Parents Must Parent--Part 2 (A Charge to Action)

So...what does parenting require? From experience, I believe it requires faith in Jesus Christ and consistent time with our children. Parenting is not an event--a trip to Disneyworld; a day at the pool; an ice cream cone on a hot day; or a few hours of 'quality time'. Parenting is dedicated time and attention to the children, that by our choices, have been born into the world. They didn't ask to come. But now that they're here, bearing our name, it becomes our unique responsibility to make their growth and well-being our No. 1 priority.
With this in mind, why do you go to that job? To impress your boss? To hang-out with your co-workers? To show off your stuff? No! You go to that job to milk that cow that the Lord has provided you, and you bring the milk home to your family. You can't afford to let friends, family or electronic devices sway you from your appointed duty of making sure you have the time to sit quietly and talk to your children; listen to your children; get to know your children; and let them get to know you. In the words of a popular song, 'you need to put your phone down', and let your children know what you stand for; what you believe in; and what you want them to believe in--in this rocky world. Your children need to know what your family stands for, and what it doesn't stand for. Knowing this will give them a firmer foundation--make them less edgy and twitchy--because they have something and someone they can trust and rely on to tell them the truth and to enforce the truth--you! And with a firm foundation, your children will be able to approach the world (which, keep in mind, is not their friend) more confidently and courageously because they know where you stand; they know where they stand; and they know where the rest of the world stands.
As Black people, we have a unique history in these United States, and our children need to know that. Not in an effort to make them angry or fearful. But in an effort to make them aware that although things change and times change, the heart of man remains the same. And you need to know that in order to deal successfully with all people. Yes, people fought, bled and died for our freedoms, but they did it with dignity and a steadfast faith that their position--that all men are created equal--was a God-given right, not to be exploited and spat upon, but to be realized and enjoyed. Therefore, the place for sagging pants and head rags does not exist among a people who know their God and know their privileged position in His world. It is time for us to gird up our loins and lift up our hands and heads that hang down and take up what is rightfully ours--the dignity that God gives to all mankind. No one can take that from you, but we can certainly give it away by our actions, by our neglect, by our unbelief in who God is and who He wants us to be in His world.
Parents have the unique responsibility not to let that happen. "Not in my house!" should be the rallying cry of every parent. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" And I don't mean just going to church every Sunday. I mean serve the Lord by opening our Bibles and walking in His way--day by day. By turning our hearts and minds to love Him and to receive the love He has for us. His love has set us free to live out the intended purpose for our lives. And in order to be productive in our roles and responsibilities as parents, we've got to believe that!
We don't have time to be bored or lethargic. We don't have time to waste on games and other people's foolishness. We've got an important work to do! We have a charge, which no one can take from us, and no one can do for us. We have a charge to parent our own children--to love them, lead them, teach them, and guide them, day by day--so they can hold up their heads and live safe, expectant and productive lives. That's our primary job as parents. It's a very exciting role in a very challenging time. Let's get to it!

Parents Must Parent--Part 1 (The Testimony)

I was the biggest 'gay-popper' there ever was. I put the 'P' in Par-tay! My theme song was, 'Where the party at??' But by the time I became a parent, the Lord had captured me with the love in His word, and the love of His word. By 'so many toils and snares', I had come to believe that His word was the only true word in the world. And if I followed Him through His word, He would guide me into all truth, which included how to raise my children. Because, believe me, I didn't have a clue! I am an only child; had never been around children. And my parents--like so many others who were trying to discourage their daughters from giving birth out of wedlock--did not discuss such things.
I was saved as a young child in church, as were so many. But when I met Jesus Christ on my own Damascus Road--when my eyes were enlightened to see Him not only as my Saviour, but also, my Lord--my life, my attitudes, my actions started to change. (But don't get me wrong, now, I can still dance you under the table.) But I started to believe: "I was young and now I am old, and I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25) "Spare the rod and spoil the child." (Proverbs 13:24) "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
And after enough stuff and people have forsaken you, if you're like me, you start to cling to His promises for dear life. It's Jesus or nothing, and His way is right. And my new theme song became, 'Yes, Lord!' So I put aside what I thought I knew--what had turned me on up until now--and I picked up my Bible. And I began to understand just how much Jesus loves me, and how He would never lead me astray. That He would, indeed, make straight paths for my feet. And in spite of every loss, every disappointment, He would stick with me and teach me how to raise my children, how to be a parent--a single parent. And He did! Praise God--He did!
He did not stop all the headaches & heartaches. This is a world of trouble, and there's no getting around that. But as an old preacher so aptly put it: 'It is also the day of the Lord!' The Lord did not promise we wouldn't have trouble. He promised He has all the power He needs to deliver us out of it all--be with us through it all. And if we trust Him, He'll bring us out victorious on the other side. I'm a witness--He did!!
(...more to come...)

Jesus Never Intended . . .

Good morning, everybody! You know I be getting these early morning revelations— mostly intended to get me straight—but I thought I’d share this one with you. J

Jesus never intended for us to be saved in accordance with Romans 10:9-10, and then say, “Lord, I’ll take it from here. I'll obey all your rules, and I will live a perfect life.” Oh, no! Jesus always wants us to be in relationship with Him—a 'dependent' relationship—in which we will always need His grace and mercy, and The Balm of Gilead for our cuts & scrapes as we stumble & bumble along this way. Our part in the relationship is to give Him all the praise and adoration due His Great Name!

