A Treadmill Faith

20 minutes…30 minutes…45 minutes, 1 hour.  I increased the speed, added more tension, raised the incline level, and even began to jog.  After an hour and 20 minutes, I finally slowed down, cooled off and suddenly I stopped the machine.  I stood there on the treadmill at the gym for several moments, sweating, heart racing and feeling exhausted yet exhilerated at the same time, but then an odd question came to my mind.  Usually I walk or jog through the neighborhood but today I chose the treadmill.  Why?  Because it was cloudy outside and the last time I walked, I ran into a couple of dogs.  I was on the treadmill because of convenience and fear.   

Later in the same week, I decided to chance it and walk through the neighborhood.  I found myself once again working hard, sweating and exhilerated.  But something was different with the workout that day.  With each block I passed, the scenery changed, new people walked by saying hello, and I felt an unusual sense of freedom.  The difference in the two workouts helped me realize how for some, the Christian journey is like being on a treadmill.  We work, we serve, we do what we can but we really have not gone anywhere.  We are moving, but not advancing.  We have faith and it is in operation but it is not moving us to the place God would have us to be.  We are stuck on a treadmill.  Some of us are crying out like George Jetson in that old cartoon when he was stuck on a high speed treadmill, he cried out to his wife, “Jane, stop this crazy thing!”

Both the treadmill and the walk offered exercise and challenged me.  But the treadmill did not allow me to experience a freshness in the workout.  I know so many Christians who feel stifled, let down or disappointed with life in general.  And each of them remind me of that row of people in the gym walking on the treadmill.  Marriages are on the treadmill, jobs on the treadmill, church on the treadmill.  Same routine, same sweat and frustration and we want to cry out, “God, stop this crazy thing!!!” 

Friends, God is not a treadmill type of God.  He is a God who wants to go walking with us.  He wants to show us new things, introduce us to new people, give us new experiences.  He wants us to experience the freedom in being with Him.  It is not always easy walking with God, in fact, the faith walk is usually harder than the treadmill.  Why?  Because you are not in control of the incline or the decline of the hills, you are not in control of the rain that may suddenly start while you are walking, you are not in control of the dogs that may come after you, but don’t let that stop you.  A treadmill faith is controlled, routine and monotonous.  Walking with Him opens you to the beauty of His creation, the assurance of His protection and the privilege of His presence.  Psalm 37:23 says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way”  The great thing about the Lord ordering your steps is that means He is right there with you.

God is in the neighborhood.  Anyone want to go walking?

Out of Order

Have you ever stood in front of a vending machine, mouth watering, taste buds tingling for that candy bar, bag of chips or honey bun? You put your money in, make a selection and stand there waiting for that treat to drop into the carriage but to your dismay, nothing happens. No matter what you, shaking the machine, putting more money in you discover that the treat you want is not accessible. Then that is when you see it…your eyes had been so focused in on the treats that you missed that piece of paper attached to the machine with three words on it: Out of Order.

So you stand there, disappointed, upset because you see the treats, you put something in for the treats and yet because the machine is Out of Order, the treats sit there, innacessible.

Friends many of us are like that vending machine, we are the container full of wonderful treats, our gifts, talents, abilities but yet those treats sit there inaccessible within us because something in our life is Out of Order. Sin does that to us, it throws us out of order, it hinders us from being able to fully utilize what God has placed inside of us.

And these treats that we have are not just for us but for others. God gives us gifts and talents to be a blessing to others so when there is something out of order it denies others the benefits of your ministry. In other words, what God has placed inside of you is exactly what someone needs to make it another day or to be enouraged to step into their own ministry.

Here’s the good news. Even if you are Out of Order there is one who can “fix” you. The word tells us in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. He is not a maintenance man but the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what it is you have done if you are willing to repent (to turn away from that behavior) the word guarantees that through Jesus you will be “fixed” and made better. A vending machine that is out of order can’t fix itself and neither can you. You need the one who designed you, who keeps you, who knows you better than yourself.

Is your life Out of Order? If you let Him, He will show you all the wonderful things inside of you and how those things will bless those around you. And unlike the vending machine, it doesn’t cost a thing because Jesus paid for it already “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).”

May the Lord bless you, richly,

Pastor Anthony

WHY IS THIS PERSON IN MY LIFE?

