah 41:10
We know our circumstances and everything we have been through. We are consistently aware of what we go through and what we desire and it is not always in line with what we see as who God is. We see God as wanting perfect people who are not dealing with any kind of struggles. Because of this, we stand clear and stay away until we don’t desire these things any more. Thoughts we have, things we say, and even things we find ourselves doing, sometimes, don’t seem to be what we believe God wants. We forget though, when Jesus roamed the Earth as a man, He spent most of his time around people with messed up situations. Those were the people who showed their real selves to Jesus, those were the individuals who were real with Him. So you think, while being around them, what did He do? He made their lives and situations better.
The Pharisees always tried to act as if they were perfect, not only around Jesus, but before others too. All Jesus did was make them question themselves, but out of bitterness, they did all they could to have Him persecuted and murdered. I don’t think we want to head down that route or even be remotely related to them, trying to look perfect before Jesus, when He knew them better than they knew themselves.
In John 4, there’s a woman at a well that Jesus encounters and speaks with. She found it surprising that He spoke to her, because she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew. Samaritans and Jews did not like each other and had long term tension. I believe this shows us that Jesus can relate to us, no matter how different from Him we believe we are. In some cases we feel like Jesus wouldn’t even come near us if He knew us.
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
As Jesus spoke to her, He began telling her about herself and her history and difficulty with men. A history that could easily be seen as promiscuous. (I’ll use that word because its about the nicest one I can think to use at the moment.) It’s funny though, she did not exactly have the best track record, but Jesus still saw it necessary to encounter her. He didn’t have to. He could have kept to Himself or did other things. He chose to impact her life that day and He wants to impact yours. Just like He knew her dirty laundry well before conversing with her, He knows yours. Jesus brought up her sin and gave her the salvation that she needed. Pay attention to the fact that she did not run away from Him. She did question Him, but never ran away from the Lord. So why do we run when we feel dirty? The Lord pretty much took her dirt in His hands, showed it to her and washed it away. Realize He didn’t have her sort through it, He didn’t even ask her to explain herself. What Jesus did was offer her the Light she sought and needed. This is a small reminder that Jesus is offering you, Himself, even in knowing what you have to offer…….which is not much.
There's a verse that I love, it’s Isaiah 61:3:
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory."
Isaiah 61:3
God wants to trade your mess for His light, His love, and all that He has. There’s really no way to clean yourself before Him, He made you and He knows all your flaws, yet He loves you more than you can ever imagine. What’s even better is that His arms are always open and He is always forgiving. Don’t believe me. Believe the actions of Christ, who took the beating and died just for us. So why would He now have you get yourself together before coming to Him? We can’t clean ourselves, so we have to always remember Jesus is here to help.
Your Conviction Is My Conviction
I love people. I love people, a lot. But not enough to inform them that they may be a little off. Sometimes, not enough to share my convictions about a particular matter. And thus, I may compromise.
One of the first things I “learned”—heard, when I first came to Christ, was “your convictions are not my convictions,” and vice versa. It was a statement that I had heard so much, I almost even took it as scripture; you know, maybe Paul in one of the letters to Corinth or something, slipped in:
Thou foolish Corinthians, what has caused you to falter? Know ye not that, that which is burdened on me, is for me alone. And that which is burdened on you, is for you alone? Please, carry and mind your own.
3 Corinthians 1:1 NONE
Honestly, the statement might even have scriptural root (Romans 14:22), but not enough for it to stand as a biblical code
It’s a sad, sad case that one of the most regurgitated bible verse in modern Christendom is John 15:13 “No greater love exist than this, for one to lay down his life for a friend,” yet this act is almost only limited to driving up to upper, Upper-Marlboro to scoop a friend for a function; sharing a little of my chipotle bowl; and eventually taking a minute to pray for someone, who asked you to pray for them some time ago—eh, that’s besides my point. We’re a generation, along with the church in Galatians, that rests on what we do or have done. Don’t get me wrong, going out of my way to do something for a brother or sister in Christ is good, and should be done more often but so should honouring their walks.
Jesus preaches “there is no greater love than this, for a man to lay down his life for a friend,” and goes on to actively live it out. Jesus said to anyone who wanted to be his disciple: deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him. Jesus was so Jesus that He never went without exemplifying, to the extreme, any of the things He taught. Jesus literally had to “deny” Himself [His will and God-being capabilities] (Luke 22:42), “pick up His Cross” (John 19:17), and well—He followed Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1) and the Father (John 5:19), so He paved a path for us to follow. Yet, His desire wasn’t that we’d become
One thing I did take in stride when I came to Christ—actually, this was my first favorite verse: Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Very early on in my Christian walk, I, like many other young believers, adopted an understanding of “dying to yourself.” It’s the expressive statement of what Jesus meant by “deny yourself.” It’s essentially putting away ALL of You for ALL of Him—and expressively, the next believer.
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Acts 4:32 “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”
We are given this notion that, “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about Jesus, and my brothers and sisters in Him.” However, the notion doesn’t always remain in effect, as we passively make the statement, our hearts actively stray from it. We are often about “me, myself, and I...okay, sometimes you, Jesus...ehhh...and maybe once in a while, you too” (*points to you*); we do things that aren’t plainly defined as wrong, but don’t glorify God nor yield good fruit. If that be the case, we have to chop it off like gangrene. (cc: JGivens verse from “Same Team”) No, SERIOUSLY, cut off anything in your life that doesn’t produce good fruit, nor glorify God. (Matthew 7:19).
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.
When you’ve made the choice to pause from you, and live for Him, you’ll soon realize, that Jesus gave us a very quintessential law in Mark 12:31: “love your neighbor as you love yourself;” His prayer was for us to be as one (John 17), and Paul teaches us that in being one, we must bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). So that leads me to believe that there remains a very elegant focus in the bible: unity amongst the brethren. But why is unity such an issue for us? Why is it such a problem for the world? My proposed answer: we’re not willing give goodly and godly compromise.
Ew. Compromise.
Yes. Compromise. You can perceive that’s almost all Jesus did on Earth; goodly and godly compromise. He compromised Him being God, the Creator of this Universe, to dwell amongst His creation, as one of them. He compromised Him being a righteous, blameless, perfect human being, to die on the cross for us unrighteous, sinful, and imperfect humans. Yep, Jesus compromised a great deal. Aren’t we to do the same? I mean, we do profess “I want to be like You, Jesus,” all day long.