In fact, I think He sometimes allows life to get plenty tough, causing our human efforts at perfection to fail. At which point, we have two choices. We can either scramble around trying to put the pieces of our perfect lives back together, or we can look up and live. Jesus loves to hear us cry out to Him, “Lord, help me! Lord, I need you!” And when we do, He gently reminds us that we are saved by His grace; we grow by His grace; and we live in His grace. [Acts 17:28; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Peter 3:18] He reminds us that He alone is Lord of all—the wanted & the unwanted. [Acts 2:36; Acts 10:36] He never wants us to forget that we are in an eternal relationship with Him. [John 10:28] The Lord Jesus has finished the work to make us perfect, righteous, and complete in Him. [John 19:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:10; Hebrews 10:14] We will always need Him. And we never have to worry, or try to be perfect in our own strength. [Matthew 5:36] We can lean and depend on our Saviour!
On this Christian walk to heaven, Jesus never intended for us to leave Him out. [Luke 24:32] Accept His Blessings!

Look Up & Live (~:jeanetta britt)

Lord, You drove me to my knees
With the thing I treasured most
So I would look up
And live again
So I would look up
And see You again
So I would look up
And love You again
So I would look up
And breathe free
Again
Thank you, Lord!

Healing...isn't that a blessing!

Hi y'all! Hope all is well with you & yours. :) As for me, I went to visit my son lately and had a super time (...he even took me to a pro tennis match...loved it!). So I guess I was trying to give him a taste of his Mama's home cooking, too. But in the process, I burned my hand on the pot of grits and the bacon drippings popped up on my arm. Ouch! Maybe I was trying too hard, huh? Besides my son is kind of a health nut, now, and I don't even know if he still likes grits & bacon...but you know how us mothers do. :) I immediately slapped on the toothpaste (any brand) to prevent blisters, applied anti-bacterial ointment daily, put a smile on my face & carried on with the fun.
Anyway, I've been watching my burns heal, and I'm so amazed. We are indeed "...fearfully and wonderfully made". (Psalm 139:14) And, now, after a few weeks, one of the spots is almost invisible, and the other is returning to a matching shade of fabulous. The Lord made it such that one boo-boo is not the end...not the end of our skin...not the end of our lives. We can heal. We can recover. Isn't that a blessing?
And, thankfully, it's not just a physical phenomena. It's an emotional reality, too. And I think it's one we should focus on as often as we do our physical mishaps 'cause the process is the same. When we have an emotional upheaval--disappointment, upset, heartbreak, injuries of any kind, we have to act immediately to address the situation. Maybe it's not toothpaste we use, but we have to clean the wound by admitting it to ourselves and confessing our feelings to the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7) This keeps our hearts clean and open to receive the love of the Lord, which is the balm for our souls. (Psalm 23; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4) This immediate attention is only the beginning, however. Until the wound is completely healed, we must continue to bathe it in the Word of the Lord so our hearts will stay flesh and not become hard and turn to stone. (2 Corinthians 3:3) The Bible will remind us to forgive, not to let bitterness creep in, and not to play the blame game with others or ourselves. His Word will remind us that His grace and mercy are everlasting and always at our disposal. (Psalm 103:17) After all, everything that comes our way--no matter who delivers it--comes to us through the hands of the Lord, either to teach us by His mercy, or grow us in His grace. And no matter what happens, we can lean on Him. And no matter who does what, Jesus will never leave us or fail us. (Hebrews 13:5) And with time, not only will our hearts heal, but we'll be stronger in faith for the experience. (2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 Peter 4:19) Now... isn't that a blessing! :jb

Idols...get in the way!

Hey y'all! Hope you're planning a Happy 4th...it's raining down here :) But rainy days are a great chance to read. Now, I've read 1 John lots of times, 'cause I enjoy the book. The writer soothes us with the knowledge and the eye witness account that God loves us (for real!), and He wants us to have joyful fellowship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We are encouraged to keep the channels of communication open between us and the Lord by confessing our sins, which He will freely forgive, and then give us that added bonus of grace--cleansing from all unrighteousness. (Chapter 1) And if that doesn't leave you shouting, he goes on to tell us in Chapter 2 that we don't have to do it the world's way, especially since the world is passing away anyhow. When we live in Christ, we know the truth, we're taught the truth, for He is The Truth. We need but to abide in Him. Then Chapter 3 drives home how much we're loved by the Father that He would send such love into the world in the Person of His Son to show us how to love others. And then it gets even better than that. Chapter 4:16 says, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him." And verse 17b goes on to say, "...as He is, so are we in this world." WOW! When we believe in Jesus, we live in God and God lives in us, and we are as He is in this world! The key, however, is when we 'believe'. Because Chapter 5:4 declares, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
So having read these chapters again on this quiet, somber, rainy day, something dawned on me that has puzzled me for some time. After all this Good News, why does the writer end the Book of 1 John with a verse that seemingly pops up out of nowhere: "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." (5:21) What? Why on earth are you saying this now. How does this tie into all the previous promises and sweet caresses of truth? It's like drinking a dose of vinegar after a slice of sweet potato pie. What? Well, today I got why John saved this warning until the end--for impact. Because he knew it is so-o important that we do not put anything or anybody between us and the Lord--no idols--not our children, or our spouses, not even our most cherished desire. Idols fail. And when they fail, it will short circuit our 'belief' that God loves us completely. (...'cause how could He let this happen?) And if our faith slips, we will cease to abide in His love, and when that happens our love will cease to be "...made perfect that we may have boldness...." (4:17a) For the very next verse (4:18) tells us, this lack of uninterrupted faith in God's love will cause us to have fear and bring on torment. (Makes you think of Adam & Eve, huh?) God wants His love relationship with us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to be perfectly sealed and airtight. Idols...weaken the bond. Idols...get in the way. Get it? I finally did. Be Blessed!! :jb

Suddenly!!