Have you ever wondered why certain people are in your life? A friend of mine shared with me about a plane ride he took recently. He noticed that when he first boarded the plane there were certain people who boarded with him. When he landed in Dallas for a connecting flight, he and several of the people got off the plane while others stayed on. He went to the gate of his connnecting flight and saw some of the same people who were on the original flight waiting at the same gate. Also he noticed that there were a bunch of new people headed to the same destination. When they boarded that flight my friend got a revelation: there are some people who will start off with you but only go to a certain point, then there are others who will get on board with you at another juncture of your life, but then there are those who will be with you from the beginning to the end.

Sometimes we try to hang onto relationships when we shouldn’t. There are some people in your life that should have got off at the “gate”, they were only there for a season. Think about it, that ex is an ex for a reason. That so called friend showed that he or she was a snake for a reason. Time has a tricky way of sometimes making past relationships seem better than they actually were. But even if that relationship wasn’t a good one, hopefully you learned from it and can move on.

A good relationship is one where someone meets you where you are and you and that person are headed in the same positive direction. In the trip my friend took he had to change planes to get to his destination and as a result, met new people. Maybe the reason you haven’t met anyone or keep meeting the wrong type is because you stuck on the same plane. You want a direct flight to marriage or great friends and a great life but life just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes you have to change your perspective. That may mean not going to the same clubs, hanging with the same crew, surfing the same websites. You’ll lose some folks along the way but if you do remember some folks are in your life only for a season.

Now those who are there with you the entire way are family and true friends who love you. One surefire way of knowing that a relationship is innappropriate is when a person pulls you AWAY from those who love you. Thank goodness for those who have your back no matter what. And even though family and even friends can work your nerves, oftentimes they are there to pick you up if you fall.

This is Pastor C wishing you the best in your journey

What To Do With a Damaged Heart

Okay I have a confession to make. One of my favorite songs in recent years is the song “Damaged” by Danity Kane.   No, it is not going to win a grammy anytime soon and no it is not a “Christian” song, but there is something about that “Do-do you got a first aid kit handy?” that just hooks me!  Anyway, as risky as it may be for me to admit liking this song, it actually speaks to a situation that so many women and men are dealing with.  Let me start off by saying that most people, male and female, has experienced painful relationships, but I want to focus on my sisters for this blog and deal with the brothers later on. Few things are as painful as a broken heart.  When you have placed your trust and energy into building a relationship with someone and then have that relationship severed is one of life’s most unpleasant occasions.  I want to use the chorus of the song to offer a few bits of advice to those dealing with relationships. 

1) The song says “My heart is damaged, I thought that I should let you know…”  This is significant because it speaks to communication.  It is crucial to be open and honest about the feelings you may have from a past experience.  When you have gone through a break up or dealt with a bad relationship, it is probably best to take some time to heal.  During that time, getting reacquainted with oneself and with growing closer to God is invaluable.  If you are unable to get that healing, spend time reflecting, and focus on your goals, then you should not get involved with anyone until you can do these things.  When you enter into a relationship with someone without having dealt with your pain, you are deceiving yourself and that person and it is just a matter of time before problems arise.  I have to admit, you run a risk of scaring a person off with honesty about your past, but stop fooling yourself into thinking that it is not noticeable anyway.

2) “My heart is damaged, and you can blame the one before…”  It is never healthy to keep referring back to a past relationship.  How can you possibly move on if you are laying blame on a past romance?  Also, what this lyric helps us see is that sometimes we can use the past as an excuse to not have a healthy future.  You put yourself in bondage when you suggest that someone else “did this” to you.  That person has moved on, while you are still allowing his name to creep into your conversation.  The man who is trying to be with you doesn’t have a shot because he is competing with the ghost of boyfriend past.  Help the new man out by “exorcising” the old one out of your life.

3) “So how you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it?”  Okay yes the tune was in my head when I typed that.  Let me get right to the point with this one–sisters, a man can’t fix it!  In fact, a man trying to fix your heart is like me trying to fix a leaky faucet, it will get worse!  There is a woman in the Bible (Luke 8:43) who had a sickness for 12 years.  She went from doctor to doctor (man to man) trying to get help but the scripture states she only grew worse.  It wasn’t until she bumped into Jesus that her life changed for the better.  He acknowledged her instead of ignoring her, He accepted her instead of rejecting her, He blessed her instead of looking down on her.  My point is too many women want their heart to be fixed, only to run into a man that knows nothing about heart repair.  So that man ends up doing more damage than before.  But Christ knows who you are, accepts you where you are and will show you what you are in Him.

Many of you could write this and do so much better, so I really want to hear the feedback.

Be blessed!