Notice I’ve added “goodly” and “godly” to compromise. Compromise is a word that has polarizing connotations:
Jummy compromised his integrity, as he joined his friends in smoking.
OR
Jummy compromised his pride, as he washed the feet of his friends.
I can, and likely will, bamboozle you with a plethora of scriptures, but you’ve seen enough so far. God desires that we would be one and together glorify Him in that one. But to do so, it requires for us to surrender—compromise—our self-fulfilling will and desires to God, and for the edification of the body. This will then allow us to bear one another’s burden, and fulfill the law of Christ.
It’s easy to point scripture declaring our freedom in Christ. But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. The convictions we receive from Holy Spirit are often tailored to ourselves personally but ultimately for growth within our spheres of influence. Bill Johnson once said, “Your breakthroughs are not just for yourself, but for the next person.” I believe that principle is the same concerning many of the convictions we have. I’ve personally been convicted of wearing too-skinny pants, listening to particular (most...if not all) secular music, drinking, smoking, partying, watching particular movies and TV shows, etc. Some of the stuff I’ve been convicted of, aren’t necessarily unlawful—but God beckons I follow these convictions.
Matthew 11:15 “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”
If I am to honour God, by following these convictions, I better live them so fully out...that they seem as if they’re written on my flesh. I better live these convictions so fully out, that when I’m offered a drink, in the midst of my Christian brethren, I deny. And if I remain in that company, I better so fully live out these convictions that I explain why. Many of us receive convictions because we’ve struggled with these things or perhaps once tasted and realized “God hasn’t called me into this.”
It might sound killjoy-ish, but sharing my stance on a matter is much better than me compromising what God has paved for me, where I’d stumble and fall short. To me, it’s compromising my cool versus compromising my divine impression from God. One might be the more appealing, but the other, of course, is the most beneficial. But it’s hard. It’s hard to stand for what you’re for and not about, in the company of other believers, who for the most part, are like-minded. I don’t have a definite answer as to how to do so, but I have a couple of friends who do a good job of “suggesting” their convictions, it’s almost rather annoying...but it works.
The opposite, or, corresponding side of that coin is receiving that conviction and honouring it. Swallow that pride! Swallow it! Swallow it! That’s almost all I can say, because it’s so hard! This is the very reason that this dauntingly dauntless piece was crafted: honour one another’s convictions, as if your own. A sister of mine once shared how whenever someone would share their burdens with her, she’d bare them so much, that she began to ache with empathy for that person. She’d adopt that burden, and lift it with that person. Given, all the person is likely looking for, is someone to pray for them. But like Christ, my sister takes it an inch further, and actually aches, mourns, and joys with the person as they together carry that burden.
Jesus, Himself, was so willing to submit, that He even honoured the customs of the Pharisees as shown in Mark 12:15 and Matthew 17:27, just so that they wouldn’t stumble. It’s seldom said, but God bless Simon of Cyrene, who aided our Lord Jesus Christ in carrying His cross (Matthew 27:32). Just as that Simon did, so also should we do: respect, honour, and aid one another’s struggles. God forbid a friend of mine tells me they’ve struggled with drinking before Christ, and I’m found, by them, even looking at liquor. God forbid someone tells me how much they struggle with pornography, and I sit with them to watch a movie that has any inch of sensuality or sexual immorality.
Matthew 18:6 If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
This walk with, for, and after Christ is not easy, and often times isn’t fun. Often times, we are urged via convictions from God, and even from or for our brethren, to do or not do something—those convictions aren’t fun, and may even often seem repetitive and unfulfilling but, I, rather Paul, say this:
Romans 14:21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Recall that these convictions handed to us whether by God or a member of the body are not to hinder or limit us. Nor are they to disengage us from individuality. But rather to align us, in unison, with the standard that God has given us, which is Jesus Christ. If these convictions don’t help me conform into the image of Christ, than taking them on is pointless; but for those which do, how selfish and stupid would it be for me not to uphold them and share them with others? An awesome man of God, Kevin Muchiri says, “Although we are custom made, the things that do not please our Father are not custom but standard, and should be the same for every believer.” So I pray that God softens our hearts, and that we hearken our ears to Him and one another, to hear as the Spirit speaks, knowing that every Word from God is a gift, to be cherished and honoured, and not only heard, but done. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Shalom,
(Jum 1:4)
The Lord’s Prayer Doxology
In Matthew 6, Jesus realizes a problem. That problem is: Christians don’t know how to pray. So, being the wonderful Teacher He is, He teaches us a very practical and simple way to pray. I believe Jesus did a great job in teaching prayer, so I won’t reiterate what He taught—plus, there are two pieces by a beloved Urban Disciple guest writer on prayer, you’ll probably want to check out—but I do want to quickly discuss why the Doxology, at the end of our Lord’s prayer, matters to us.
"...For Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power, Yours is the glory forever! Amen.”
Matthew 6:13
For Yours is the Kingdom
You’ll find it all over the Gospels, John the Baptist and Jesus preaching “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand/near.” Jesus, as well, through parables, teaches us a whole lot about the Kingdom of God. But one of the most profound truths about the Kingdom is found in Luke 17:20-21: Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is within you." This statement is validated when Jesus departs from Earth, into Heaven, and Holy Spirit comes upon and fills the believers (Acts 2:4), and Paul later smacks us with this truth: “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) Now the two facts here are: 1) the Kingdom of God is within us, and 2) God’s Spirit dwells in us. So when Paul addresses the Romans, he leaves them with more reality: For the kingdom of God is...of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (14:17). Therefore, God who dwells in us, has placed His Kingdom in us, and this is now verified in righteousness, peace, and joy from/by/in the Holy Ghost. But this Matthew 6:13, emphasis “For Yours”, reiterating and re-establishing the fact that, the Kingdom of God, is God’s. We are God’s. The Kingdom is not manipulated or conjured up by any man, but is of God’s sovereignty.
For thine is the power
In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us that “all power and authority has been given unto [Him].” He then commissions us, as believers, to “Go,” living out that power and authority in making disciples; baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that He had commanded us (v. 18-19). In Matthew 10:1, when Jesus calls His 12 disciples, He gives them the “power and authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” Power is also in the Gospel: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the POWER of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive power (Acts 1:8). And the Holy Spirit also gifts us various workings of His power in gifts (1 Corinthians 12) and in fruits (Galatians 5:22-23). So centrally, we receive power from God, through time within His presence [in His Word, in prayer, in submission/surrender, and in worship]. Therefore, the power we receive is not from ourselves and should not be received from any other man, but from God and God alone. Jesus gave us power and authority in the Gospels, and we received power in the Letters. It’s imperative we remain submitted to the leading of God, as it is His power, and who else, but Him to teach us, how to walk in it. For once again, in His sovereignty, he grants us power, that is still for, by, and to Him.