Hi y'all! I laughed all the way home yesterday. :) I had gone to Tuskegee, about 50 miles up the road, to participate in their Juneteenth Celebration and to sell some books. Well, the day started out somewhat overcast, but everyone seemed to be semi-satisfied with that 'cause it kept the temperatures down and the sun from beating down on our heads. There was a tentative feeling about the weather all day, however, and I heard a number of people murmuring they had prayed to hold back the rain. Now, who they were praying to was at issue in my mind because, whereas it was Jesus who delivered us slaves out of bondage, it seemed homage was being paid to everyone but Jesus on this high-Afrique occasion. My musings aside, however, a beautifully diverse program had been planned and a good time was being had by all, including the folk at the 'fish & grits' stand (not to mention the stand with the sausages on the grill to die for :) So along about 4 o'clock, when all the activities were simmering at a steady beat, the wind picks up--only slightly at first, enough to knock over my umbrella. Then it swirled a little harder--enough to get the attention of the musicians on the bandstand, who shut down for fear of impending lightning. Then the wind became even more demanding, and us vendors started to pack up--casually at first--while our host got on the mike to apologize that the event might have to end sooner than planned. About that time, all rain broke loose. We were deluged in a matter of seconds, not to mention the wind that was whipping at a mild tornado pace. I was soaked from head to toe, down to my skivvies in less than a heartbeat. It had seemed like we'd have a few minutes to pack up before the rain came, but it turned into a mini-flood on the Square in micro seconds. Children were squealing and water was standing wade-high in the streets in a twinkling of an eye. When I was able to toss all of my rain-soaked paraphernalia into my truck and squish my rain-soaked body into the driver's seat, I started to smile. And when I'd driven less than a mile to find that it was dry just down the road, I started to laugh. "Lord, You're too much!!"
I was reminded of the words I love most in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John), referring to Jesus' life and ministry in the New Testament--'suddenly'; 'immediately'. Isn't that how Jesus operated in His earthly ministry? There is nothing too hard for God, and Jesus proved that every time He was around the throngs that came to witness His miracles. It started when the angels got in on Jesus' birth. (Luke 2:13) Remember the crippled man at the Bethesda pool who had been there 38 long years? When Jesus took up his case, the Bible says 'immediately' the man took up his bed and walked. (John 5:9) Or the woman with the issue of blood? She touched the hem of Jesus' garment and immediately her blood was cut off. (Luke 8:44) How about Lazarus, laying in a tomb for four long days? "Lord, by this time he stinketh," Martha said. But when Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth." Guess what? He did--immediately. (John 11:44) And if you do a quick search of the word, 'immediately', you'll find it got it's start in the New Testament, and it's usually referring to Jesus touching the lives of people who believed He had the power, authority and willingness to help them. (Matthew 8:3; Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:31; Mark 1:42; Mark 10:52; Luke 4:39)
That rain reminded me that Jesus does not take a long time to do anything. When we're in His presence and He takes up our case, things change--immediately, suddenly. And until then, we are to pray, watch, trust, believe and find enormous comfort in knowing that Jesus will take up our case (because His word says so: John 14:14). And when He does, we will be deluged with an answer, just like I was with the rain. What seems like dry ground only moments before will be soaked with His marvelous provision. We don't have to worry. It won't take long. Our God reigns!! Love you. :jb

Just & The Justifier!!

Hi, everybody! God is so wise…so good…so merciful…that in one act of love He became both--Just & The Justifier--of the whole world, for all time. God decreed in the beginning that if Adam & Eve sinned against Him--ate from that tree which He forbade them eat--"thou shall surely die”. (Genesis 2:17) And the rest is history. Adam & Eve sinned and mankind (all of their progeny) has been sinning & dying ever since. But God, in his infinite wisdom and love, had conceived a plan before the foundation of the world to redeem us, restore us, and bring us back to a right relationship Himself. (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:20)
God handed down The Law through Moses, with full knowledge that no human being on the face of the earth would ever be able to fulfill it, because The Law is perfect--the essence of God--and we are not. So over 2,000 years ago, God drew a line in the sand of time & said, ‘STOP!’ (my paraphrase :) ‘It should be clear y'all by now that you—Jew & Gentile alike--cannot accomplish The Law; it is perfect and you are not.’  God summed up the sins of all mankind, past, present & future (for our sakes ‘cause all things are past tense to God), and declared, on the basis of The Law, “that they are all under sin”; “that there is none righteous, no not one”; ”for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Romans 3:9-23)
And in this sweeping condemnation, a miraculous thing happened!! God sent His only begotten Son to earth as a baby to become the Law (John 1:14); to fulfill The Law (Matthew 5:17), to finish The Law (John 19:30), and to remove The Law (Romans 10:4; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:13). When Jesus Christ died on the cross, in one fell swoop, two marvelous things happened for all of us: God became Just—since He has declared everyone under sin, Jesus could die once for all the sins that stemmed from Adam. The blood of Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world, for all time. (Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:12; I John 2:2) And God became The Justifier—because, now, anyone who believes in the finished work of Jesus Christ is saved & justified by faith in His blood and God’s power to raise Him from the dead! (Romans 3:26; Romans 4:5; Romans 10:9). As The Justifier, God is making a New Nation—a family of believers in Jesus Christ from every tribe & every nation, whose righteousness is not that of trying to keep The Law, but who God declares righteous on the basis of our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord! (1 Peter 2:9) Faithful Abraham being our example. (Romans 4:3) Only God could conceive such a glorious, grace-filled plan that gives every man, woman, boy & girl on the face of the earth an equal opportunity to enter into God’s Faith Nation. So when you get thru shoutin'… Go tell somebody ‘bout Jesus!! Much love, :jb

Lean on Jesus!