The Danger of Going Deeper

Swimming for me has always been a challenge. It is something I wish I could do because I enjoy the feeling of being in the water, and I know it is great exercise. But, admittedly, I never learned how to swim.  I tried to take lessons on several occasions, but to no avail.  For some reason I was always afraid of the deep end of the pool. I thought that maybe at that place, I would lose control, begin to sink and not be able to recover. So I stayed in the shallow end, barely getting my feet wet.  It is this memory that comes to mind when I begin to think of a relationship with God.  In his book, Your God Is Too Safe, Mark Buchanan paints a picture of the relationship between man and God.  He suggests that man is standing on the beach, where he is safe and secure, but God is beckoning the man to step out into the deep waters and be immersed in Him. 

In other words, while we are trying to worship and serve a “safe” God, He is calling us to a life that is much deeper than that.  The Christian life is so much more than saying a few prayers here and there, going to church on Sunday, and giving money to charity.  The true Christian life takes you to deep waters.  It is centered around serving others, sacrificing yourself for the sake of God’s kingdom.  But make no mistakes about it, it is also about taking up your cross and the last time I checked, the cross dealt with suffering.  You may feel like you are losing control in the deep, you may feel like you are sinking in the deep, you may even feel as if you can’t recover in the deep, but the good news is the deep is where God dwells. 

I am challenged today to go deeper with God, believing that He will keep my head above water, but assured that even if I sink, He has the power to pull me out.

The Reality of Rihanna, The Crisis of Chris Brown

The news hit me as if it was my own brother.  I heard the report but didn’t believe it right away.  R& B singer Chris Brown, after getting into an argument with a woman, turned himself in to the police after allegedly attacking her.  I was immediately disappointed thinking to myself  “Oh no, another young African American male caught up in trouble” but then the news grew even more intriguing.  The woman was rumored to be his girlfriend Rihanna, one of the best female entertainers out there.  Then came reports from friends, press releases from both camps, and then the infamous mug shot of a beaten Rihanna.  I have resisted saying much about this situation because it is always two sides to a story.  But then something happened.  It was reported that these two entertainers were trying to “work it out” and that is when I decided I needed to say something.

First, I want to make it clear I am not writing this to the parties involved.  I don’t know Chris or Rihanna.  I still realize there is more to this story.  But my focus is the parents of kids who love these two stars.  What do we tell our wide eyed girls who want to BE Rihanna?  What do we tell our sons who admire the moves Chris makes?  Three things we can take from this situation (what we know of it):

1).  All That Glitters Is Not Gold.  My grandmother used to say “just because it is good doesn’t mean it is God.”  This is so true in this situation when we see people who are young, attractive, successful and have a bright future ahead of them, yet trouble found them.  Sometimes behind glitz and the glam lies trouble.  The lesson we should learn is no matter how far you go, no matter how many dreams you achieve, it takes more than talent and money to get you through life’s problems.  There is a scripture in Proverbs that says “there is a way that seems right but the end leads to destruction” which simply means sometimes the path you take can look right but end up wrong. 

2) Pay Attention To A Person’s Story.  Didn’t Chris come on the scene talking about how he witnessed his mother get abused?  Of course no one when they start off seeing someone expects them to do something harmful.  But our young people need to know how important it is to know a person’s history.  When I was growing up my mother and aunt’s whenever they found out I had a girlfriend, the first question they asked was “who are her people?”  They were helping me to understand that a person’s past may impact their future.  It was difficult when I really liked someone to see their flaws and family issues and determine I needed to let them go.

3) Find a New Umbrella.  Amazing that Rihanna’s biggest song “Umbrella” talks about a person who is there for the other, providing shelter and friendship.  I think this song is great but in light of this recent drama the song’s focus hopefully can shift.  In the song Rihanna sings that she will be the umbrella for someone facing the storm.  Well who is her umbrella right now?  I am sure she has family and friends who are concerned about her but the lesson is obvious.  There really is only one who we can go to that is truly an “umbrella” in a time of storm.  God is there for us young or old, rich, poor, no matter what.  He encourages us to run to him, to hide under His “wing”.  The difference between God and others who may claim to be a shelter, is that friends will fail you, family may even surprise you but God is always there, willing to take you in no matter what.

I wish Chris and Rihanna the best.  I hope this all plays out favorably.  Mistakes were obviously made but I think the greatest mistake that can be made from this is to NOT learn from it.  Parents help young people to see that if a relationship is headed in the wrong direction they need to be quick to send out an “S.O.S.”, move on and “Live Your Life.”