For Yours is the Glory
My God is a jealous God, who’ll never share His glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). All throughout the Bible, He reveals His glory, whether it’s in the Creation (Genesis 1-2), in saving Israel (Exodus 14:30-31), healing the sick/casting out demons/cleansing lepers (the Gospels), or killing liars of the church (Acts 5)—He shows His glory. When we walk out in the power [fruits, giftings, commissions], which He’s given us, He and He alone [should] receive(s) glory. When we do simple good works, God receives glory (Matthew 5:16). When we seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness, He receives glory (Matthew 6:33). Even in our human defiance, God is given glory (Psalm 76:10). While God is the same God from yesterday, God, now in our partnership with Him, is to receive glory from every and anything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). If all power and authority is God’s, then all glory is God’s. We boast not in ourselves, but in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2). There is not a story in the bible, that at the end God didn’t receive eternal glory, and so shall it be with our lives.
Forever, amen!
The central purpose of this piece, is for us to take a moment and reflect on the sovereignty of God. “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). There isn’t a thing that He isn’t sovereign over. A quote, I’ve come to cherish by a man named Abraham Kuyper, is this: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” So, I bid thee: Become aware that God is within us, use what God has given us, and give Him all the glory! It’s rightfully His forever, amen
Selah,
Jum (1:3)
The Overflow Movement: Truth vs Tradition
On Friday March 20, The Overflow Movement held their second program with the theme “Truth vs. Tradition” and it was far beyond everyone’s expectations. You may have seen their flyers and a few of their short visual clips circling around Instagram and Facebook. The Overflow movement, founded by Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Bethel Fellowship’s youth ministry, is a fairly new idea where [a collection] “of young Christians come together with a goal of experiencing God’s love and His power, then pouring that same love and power out to the rest of the youth of our current generation.” The Overflow Movement holds their events bi-monthly; their first one was in January called “Hope is Rising.”
The night was filled with amazing talent, featuring Overflow Movement’s very own rap group called C.M.M., Christ Must Move, and a short skit demonstrating the difference between truth and tradition. They also had an open mic segment, where people used their different talents to glorify God. There was a chance for us to mix and mingle, starting with the café, and the Q&A section, where we discussed our thoughts on truth, tradition, and everything in between. Tobi Oke gave a powerful message on; you guessed it, truth vs. tradition. The night ended with so many youths deciding to not just let go of their traditional ways, but to remember and understand the purpose of tradition.
I spoke with one of the Founders of The Overflow Movement and member of the media team, Ihide Ehikhamenor, to find out more about this new “movement.”
What inspired The Overflow Movement?
“We [CAC Bethel Fellowship] had a similar program like this called Reflections, and it was good, but for one reason or another, it just died out. So a group of us, ’the squad,’ came up with the idea to bring something like Reflections back that will be more vibrant and attractive for the new youth of Bethel Fellowship and get them involved. We spoke with our Pastors about this idea and got an immediate O.K. to bring it to life.”
How do you guys come up with the themes of The Overflow events?
“The leaders begin praying and preparing for the events two months before each event. So while getting ready for the current event (promoting, casting, etc.), we already have our theme for the next one. Our themes are catered to the youth of the church. We meditate on what issues they are facing and try to incorporate it in the themes. They are our main audience.”
What type of impact do you want Overflow to have on the youth’s lives?
“We want to see our youth grow spiritually and edify each other using their God-given talents. And it won’t stop at our church; we want to see them impact their friends at different churches, their schools, work, etc. The Overflow is a platform where they can receive the full gospel of Jesus Christ and present it in their own unique way. Hopefully, the rappers we saw tonight will encourage any other rappers that were in the crowd to use their talents for God as well. We just want people to have fun and be open in the presence of God. Things of that nature.
What’s next for Overflow?
“I don’t want to say too much, but we will be having a summer series called ‘Back to the Basics.’ It will be a three part series where we talk to the youth about the simple, but foundational parts of Christianity. The first event of the series will be on May 15th. We are also looking forward to the new, diverse acts for the open mics. Stay tuned!”
The Overflow Movement holds their events at CAC Bethel Fellowship, located at 7513 Northern Ave. Glendale MD, 20769. To stay updated on their next event, follow them on Instagram @theoverflowmovement and add them on Facebook at Tom Overflow!
Written By: Toyin Akinwande
ZENAS
Tell us about yourself.
I am Zenas Oluwatobi Okanlawon. I am 23 glorious years old. I am a dancer and dance teacher and I come from two beautiful Nigerian parents who birthed me in Laurel, MD.
When did you discover that you had a passion to dance and decided to pursue this gift?
When I was young, I was passionate about whatever it was that I was doing. So if it was school and academics, I was passionate about it. I started playing violin at a young age and I was very passionate about that.
Then I started dancing because I went to a performing arts elementary school (I got in through [the] lottery) and became passionate about that. I just wanted to be good at whatever I was doing, no matter what it was. I didn't really decide to pursue dance as a career though until my junior year in high school when I was applying for colleges. I had invested a great deal of time and energy to dance [and] decided that I wanted to be adamant about perfecting that gift.
Was dancing natural for you, or did you have to work to discover you had this gift?
Yes and no. I think it was clear that I had some talent, but I had absolutely no control of my body. I enjoyed dancing, but I remember being a flexible mess in dance class. I could throw my leg up and pop into a split, but that was about it. People told me I was talented and so I ran with that and began to take the training serious. So I put in a lot of work. I am still putting in work to perfect this gift. The process really never ends.
Having African parents in this Era, how was it pursuing a Dance Performance degree?