Hi all! When I get some insight I try to share it, just in case it might help someone else. But this morning I'm in a quandary as to whether to share this as prose . . . or poetry. So here are the words . . . you choose :)

I was trying to hold the broken pieces
Of my heart
Together
With my own hands
Thinking I was being noble
Since I had prayed for what broke my heart
I thought I was being a good soldier
Courageous and strong
I know, now, I was being foolish, and faithless
Prideful and wrong
Jesus waited
Patiently
Until the broken pieces
Got too heavy for me
And I was forced to entrust them to Him
Totally
Jesus smiled at the brokenness
Happily
And, then, He did something
Unexpectedly
He gave me a new heart
And a new mind
Miraculously
(He can do that, you know)
And He sent me here to remind
You, too
There is nothing
In earth or heaven
He can't do
Give everything to Jesus
In prayer
For He is able
All
Our pain to bear
There is no load
He will not share
There is no way
We can carry
Every care
Jesus says,
"Lean On Me!"

Pearls in Your Pocket...

I was taught as a child to put the needs and feelings of others before my own. Not because I was weak, but because others needed me to be strong. If I went to someone’s house for dinner, for instance, I was expected to accept whatever was put before me with a smile and a thank you. And I was expected to eat it (at least some of it), even if it was chicken feet stew, or chitterlings, or some other concoction I didn’t recognize or like. (... and there was so much food back then I didn’t like, but all of it tastes real good to me, now. :-) I was expected to eat it and compliment the cook—to make her feel good; to take her feelings into account above my own. And, in fact, the Bible teaches this in Philippians 2:3 when it says, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” And I guess this principle is what my parents were trying to teach me.

I also tried to pass this legacy of self-sacrifice and giving to my children, but they were having none of it. The harder I tried to teach my daughter to be a ‘ponytail girl’ and my son to be an Edwardian prince, the harder they bucked. Don’t get me wrong; they're fairly nice people, then and now. But both of them have a very firm grip on their own likes and dislikes--their own needs. And as I look at it, in retrospect, that’s a very good thing.

You see, Philippians 2:3 works well when you’re dealing with God-fearing, Bible-believing people. In a setting like that, everyone is trying to outdo the other with regard to showing each other deference, and love, and kindness, and esteem. Everyone is being blessed by the other; the circle of love is Spirited and complete. That’s why Christ gave us the church. But when you’re dealing with unbelievers, not so! And maybe that’s what my children knew that I did not. My mother even said to me one day, “Leave those children alone; you don’t know what or who they have to deal with in the course of the day.” Now, I thought that was quite odd coming from her, since it was she who  had badgered me incessantly as a child to put the needs of others before my own—to be a ‘ponytail girl’, in fact. (Thank God my dad taught me a few other things! :-)
But more to the point, Jesus, with His sweet self, has let us off the hook as it relates to dealing with the unbelievers among us (those who’ve not yet come to Christ and are not committed to following His ways).  In the one breath, Jesus says, “Judge not ....” (Matthew 7:1) In other words, He does not want us going around having the audacity to try to condemn others in their current state of unbelief; something that only He has the right and authority to do--in the fullness of time. But in the very next breath, Jesus says, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6)
Wow! There it is. If you are among believers, putting yourself last and deferring your own needs for others makes very good sense, because it will be eagerly reciprocated. But when you’re not, it might just be better to keep your pearls in your pocket. Unbelievers have a tendency to take kindness for weakness, instead of strength. The more you give, the more they’re apt to take, without seeking to give anything in return. That’s why it’s important to study the ‘whole Word’, because Jesus did not intend for us to be victims in this world. Love everyone—for sure! But putting your pearls out there—your feelings, your needs, your desires, yourself—to be trampled on is quite another matter. Know your people. And when wisdom dictates, know that it’s okay to keep your pearls in your pocket.   ~Much love! :jb

Jesus is Our Soul Mate...

Hi Everybody! I don't have the time or space to tell you the 'whole story', but the Lord gave me this understanding through some very deep and troubled waters, so take it from me... it's real & true... at least enough for you to consider. :)
I came upon this Scripture some time ago that I didn't really understand. And I kept coming back to it, praying for insight ('cause I sho-nuff needed it). "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any amazement." (1 Peter 3:5-6) Now, don't get me wrong. I was r-e-a-l stubborn in my youth, but by the time I came upon this Scripture I had no problem with the subjection part, 'cause the Lord had rubbed my head enough to convince me that 'submission is power'. He doesn't tell us to subject ourselves to others--husbands, 'masters', etc to cause us harm. On the contrary, the quicker we submit to the authority that God has placed us under, the quicker we find peace. I tell the children that I come in contact with through the community gardens, schools or churches this all the time. 'The Lord gave you parents for your protection from the larger society until such time as you're old enough, wise enough, and financially able to fend for yourselves. Submitting to loving parents is far less painful than being hit over the head with a billy club by a prison guard who could care less'. Since God gave us this hierarchy of relationships--this chain of authority--I figure, it's good & very good: Jesus, man, woman, children (1 Corinthians 11:3). When we are where God wants us to be, we've landed in the 'power seat'... the 'way of blessing' (or at least that's what I call it). So the need for submission was not an issue by the time I came upon this Scripture. No, it was that little phrase "who trusted in God" that had me stumped. Because if we're calling our husband "lord", aren't we trusting God when we turn the reins of our lives over to our husbands? By submitting to our husbands, aren't we trusting God that our husbands are our soul mates?
When we are saved--trust in God--the Lord promises to be our Comforter (John 14:16); our Guide (Psalm 23; Psalm 119:105); our Protector (Hebrews 13:6); our Provider (Philippians 4:19).... In short, the Lord promises to take hold of the reins of our lives and look out for us in this dark, dangerous world. And when He brings a husband to us--as He did when He sent Isaac looking for his Rebecca--we are happy, joyful and willing to go with this man... anywhere. In fact, in our delight, we're willing to put the reins of our lives into the hands of this man--this husband sent from God. Because, after all, we're supposed to submit to our husbands and call him lord, right? Right! But we're also supposed to "trust in God". In other words, all that the Lord promises to be to us can never change. We must never stop looking to the Lord to be our Comforter, Guide, Protector, Provider.... We call our husbands "lord" because the Lord tells us to, because He knows (for reasons we know not) that our man needs this. But our focus, our expectation, our trust cannot be transferred from the Lord to our husbands, or our wives, or our jobs, or our money, or our children, or any such thing. We cannot put the reins of our lives into the hands of another. Our trust has to remain in the Solid Rock--Jesus (...believe me on this--'All' other ground is sinking sand).
Surely, the Scripture tells husbands to "...love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25) But this is a learning experience for any man, just like submission is a learning experience for any woman. So can we entrust the reins of our lives into the hands of someone who's wearing training wheels? Companionship, yes! Trustworthiness, no! Especially in this day-and-time when few parents or churches are teaching young men to be husbands ...or even real men, for that matter.
Reverence and submission are due our husbands for this is right in the sight of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:33) But asking a husband--any person--to do what only God can do is asking too much. It is in our Great God we put our trust for our life--our soul. This cannot change. Jesus... and Jesus alone... is our soul mate.  ~Much love! :jb

Chugging The New Wine!

Wow! It's a great morning! I was having this weird dream about planting some living trees among the artificial ones that, for some reason, were stationed on my dining room table. LOL! It wasn't working; the dead trees and the living trees needed a different level of care. The dream was so disconcerting it stirred me from my sleep, and then the light bulb came on. Thank you, Lord! My understanding was enlightened . . .
Ephesians 2:1 tells us that we were all "... dead in trespasses and sins." That's all of us! We were all like those artificial trees on my dining room table--dead. And if we're a living tree today, Ephesians 2:8 clearly tells us why, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." And if we have been 'quickened', today, 1 Peter 2:9 tells us it's because we were "... called out of darkness into His marvellous light." And if we are alive today, Titus 3:5 says it's, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us ...." And just so we don't get cute with this thing and start criticizing others when we observe the deeds of the trees yet dead--the lost, 1 Corinthians 6:11 quickly reminds us, "And such were some of you, but ye are washed... sanctified... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."  You with me?
And then the parable that Jesus gave us about putting new wine into old bottles jumped out at me. The bottles were not just old, they were dead--just like the lost. And Jesus said the new wine would burst the old bottles, and the bottles would perish because they were not able to receive it (Luke 5:37). When we are quickened and called to life by His Spirit, we desire the new wine that Jesus gives. We're excited--able to receive it. We love the Lord for what He has done for us. We want to practice His New Testament doctrines and grow in His Spirit. We want it all! And then we get so excited and zealous, we want to share this new wine with everybody. And if they don't appear to want it, or if they can't receive it, we get a little miffed. We want to force it down their throats. Why don't you do the right thing? Swallow this! It's good for you! But 1 Corinthians 2:14 gives us some sobering news. Listen: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
In other words, we can't force the new wine down the throats of dead people. It won't work. They'll gag on it and be broken--injured--for our trouble. It's like the trees in my dream--lost people need a different level of care.  Our role is to share the Gospel--the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord--in love--believing that the same Word that saved us can save the trees yet dead. For "... faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) The Apostle Paul also reminds us that some plant and some water the Gospel, but only God can give the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6)
So let us who are saved share 'the dining room table' with the lost--remembering that we were once trees yet dead, too. Surely, we can enjoy chugging the new wine with fellow believers. But we must share the Gospel, in love, with the lost--trusting the God of Life to call to life all those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19).  Blessings! :jb

Blessing for Stressing-or-Ain't the Lord Good!!