It was a headache! HAHA! I never ignored the words my Father told me through the process of choosing a major. What he was saying wasn’t always the issue because I knew that every word he said to me was out of the hope that he knew would be actualized in my life. He loved me so much [that] he could not bear seeing me struggle or fail in any way. As I think back, I want to carefully say that perhaps a lot of what he advised me stemmed from fear. He feared I would have to experience some of the same struggles he experienced in this country. So, again, my issue was not always with what he was saying. The issue was the immensely strong internal pull that I had to face everyday that drew me towards dance. It was like even when I wanted to ignore it, I somehow found myself back in the studio, wanting to dig deeper into the field. I argued a lot with my dad about my choice to major in dance. He partially supported me, but wanted me to focus on something more “solid” and promising in terms of a career and a stable, sufficient income. I appeared to be stubborn, as if my certainty was assured. But internally I was battling myself so hard. I dedicated so much time to prayer for direction because this issue left me immensely confused. Of course I wanted to make good money, but I felt like people didn’t see in me what I saw. I saw a girl who was hard working, who needed to just be the best in her field to find success. I saw a girl that was crafted with a unique way of seeing the world and seeing success.
I did not want to chase after money. I wanted to be the best at what God had created me to be and then believe Him for all the things I need to “survive.” I believed that if God really could do “ALL THINGS,” He could also help in this area. And it wasn’t about just being a dancer. I wanted to do whatever God told me to do. I just wanted to be obedient to Abba.
People generally “encouraged” me to be wise, A.K.A take the safe route. But safe was boring to me, and safe wasn’t what I heard God telling me to be. I never desired to be a rebel. I just desired to maximize the potential God placed in me. I wanted to believe that when my body eventually dies, it would be emptied of the things I was created to do on earth.
When did you start dancing to glorify God?
I realized my gift of dance was a gift from God when I joined Spirit Wings Dance Company and Studio at the age of 9. So that’s when I started dancing for the glory of Jesus.
Do you have any past or future projects dedicated to your craft?
YES! I’ve been blessed with so many awesome opportunities in the past and looking forward to all God has planned for me in the future. Currently, I am working with Chandini Darby, an amazing dancer and mentor, on a project called B.F.A. (Beauty for Ashes) that will premiere on April 12,2015 at the Howard County Center for the Arts.
Who and/or what inspires you to dance? Who and/or what is your muse?
When I was younger, I looked up dance in the bible and of course one of the first stories
I learned about was David dancing shamelessly before the Lord with all his might. That story inspires me to never be ashamed.
I recently revisited that feeling of unrestricted, abandoned worship to God through dance.
Judith Jamison was one of the first black female dancers I learned about. I did a project about her in elementary school and I was so intrigued and captured by her beauty. She is the Artistic Director Emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Learning about her also opened my eyes to this amazing dance company based in NYC. I began to study Ailey and was so amazed that these dancers were amongst the best in the world and many of them were my skin color! Through my Ailey obsession, I found a dancer named Dwana Smallwood and connected [with her] immediately. She still inspires me to find authenticity in what I do. Here is one of my favorite Dwana moments:
Last, but certainly not least, the legacy of my late mother inspires me to be excellent in dance. She was a hard-working woman that loved to spread love. When I think of her, I remember how great I can be.
Is there anything else you desire to use dancing for?
I am blessed with the opportunity to use dance as a tool for youth development and I would love to keep exploring that. I want to travel the world and see how youth respond to dance in different parts of the world. Dance has also always been a healing mechanism for me. I want to share that with people – not merely dance, but discovering the things God created you to do. That is healing power. I also want to explore how dance will bring communities back together.
What keeps you motivated?
Jesus. And really great art/artists. Diversity. Sometimes tragedy. People who love me and encourage me. People that pursue Jesus unashamedly. Beauty. Oh, and the opportunity to love others – that fuels me.
Who is your biggest fan?
I would say, probably my sisters. I get crazy support from them. At times it is hard to find people who understand your crazy decisions. I don’t think they fully understand, but they still support me blindly. They are consistent.
One of my sisters constantly calls me “superstar.” I have never seen myself as such, but every time she says that, it inspires me. One of my other sisters told me I was going to be on TV. And then I was! They push me to see myself beyond where I am in the present. My mom and dad are also really awesome. They grew up in a place where dance was apart of the culture within the community, but not necessarily a career. With that said, I do believe they support me the best way they know how!
When I first started dancing, my dad, single at the time and fathering four girls, sacrificed sooooo much to get me to my in numerous rehearsals, shows, performances, etc. I was doing the most, but I don’t remember him ever complaining about it. He easily spent thousands on tuition for dance, attire, gas, food for trips and rehearsal, and the list goes on. My mom floods me with ideas of how I will succeed as a dancer. Sometimes I look at her crazy, but that doesn't seem to stop her!
My amazing friend, Yvonne Eseonu, has also been a great supporter since the time she met me. She went to the extent of even contacting a dance company on my behalf, but without my knowledge, that I admired a lot. She is always going out of her way to show me that she believes in me.
I would also say my mentor, Chandini Darby who has held me up through so many years of tears, fear, trauma, and moments of doubt and insecurities. Lastly, my spiritual mother, Dr. Mitchell who has been to every single one of my shows – even the ones I deliberately tell her not to come to!
When was your favorite ministration?
I don’t think I have a favorite. Every opportunity to dance is a true blessing!
A spoken word and dance collaboration with Lu Ade.
Organized Religion: Prelude
Organize, organize, organize me
If You have my heart then You have every part of me
What I hear, what I say, what I feel, what I see
If You have my heart then You have every part of me
Organized Religion: Prelude
One of the first core values, any believer should know, is to actively practice and pursue purity. But...it’s much easier thought than said publicly, yet much easier to say than actually do.
In the ensuing moments after I surrendered my life to Christ on July 7th, 2012 (read My Testimony), I began the innate pursuit for purity. On the ride home, I began deleting phone numbers and all types of music from phone; as soon as I got home, I went on etching out whatever current negativity I could from social media, and really just trying to orchestrate my life as holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). The problem here was—I was trying.
There’s something about me trying, that may make God laugh (well if not Him , I at least get a chuckle). I say this because every time I attempt to do something out of my own will or desire, I don’t do it too well. Shoot even writing this post, I was failing at it until (at this exact moment) I invited Holy Spirit to join me in writing this ministration. Honestly though, if I was God, and I saw Jummy trying to do anything, I’d erupt in laughter; it’d be like a little ant frantically trying to pick up a grape. No seriously, I suck. Back to my point: after deleting what I thought were big no-no’s in my music playlist (Rage Against The Machines, Eminem, Asher Roth, etc.), and keeping a little Kanye, a little The Fray, and a little Flobots, I thought I was good in terms of music; shoot, I even imparted as much Mali Music and whatever few worship songs I could onto my phone. However, a problem remained: the ever present sorrows of Ye’, the emotional pangs of The Fray, and the liberal activist push by the Flobots were constantly fluxing in those first months of salvation for me. I’d have days where I’m all upbeat and praise-y, and then I hear “Heartless” (by either Ye’ or The Fray), and I would begin weaning the affection of my ex and once again, falling for lust and adultery. Why? Because I tried.