Hey everybody, hope you're enjoying this beautiful day! As usual, I'm laughing at myself this morning. I had planned a trip recently and had to go solo--drive myself 200 miles to the airport, slug two, 50 lb bags to the check-in counter, park somewhere cheap--the works. So I was stressing, visualizing all sorts of wild scenarios about the troubles I would encounter. I'd pray, then I'd go back to stressing the logistics of this long awaited and much anticipated trip. I will say this in my favor. I didn't stop moving forward. No matter the imagined obstacles, I kept pressing on in faith.
Now, this is what really happened. First, when my computer wouldn't work, I called the airline and got a $206 ticket (what a blessing!). I struggled, but successfully got my two, huge bags into the trunk of my car (leverage is a blessing!) without hurting my back. My drive to the airport was delightfully broken-up when I learned some dear friends from Dallas were visiting in a nearby town on the way. Talking about taking the pressure off the drive! Wow... it was a wonderful visit--hugs all around! Now, my smart son suggested that I check in at curbside with my trunk up, and THEN go park my car. (Okay, that could work, but there are always lo-o-n-g lines at curbside, and how can I possibly leave my car unattended while I check in without the police getting annoyed :)?
So, now, I'm at the airport...trying not to expect the worse. When I pull up curbside, there are not only no lines, but there are three male attendants just sitting around doing nothing! One of them, a true brother, came to my car and plopped those heavy bags out of the trunk and checked me in. Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord! Then, nearby, I was able to find a slot in 'economy parking' waiting just for me. But I'm not through yet. No!
I get in the security line, and the young man tries to chat me up, until I focused his attention on the birth date on my ID card...po' baby, guess all this gray hair didn't register with him :) Anyhow, standing there in line, a security agent taps on a side door and motions for me to come through with absolutely no wait. I get to my gate, only to learn it had been changed to another concourse. No problem. Get to the new gate (with a big smile & my Delta Centennial shirt on) and chat with the gate attendant to be sure I was in the right place. When it's time to board, there were only a few passengers, and one of the attendants was offering to give us our own row in the rear of the plane. I went forward, not to request my own row, but just to be sure I was in an aisle seat. The gate attendant that I'd chatted with earlier said to his co-worker, 'Hey, man, seat her in First Class.' I'm thinking: 'What? Me?' And then it hit me! The Lord had been showing me throughout this experience that He heard me and my prayers were answered with the 'Big Bonus' of His love, mercy and grace. Ain't the Lord good! In spite of my stressing (which is sin, you know), He blessed me...meticulously...to remind me I'm never alone; He is always with me...and it is His good pleasure to bless His children...so quit stressing! I love Him! I love Him! (Luke 12:32; Romans 8:32; I Timothy 6:17) :jb

Retrospect (by :jeanetta britt/Under the Influence/www.jbrittbooks.com)

The Lord is so smooth
Sometimes your blessings sneak up on you
And you have to realize them
In retrospect

The desires of your heart
Hidden in the recesses of your mind
One day break forth in the reality of your living
And then it dawns on you

That was God
Winking at you
Letting you know He heard
Even the unspoken

And preserved it in love you
Until by faith
The time unfolds
In which it is due

It is knee-bending
To realize
Your retrospect
Is the foreknowledge of God

Crazy Bird . . .

Hi, y'all. Hope you're enjoying this fresh New Year like me! I got a good laugh this morning though. You see, I have this stained-glass window that I like a lot. It has a gorgeous butterfly with vibrant red flowers surrounding it. And there's this stupid bird that keeps coming back to peck at my window, trying to get to those flowers. It's impossible, of course. There's no life in those flowers--no nectar, no nutrients--but that stupid bird just keeps coming back day after day. Its beak should be good and sore by now. And this morning when I flew into the room to shoo that bird away--once again--I prayed this prayer for you and me: 'Lord, don't let us keep doing the same ole thing, our same ole way, expecting to get a different result . . . like this stupid bird. Amen.' 
May the Lord God bless you r-e-a-l good! (Proverbs 3:6) :jb

Can't He See...??

...have you ever said these words? 'Can't he or she see that? It's as plain as the nose on their face?' Well, I have, and I got convicted of them royally while reading Romans 9 on this first day of the New Year. Happy 2013!! (Hope I don't lose my train of thought...getting lots of 'happy' calls--yeah!) But these companion scriptures hit me like a one-two-three punch of revelation, and it went something like this . . .
Punch One: "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4) So, then, it's none of my business to question another's ability or willingness to understand anything--particularly the Word of God--'cause I don't know who's God's servant and who's not (and it's not my business to know). "Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2:4) OUCH! If the Lord is willing to suffer long with people to allow them to understand and be saved (just like He did me), who am I to want to cut His work short by insisting that they see. . . now!?
Punch Two: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians 2:14) So, then, maybe he or she can't see because they don't have the Spirit of Christ (even if they're in the church), but there is no way for me to know, nor is it any of my business to know. My role is to trust Jesus to know and to show forth His love to all--knowing that His will, will come to pass!(2 Timothy 2:19)
Punch Three: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." (I Corinthians 12:4) Which is followed by verses 5-12 that go on to list the diverse gifts that are given by the Spirit to the Body of Christ. So, then, maybe he or she can't see what we see in the Spirit because their gift in the body is not the same as ours. !AHA! Maybe they are not meant to see it the way we see it so that we will need each other in the Body of Christ to share our differing gifts with each other to make one new man. Which means each of us has to trust the Spirit and be willing to share and receive, speak and listen, give and take from the good gift that has been given to each of us who name the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.The Truth does indeed set us free to live an abundant life . . .
Abundant life = living, knowing that God is in charge of His creation . . . and I am not! WHEW!  That'll take the load off . . . from 2013 to heaven's gate!! 
"This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalm 118:23) :jb

The Gift . . .