After adapting to wisdom, correction, and conviction, I eventually eliminated those passageways to my heart. I soon learned that everything left unguarded can and will become a tool for the enemy to infiltrate our hearts. Finding that out, as a young believer, really hurt—especially, when I had surrendered to God, my life, but not my heart.
Before we go on: STOP trying. It doesn't work. And if it looks like it does, IT’S A FACADE (FASSSSADE!) Seriously, when we try to make ourselves righteous, pure, holy, acceptable, we fall short every time (Romans 3:23), and we nullify (Romans 10:3) what He’s already done (Romans 8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Peter 1:3——you’re gonna wanna digest these). We've been equipped with everything required for us to live out Romans 12:1, so we no longer have to try (as they did in the Old Testament), we just do.
The actual point of this post is to pre-introduce you to a new challenge: the Organized Religion Challenge. The lyrics of Beautiful Eulogy’s “Organized Religion”, thoroughly generate the importance of maintaining purity in the five gates of our bodies that are influenced/influence that needed the most: ears, tongue, hands, eyes, and heart; the most pivotal, being the heart.
In this series, I actively choose to maintain purity in those five parts: I am dedicating five weeks, a week for each gate, to just do and actively live out purity. It may seem unnecessary, maybe even elementary, to public declare “I’m pursuing purity in things I hear/ the things I say/ the things I do with my hands/ the things I see/ and the things my heart thinks,” but I believe that just as you being water baptized declares “I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST! AND I WANT TO LIVE FOR HIM,” me posting about this challenge, declares: I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST! AND I’M GOING TO LIVE LIKE HE DID.
I don’t plan on trying to maintain purity, I’m just going to do it. I no longer want to try not to look at the voluptuous female, I just won’t. Why is this possible, you ask? Because “all good works begin from a place of rest, in relationship with the Father.” Every week I partake in this challenge, I’m actively choosing to rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28), knowing that I can do and will conquer all things through Him who strengthens and loves me (Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:37).
This challenge series is experimental in nature, as I hope to immediately adapt to this lifestyle of constant and active purity, not allowing for any crevice that the enemy can use to infiltrate me. But, to be sincerely honest, its been, and will continue to be hard, if I’m not locked on to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2; Matthew 6:22). So, my friends, I invite you on this journey—pray for me, keep me accountable, tune into the weekly summarizing posts, ask questions, and tackle your own Organized Religion Challenge.
Shalom,
JUM (1:2)
Brofriend: Moving From Brother In Christ To Boyfriend
So guys, do you have someone you like and are interested in? Read this real quick before you have another thought.
My girlfriend and I have been together and in courtship for a year and some change now. She is an extreme blessing to my life and assists me with all of the wild ambitions that my heart takes me towards, but it wasn’t a quick and easy process. We did not just meet, fall for each other, and then say “Hey! Let’s start courting!” It took much more than that. Hi, my name is Gabriel. I was once a “Brother in Christ”, but now I am a proud boyfriend.
Some of us have been single for so long, that it feels weird saying that we are someone’s “boyfriend” or “significant other”, and starting the process feels just as weird. When we find the person, who we think has potential to fill that spot, it’s not easy to initiate the process, but once you get your foot in the door, it almost feels like smooth sailing from there.
Well, I’m here to just talk about how to get your foot in the door. Before Deborah, there were some young women that I was interested in and sought after. I even had thoughts of building some kind of future with them, but the issue was with them……well the issue wasn’t with them, it was with me. I knew I liked them, but that was about it. I didn’t know what to do after that, but I knew one thing, I did not know how to use intention. Say it with me: Intention, intention, intention. Let’s say it together: intention.
So let me tell you a story: there once was a beautiful girl that I met at a friend’s birthday dinner, and I thought she was the best looking young lady. There was something about her that drew me to her. She had so many amazing qualities, was articulate and a bunch of other great things. When we spoke, my intention was not to try and make her anything. I just thought she looked really good and I knew I had to get her number because she had something refreshing about her. We talked every now and again, but as time went on, our conversations became deeper and deeper. We began to talk more and opened up in a way that exposed ourselves to one another. All the while, I didn’t notice until I really noticed that I was falling for this girl. I was excited to talk to her and she seemed to like talking to me and we did it so often, it became habitual. When we spoke to each other, she satisfied this thing in me and I liked that. The problem was that I had no idea what to do with it. I simply liked it. I enjoyed it. When we talked, I noticed that the sound of her voice would cause me to feel good. I knew that she would talk and tell me things that she wouldn’t tell anyone else. I truly enjoyed it, but this was the problem: I did nothing, but enjoy it. We were living in the moment and it felt good, but the moment lasted longer than it should have. There should have been a next step and I should have initiated it. I lived in the moment much too long with her.
Men listen. When God made us, He made us to be the pursuers, the initiators, and the ones to start this thing up. The usual process for dating regularly is for a guy to ask a girl out and not the other way around. With this girl, I just enjoyed her, I fantasized about what we could be even in the future and romanticized what it would be like to just be with her and have her as mine, but the problem was that I never communicated these things to her. I never initiated the next step of our relationship. Everything we did and said was assumed between us, there was no definition of what we actually were. We just went along with what we felt with no boundaries of where it began and where it ended. We did what we wanted and what we felt, and the worst part is that I told people I liked her and what I saw her as in my life, but I never shared these things with her. I feared to get out of the phase that we were in, everything felt good and I did not want that to change because we were “getting more serious.” It would be too risky to not tell her, so instead I just behaved as if things would naturally just take its course and we’d just end up together somehow.
Side Note: Gentleman, this is how you are destined to get “friend zoned.” Assuming that because you feel a certain way about someone and look at that person a certain way: 1. Does not mean that they know. 2. Does not mean they see how you treat them as unordinary from their other guy friends and 3. Does not mean that they will pick up on those clues and take it as you liking them. Sorry.
Assuming that they know. Nothing is just known, you usually have to be told for definite understanding and knowledge. If not, then you are left with an assumption and people usually don’t act on assumptions, its not safe.
Assuming they notice how you treat them. Just because you treat a girl a certain way, does not mean that they take it as you like them. They may just see you as a really nice guy and thats how you treat all your female friends. Just because you look at a girl a certain way, does not mean that you like her! I know, I know, a lot of movies have a third party that say “I see the way you look at her,” but that doesn’t mean it will be that way in real life. It just means you look at her in a certain way! Which brings me to my third point..
“Assuming they will pick up on the clues and take it as you liking them. The girl may even notice you treating her nicely or looking at her a certain way, but this DOES NOT mean that she will know automatically or even that she will assume that you like her and would like to date her. She may just think that this is who you are or wonder why you do it. Some people simply don’t catch on quickly. So to my guys and even girls, try not to get friendzoned. It has happened to me before and it really sucks. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
As I reflect on the experience I had with the girl, I don’t ever believe we had an actual conversation about how we like each other (which I should have stepped up and started) or what we would like to do to be progressive with our feelings. Everything was caught up in our assumptions. There was really no sense of intention. In turn, this led to our downfall, a lack of a definition now caused a lack of intention and drew us apart. I was too immature to know what to do and how to do it. I did not know that as a man, I should step up and let her know my intentions and how I felt about her in order for us to progressively move forward. Because we had shared so many deep things with each other and had a relationship based on assumptions that were not controlled by boundaries that would protect us and our hearts, both of us dealt with a lot of hurt as the relationship fell apart and I know this pain all too well; Pain from experiences like this can discourage us so much that it affects our future relationships. I know some guy friends who won’t take the step of being intentional because they fear that if they do and it turns out to be wrong, then everyone will judge them or say negative things. As guys, we don’t want our character or anything else judged negatively, our ego hates it. This is why I recommend taking your time before you begin to share yourself and who you are with someone. And make sure you stay in a friend level until you know this person well enough to share your feelings and intentions with, so that you can then move forward if they feel the same way back. The Bible asks us:
“Can two walk together, unless they agree?”
Amos 3:3
When you have this conversation, you must prepare your heart for any possible outcomes because sometimes people won’t share the same feelings that you do or may not be in the place where they are ready to pursue a relationship. A lot of different factors can come into play. Make sure that you remain of a “friend” intimacy, meaning keep the boundaries that friends have and treating them like everyone else, before you go giving your heart and whole being to someone else. I say this because at times we use each other just to satisfy something, not knowing that the other person was looking for something more or less. Don’t be up late talking to her about your deepest dreams and desires, giving her special treatment, going above and beyond, or showing her extraordinary affection until you know the interest is mutual. There needs to be a clear conversation and conclusions made so that there is a basic understanding between the both of you. This is needed so that both of you are aware of how to move forward. You won’t know how to handle something if you don’t know what it is.
So guys once you establish that you want to pursue a relationship with her, be intentional. Pursue her! Not to sound barbaric, but when an animal is being hunted it knows, and when someone or something is being sought after they know as well. The desire is made known through the intention. If you make it clear that you are pursuing her, the woman will have an equal understanding of the matter. So as you two begin to grow closer (with the right boundaries in place, so no one goes too far too early), you can move comfortably knowing where your relationship stands as well as how you want to proceed in the future. Because of the purposefulness and intention of the predator or pursuer, it is clear what is going down.
My pastor recently said, “Men don’t value what we don’t pursue.” Upon knowing my girlfriend for a year and some change before I began “pursuing” her, she knew. Before we even decided to start talking, we had many intentional conversations about how we felt about one another, what we were looking for in a relationship, if we were ready, set up boundaries, and how we would communicate and move forward together. We spoke to mentor figures that we had to make sure that we were not just googly eyed at some person who looks good or dresses well (because we fulfill both of these things) and to ensure that we were somewhat prepared for what we desired to begin. I’m telling you, she could tell the difference and so could I. I told her what I felt for her and she told me she felt for me. Matthew 5:37 says:
“But let your Yes be Yes, and your No be no, For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37
With her, everything was different. I was intentional in treating her right and people could tell that I felt for her, without me saying anything. I let it be known with my actions. I was purposeful. And that’s what they really want out of us, to be intentional and purposeful, not to just enjoy their company in ways that satisfy our needs, and then move on to something else.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”.
Proverbs 4:23
So don’t just ask to “hang out,” ask her out on a date when thats what you mean, this is how she will be able to tell your intentions and not have to GUESS what you feel for her or if you even have feelings at all. Don’t send mixed signals or even tease her by going above and beyond at one point and then retracting that by being extremely minimal and distant from her. Women like consistency and that is not it. Wait until you're ready and know her well enough in friendship, then be intentional and ask her on a date, or tell her that you like her and would like to get to know her better. Just be clear and state your intentions from the beginning or from whatever point that they change. Then you go from there, and when/if that date kicks things off, hopefully it leads to more. As both experience and understand how each other feel, those things can now be managed instead of manipulated by one person. There’s no twist of the arm, no need to call the girl thirsty or pressed because the dynamic of your relationship is open and transparent; Nor is there a need for games or fights for power. So then if you’re like me when I did this with my girlfriend, you will want to move into courtship, which is a whole other environment, but lucky for you, Deborah and I will be soon be sharing what courtship looks like for us. So men, take this advice and remember to be intentional!
The Interesting Truth About Prayer: The Journey Of Prayer
A pastor once said, “Once God has spoken that something will happen or that He will do something, you don’t need to pray about it.” His reason for saying this is that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19) and His Word will always accomplish whatever He intends it to (Isaiah 55:11). I agree with the pastor because it’s true, but it is not the entire truth; people often say you shouldn’t pray for what God has already given you. Again, I agree because this is true, but there is more to be understood about this. Even though God has spoken that something will happen, it is important for us to pray to Him about that thing for two main reasons: One, the Bible teaches us to put God in remembrance of His Word (Isaiah 43:26).
God isn’t unrighteous that He would forget His own Word, however, God is looking for partnership here on earth (2 Chronicles 16:9). He wants to know if we’re actually interested in doing this thing—I mean this Heaven come to Earth thing. Do you actually want to see His will be done in your lifetime? Or are you willing to let it pass you by and allow Him to manifest His promises in those to come after you? The reality is that God may promise me something today, but, because I did not put Him in remembrance of His Word, it may not come to pass until years after I’ve passed away. If so, He remains faithful to His word, because He did what He said He would—I just didn’t get to witness it. The story of Hezekiah reveals some of what I am saying, and you should check it out ☺.