Hi, all! Ever receive a gift--but not one you asked for, wanted, or even liked? Anyone who knows me knows I don't like pink. So you could give me the grandest pink gift in the world, I wouldn't like it. This got me to thinking about Cain & Able (Genesis 4). God rejected Cain's offering because it was not what He wanted. But Cain didn't care about God. He just wanted to show off what he could do. So instead of repenting and going back to God to restore their relationship, Cain let pride rule in his heart; and he killed his brother whose gift was accepted by God. You see, it was all about Cain; and that is never the basis of a true relationship. I guess that's why the story of 'The Gift of the Magi' is such a sad one for me. Instead of communicating and having a true relationship with each other, they go about sacrificing the very thing that the other held dear. And they both suffered tragically--trying to do for each other--rather than being happy, getting to know each other's heart. Maybe that's why Jesus accepted Mary's gift of worship and rejected Martha's busy-ness (Luke 10). We like to think God wants something from us, rather than to surrender and give Him--just us.(Hebrews 10:5)
Over and over, the Bible tells us the Lord wants the gift our hearts--and nothing else will do. He wants us to know Him and to make room for Him deep down where we live--in our hearts and minds. So many Scriptures speak to this--Luke 10:27; Hebrews 8:10; I John 5:20; I Peter 3:15; and Romans 12:1--are just a few.  In fact, the totality of the Bible is God's love reaching out to bring us back into a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ His Son. A relationship with Jesus Christ gives Him first place in our hearts--our time (getting to know Him through His Word); our thoughts (constant prayer & meditation); our choices (running everything by Him); and our feelings (loving Him & feeling His love). The Lord does not want an arms-length transaction with us. He wants in! And why not? Only He paid the price for us. Only He is trustworthy and true. Only He will not hurt or injure us (even if others have injured us in the past). So let's give the Lord Jesus the only gift He wants and deserves in this and every Season. The one that will make Him pleased--the entirety of our hearts! Merry Christmas!! :jb

Only One Love (by Jeanetta Britt/Poems From the Fast/www.jbrittbooks.com)

God is love
With love so great
Our whole heart
For His habitation it takes.

Squeezing in squatters
Whether family, friends, or bothers
Crowds out His love
And our poor hearts ache.

The residence of God
Is a complete and happy heart
Able to give love
Without keeping receipts.

With our whole heart as His own
He opens the riches of His throne
And lavishes love
Upon everyone we meet.

And when this life ends
God says, 'Well done, Friend,
Your heart belonged to Me
And I am pleased.'

It's Just...Sex!

'It's just sex!' seems to be the rallying cry of our culture. We hear it all the time, and for that reason, sex has become an act--who can do it faster, harder, longer, better--rather than the precious gift of 'oneness' between two human beings.  And I have been as guilty as the next person of this kind of thinking. But I'm learning through the Scriptures that this point of view limits the fullness of joy that God intended when He instituted marriage.
"There is one body...one Spirit...one hope...one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God...according to...Christ." [Ephesians 4:4-8] So as believers, our 'personal oneness' is with God through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. So as much as we may desire it, it's not possible for us to be one with another human being on that level--our personalities are too different; our upbringing, our expectations--our genes. We can only be 'one body and one Spirit' with God through Christ. And that's a good thing, because it makes each of us complete and whole in Him, lacking nothing. [Colossians 2:10] (And that's probably why trying to find wholeness in others makes us so utterly miserable.)
But God is a Spirit. We cannot see Him or touch Him in the flesh. And He knows we need human touch. So in His infinite wisdom, kindness and grace, He instituted marriage so we can be 'one flesh' with another human being--male and female--two parts of the same puzzle--able to join together and be one. "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." (Matthew 19:4-6)
So, 'No', it's not ... just sex. Sex is the awesome, God-given opportunity to be connected in the flesh with one other human being, who, like you, is connected to God in every other measure. No wonder so many people are so unfulfilled when sex becomes an act, rather than a fabulously intimate relationship between two people who are connected in every other way to God. This is intended to be the sugar in the coffee; the icing on the cake; the cat's meow! WOW!! Isn't it amazing what we miss when we do things our own way? Blessings! :jb

Re-Gifting the Spirit??

The Lord woke me up this morning with these words: 'Do not operate out of how you've been treated; operate out of the love of Jesus for you.' And with this scripture in mind: 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7. (I always wondered why 'power' came first.)
You know, sometimes as wives, we think it is our role to turn ourselves over to our husbands. The world would have us think that that's what 'submission' means. But God gives to each of his children the Spirit . . . of power, of love and of a sound mind. It is a gift to each of us who believe in Jesus Christ, and we cannot re-gift our power to another; not even our husbands. If our husband is a child of God, he doesn't need it (he's got his own). And if he's not, he can't receive it from us (for the gift of the Spirit is given by God alone, and not by us).
On the contrary, we are intended to walk alongside our husbands with the Spirit that God has given us--in tact. For if we try to give ourselves over to our husbands (give our power away), fear will creep in. And fear will cause us to operate out of how we're being treated, rather than operating out of the Spirit of love we've been given by Jesus Christ. And fear will erode our sound mind. [1 Peter 3:5]
Our precious gift from God is a packaged deal--'power, love and a sound mind'. If in our zeal to achieve the worldly standard of 'soulmate', we try to turn ourselves over--our power over--to our husbands, we will lose sight of the love of Jesus. And in the process, we will lose our sound mind. We cannot attempt to re-gift the Spirit of God to another without destroying our own souls.
Blessings! :jb

Let the Fragrance Fill the Room!

Sometimes (when I'm going through), the Lord ministers to me in the 'midnight watches'. I don't know what it is about 3 o'clock in the morning! (But my friend, Carolyn, says, 'Don't fight it; just wake up and praise Him!') Now, I'm no musician, but the words came to me this morning in a song with a calypso beat. They reminded me of the sister who busted in on the Pharisees dinner party and broke open her alabaster box to lavish her expensive perfume upon Jesus. Everybody in the room got blessed by the sweet aroma, but her worship, her praise was directed to Jesus, her Lord and Saviour. She was excited that Jesus had forgiven her all her sins (which were many) and had set her free to live in the 'newness of life'. She was thankful and grateful, and she didn't care who knew it. (Luke 7)
As we seek to minister to others, if it is to be sweet and effective, it must come out of our heart of worship and praise to Jesus, too. Otherwise, it will erode into religious piety, duty and drudgery. No one will be blessed, and we will be miserable. Here're the words. Add your own calypso beat and dance before the Lord . . . and the whole room will be blessed! :jb

Lord, I love You
I trust You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

I hope in You
Have faith in You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

Lord, I worship You
I praise You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

I rely on You
My desire is You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!

Where Is My Joy??

I was praying and asking the Lord this very question the other day.  And I was led to this scripture, I Corinthians 7:23: "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." And in a flash I knew where my joy had gone.  In my misdirected zeal, I'd been serving men and not Jesus! Don't get me wrong, certainly people are the beneficiaries of our service to Jesus--The One who bought us with a price. BUT (big 'but') our service is not directed to people, it is directed to Jesus.  Such a subtle nuance (at least for me) that I had missed it, or let it slip somewhere along the line. However, the moment we shift the focus of our service back to our Heavenly Father, it is in that moment we get our joy back!
Why? Because Jesus . . . loves us (John 3:16) . . . accepts us (Ephesians 1:6) . . . does not condemn us (Romans 8:1) . . . forgives us (I John 1:9) . . . is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). In short, He is our all-in-all. So when our service is directed to Jesus, we have the joy of knowing He is pleased. People, on the other hand, are never pleased, and besides, you can never please them all! They do not have the power (nor often the desire) to validate or affirm us. Our service belongs to Jesus, and He will bless whom He will with it.  I guess that's why the Psalmist so wisely declared, "Serve the Lord with gladness!" (Psalm 100:2a) :jb

Picked . . .

Hey, all! The other day a group of us decided we were going to do some major chillin' at our friend's gorgeous, fully-enclosed (no gnats, no bugs, no critters) pool. We were gonna have a sistah-hood day of epic proportions: a few hours at poolside with snacks and libations of choice; a cool dip in the gentle waters; lots of laughter; capped off with an early dinner (since we all had some miles to travel) . . . nothing but fun!  But wouldn't you know, everybody had their cellphone close at hand.  And after about the third, sassily-unique ringtone from various devices, I realized what my Mother meant ('cause, of course, I didn't get it at the time--duh!). My wise Mom would say to me over and over in her sweet tone, 'Dear, be where you are'. What she was trying to tell me was to 'stay in the moment'. Not to be some place with your mind some place else; that the people you're with, the moment you're in is the most important time of your life. It got me to thinking why is it we never seem to be able to 'log off' or 'download' in our modern society? Why is it none of us seem to be able to get any quality rest, or our peace won't stay? At best, I guess it's 'cause we want to 'stay connected'; but at worst, it's 'cause we think we're important and who we are and what we're doing is somehow vital to world peace! :) Someone once said, 'If you want to know how important you are, just stick your hand in a bucket of water and pull it out.' I had this placemat once that read (. . . and I bought it 'cause I seriously needed the reminder), 'The sun will set without thy assistance.' In other words, we're not running nothing (yes, double negative), and our importance doesn't even make a ripple in the great scheme of things. Die . . . and see what happens. ;) God is in control. He rules and reigns, and not us! (Revelation 19:6)
So you say, 'Are we then . . . not important (drats, and double drats!)? No, by no means, we are v-e-r-y important. For God picked us, out of all the choices He could have made in His universe; He picked us, at this moment and in this time, to give Him praise!! (Ephesians 1:6)

I Got Picked (:jeanetta britt/Reunion/www.jbrittbooks.com)

I was wandering through
A dense forest so deep
Travelers moving with me
Tangentially.

The rains that came
Beat hard upon me
I lost my way
Ultimately.

From out of nowhere
Someone came
Led me to safety
From the falling rain.

Arms wrapped around me
My body shielded with his
Wiped away my doubts
Soothed away my fears.

I followed sprightly
Like a forest nymph
As he led me to cover
Under his sprawling tent.

I danced in step
With my rescuer's feet
Singing in tune
With the raindrop beat . . .

I got
Picked . . . Picked . . . Picked

Unlike other travelers
Rebellious and strange
Who refused the one
Sent to lead them
From the rain.

Or chose not to dance
With the one
Who brought them out
And re-entered the forest
On their own account.

I observed from a hill
High above
Travelers rejecting
Pure, sweet love.

The Word of the Lord
Sent out the same way
Some won't, some will
But refuse to stay. 

Some never choose
The tent of His joy
Others get in step
And dance forevermore.

A melody of blessing
A sweet refrain
Awaits those who come in
Out of the rain . . .

I got
Picked . . . Picked . . . Picked