The second reason to pray about things God has said will happen, is because sometimes the things God promises are conditional: take for example God’s promise to heal the land in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
14 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.
Meet the “if.” The “if” provides a condition to the promise that He gives. In this case, the actual promise depends on “if” the people choose to “humble themselves, pray…” or not. In other cases, things, such as disobedience, un-forgiveness, or simply just a person’s character that isn’t ready to receive that blessing, may uphold the answer to a prayer. The truth is that, God’s Word(s) or promise(s) coming to pass in our life can sometimes be based on us continuing to believe what He said will happen; the point at which we stop believing His word, may be the point at which we disqualify ourselves from witnessing His glorious promise(s) (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 and Matthew 21:22).
A brief example of this is when God told the Israelites that they would inherit the promise land. Unfortunately, because the majority of the Israelites stopped believing in God, they didn’t enter the promise land. Only Joshua and Caleb’s families entered in because they CONTINUED TO BELIEVE all the way up until the fulfillment of the promise (read Hebrews 4). We see that the Word of God manifesting in their lives, was dependent on their ability to continue to believe.
This is why prayer is a place. When I enter into my place of prayer, I meet with God and I pray about the same things over and over sometimes—it’s not because I’m trying to persuade God to do something that He still has to think about; in fact, sometimes God will tell me beforehand, that He will do something and I still pray about it anyway—it’s not that I feel some special assurance, that once I pray, I expedite the process or even make Him want to do it more. When I run to my place of prayer, what I find is a memorial of who God is and what He has done.
PRAYER IS A PLACE! I’ve learned that praying for things that God has already given me, isn’t for His sake, but it’s for my sake. You see sometimes going through life or even throughout one’s day, one can get so caught up in what external circumstances reveal; God may have spoken one thing to you, but your circumstances tell you the exact opposite. This can be very discouraging.
Here’s an example: I recently prayed for a sister in Christ who was feeling ill. After we prayed her illness actually got worse. What do you think happened to my faith? I’ll tell you this much, my faith was NOT shaken! I ran to my place of prayer and began to feed off of God’s faithfulness. God has promised us healing in His Word, so it wasn’t that I didn’t pray according to God’s will. But in the midst of the adverse situation, I ran to my place of prayer to be reminded of who God was and what He had promised. Remember Genesis 28? Jacob built a memorial of where God had met Him and told him many promises. That memorial is like a place of prayer: a place where we can retreat when life tells us contrary to the promises and Word of God. Prayer is a place of refuge where we can remind God what He has said and more importantly remind ourselves in order to keep our faith strong. The memorial Jacob made was a place to remind Him of the encounter he had with the Living God. Anytime he returned to that memorial, he would remember what the Lord had promised Him and he would have the strength to continue to believe for it.
Acts 10:1-4 “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, ‘Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ And he said unto him, ‘Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.”
Meet Cornelius. Cornelius is described as a man who prayed to God “always.” Don’t be discouraged if you pray to God about some of the same things over and over again, because there’s a good chance Cornelius did too. Now once God answers your prayer, you can chill out. If you read the entire chapter of Acts 10, you’ll find that Cornelius’ prayer was to see the message of salvation brought to the Gentiles. I’ll tell you a secret: whether or not Cornelius prayed to God about the gospel being brought to the Gentiles, God was going to do it anyways! We know this because it was prophesied about in the Old Testament that God would do so. Howbeit, Acts 10 lets us know that Cornelius’ prayers became a memorial before God! God took special notice of this man’s humility and faithfulness to praying for what was already God’s will.
Cornelius was desperate, hungry and thirsty to see God’s will be fulfilled. Not only that, but Cornelius was invested in seeing God’s will be done in his life; that’s why he continually prayed for it. As a result, Cornelius had a special experience when the angel of God encountered him. In addition to this special encounter, where God encouraged Cornelius, because Cornelius had spent time in his place of prayer seeking God’s will, he also received specific instructions on how to see God’s promise manifest. Can you believe that? God actually invited Cornelius on a step by step journey on how He was going to manifest the promise, all because Cornelius had spent time in his place of prayer, meeting with God.
Here’s the conclusion of the matter: Build your place of prayer by praying always. Everything can happen around you in life, but when you enter into prayer, your spirit connects with God in another place. In Psalm 77:6, David says that he communes in his own heart and his spirit makes diligent search. Prayer is a place that we go to when we turn into ourselves and commune with the God on the inside. Something happens when you get on your knees, close your eyes and begin to set your mind on God and begin to desire Him. When this happens, the real you is taken to another place. Your mind, will, and emotions melt in the presence of God and now your spirit is in full drive as you cry out to God for His help and His hand. In the place of prayer come stillness, order and relief. The reason why this happens is because when you pray with faith you enter into His presence. That’s the best place to be.
Oluwatobi Oke is a young entrepreneur from the University of Maryland College Park who is the CEO of Good Lord Clothing. He's the Vice President of Bethel Campus Fellowship and attends Hope Christian Church In Beltsville Md. He shares the Gospel through rap music and considers himself a worshipper rather than a rapper. Not to mention he plays the Congo's.
#GetchaHeadOutTheGame:
The Struggle of Being A Believing Sports Fanatic and Staying Disciplined
Two facts to know about me: I love Jesus and I love sports.
I love sports so much, that I’m a freelance sports writer; so much, that if I could do one thing every hour of the day, and get paid for it, I’d sit down in an isolated room, with several TVs up, just to pour my life away watching, analyzing, and assessing sports (basketball and football preferably) and playing sport video games (Nba 2k, NCAA Football, FIFA, Madden--in that order). Yeah, pretty intense, right?
At this time, you’re probably wondering why for the last 45 seconds, did you just read about my love for sports, and how in anyway, does that benefit you? I’ll tell you this: it doesn’t—unless, of course—you want it to. But I’ll share a story that may benefit you—hopefully:
The ending of this last Super Bowl crushed me:
For the record, I am and will forever be an Philadelphia Eagles fan, but the Seahawks currently serve as my second favorite team in the NFL, and I've hated—strongly despised—the Patriots, since their 2004 Super Bowl win over my Eagles—so naturally, I was rooting for the Seahawks.
All of America likely knows what should’ve happened on that last Seahawks play, but I won’t delve too deep into that—but just know, when there was no flag thrown on that Patriots’ interception, it was as if my heart shattered.
I was disheartened for a few reasons: obviously the big one above, and secondly, there was a prayer call I needed to be on at 10 pm--the exact time Malcolm Butler made the interception. So I’m just:
As I walloped in disappointment and minor heartbreak, I distraughtly wondered ‘how the heck did he intercept the ball, at the exact beginning of this prayer line?’ I became so disheartened that joining the prayer call, almost seemed farfetched.That’s just what sports does to me, man. What made it worse, is that on a GroupMe, with prayer leaders of Bethel Campus Fellowship (BCF), up until the ending of the game, we joked about the game (these were also the leaders for that call). But as soon as that ball was intercepted (I’m still enduring the pain of my mind replaying that moment), one of the leaders posts: “OKAY step away from your TV and call into the prayer line.” That broke me, since y’know I joined in on the joking. But in my hurt, I was all like…
I really just didn’t want to get on that line; a brother was just too in his feelings. I had allowed, something very trivial to my existence, derail my entire night and I still had homework and laundry to do, talkless of this call.
Eventually, out of near anger, I turned off the TV and engaged with a few other obligations I had; but as I’m tending to the laundry, it hits me: “REPENT. YOU HAVE A NEED TO BE ON THIS LINE! REPENT!” Bleh, I didn’t want to...but I did.
The whole concept of repentance, for me, is summarized with these few verses: 2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 1:20, Ephesians 2:6, and Colossians 3:1-2. I’ll delve into repentance in another post, but just know: I had to “humble, pray, seek His face, and turn from [my foolish emotions towards the game]” (2C7:14); I also had to renew my mind (R12:2) as to where I was positioned spiritually: “in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus….[where He is] seated at the right hand of God” (E2:6; E1:20); finally leaving my thoughts “on those things above and not below” (E3:1-2)
Once I had done this, my mind and heart were finally free--I could get on the call, and really just move on from the sting of the Super Bowl; I had been set free! Hallelujah! I’m still salty, though (-_-.); but, nevertheless, Hallelujah! I was set free, and ready to do as was required of me—jump on that call, and partake in what was needed (—by the way, I was really blessed on the call that night).
The moral of that tale, was to exemplify how easy it is to lose focus on the “One Thing that is needed” (Luke 10:41), and allow vain pursuits to overtake your soul. Yeah, it was for only a few minutes that I walloped over the game’s dramatic ending, but my soul felt as if it ached for days. This is football, we’re talking about people! Ye, this is what I’ve sought as a career; what I desire to be involved with for a hefty chunk of my life.
Since entering into this year, I’ve desired and even written on my makeshift vision board (really a few sheets in a notebook), that I’d not give sports and video games as much priority as the previous year, but I’ve quickly fallen short in that declaration.
Well, because...my heart hasn’t been fully surrendered. Jesus tells us, in Mark 12:30, to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your might, and all your strength;” that essentially screams, ‘LOVE THE LORD WITH EVERY OUNCE WITHIN YOU!”
That’s where God wants our hearts; He wants our full turned attention and are close intimate conversation solely fixated on Him (I see you Misty Edwards). But, it’s so easy, I know for me, and many of you, to get carried away, with these trifles. These things, that by themselves, they’re mainly harmless and soothingly entertaining; these things like social media, fashion, cars, sports, even school, just to name a few; once our hearts get invested in them, we start getting aloof.
That’s what happened to me that night, and it’s what happens to me ever so often, almost daily. I’m constantly in a battle of choosing what to surrender to, and I don’t always choose the “good part,” as Mary chose in Luke 10:42. Often times, I find myself crawling, after indulging in these pleasures, back to the cross, back to the throne of grace--asking for grace and mercy in such a desperate time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
But here’s where it gets better: I don’t think God dislikes the things we like, except if they completely and totally defy His Word or His Spirit--and that can occur, when we exalt those things over God, as idols. But God, in His richness in mercy, grace and forgiveness, loves a “a broken and a contrite heart,” for this is a heart and sacrifice “[God] will never despise” (Psalms 51:17). There’s a constant need for believers to examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Corinthians 10:12); but it’s even more a necessitate that believers allow God to search their hearts, because ONLY then, will the wickedness of their heart be expelled and only then will He be able to lead them on the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139: 23-24), with eyes solely focused on Him (Matthew 6:22; Hebrews 12:2).
As brief as it was, my Super Bowl aftermath gave me a little insight into the married life: where as a wife may desire the attention of her husband, but because he’s too caught up in his interests (work, sports, etc.), he completely, unintentionally, ignores her, leaving her upset, and feeling unwanted and unimportant; however, it’s the husband that suffers the most, as he had possibly just missed an opportunity to receive something beneficial from his wife, or if anything, perhaps, just grow in their relationship—this, almost literally, is what happens when we set our attention and affection on something or someone other than God. Neglecting God, is never the move--because we’re the ones, who’ll suffer for it (READ THE Old Testament). While it may not be sports nor video games, do strive not to allow your pleasures or subtle passions to take any preeminence in your life. And #GetchaHeadOutTheGame
Peace.
[1] Check out Misty Edwards’ latest album, for the song Companion, which lyrics say, You are as close as conversation....You are as near as turned attention,
Elle & Emma's Pop Up Shop
Our affiliate (a cool way of saying ‘friend’) Elle and Emma’s Bake Shop hosted their very first “Pop up Shop” this past Sunday at New Life Christian Center. It was their first official debut as a business.
Many people have heard and seen the name “Elle & Emma’s” all over social media lately, but are wondering who the faces behind these names are. Wonder no more! Elle & Emma’s is run by no other than Alexis and Amber Harris and Ashley Gray.
“Elle and Emma's Bake Shop is home of the gourmet cupcake with a mission. Elle and Emma's is passionate about helping the disenfranchised, the needy, and the hopeless. Just know you are saving lives all over the world by indulging in cupcakes (and cookies!) on a mission.”
Here at Urban Disciple, #WeSupportMissions. How could we not support such a noble cause? The advance of the Kingdom and Gospel is our duty. Even if it means stuffing our faces in cupcakes for it to be done! So be it!
Want to take a bite into these goodies?
Visit Elle & Emma’s Bake Shop to taste the good news!
They also shipping nationwide and deliver if you live in a 25 mile radius of Laurel, MD!