Fighting the Wrong Battle
This past Sunday Pastor Darrell delivered the word “Fighting the Wrong Battle”. Pastor Darrell’s word challenged us to examine the reasons we are fighting the battles we fight. We say we are on the battlefield for our lord but are we really? Using the text Acts 9:1-20, Pastor Darrell makes a comparison between “church folk” and Saul. We have spent time judging others for sake of masking our own problems. As I listened to the word being preached I thought of Jesus himself saying in Matthew 7, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your eye? How can you say to you brother ‘let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own.”
Each one of us has a different battle to fight, but irrespective of our own battles when it comes to the greater war we should all be on the same side. Jesus said “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” We are all God’s children and we should be standing together unified on the battlefield. I have no desire to continue trying to divide the kingdom of God because of my own internal stuff that God already sees, hears, and knows, in spite of me pointing the finger at other people.
There is a poem I know titled “Is It Too Late, Lord?” I’ll share just a few lines.
Is it too late, Lord? Have I waited too long?Is my life finished? Have I sung my last song?Have I traveled along life's twisted road?Whose lives have I offended, as unheedingly I strode?Why wasn't I more aware of all the good things I could do?But as I hurried on my way, how quickly those years flew!I didn't mean to be so unconcerned. and I gave many times to the poor...But where did I show real love when so many knocked at my door?Where was I when the lights went out? With neighbors dealing with fright...It seemed I had nothing to offer, in that darkest night.So many times I have tried so hard to be kind.So many have needed a warm smile...But as I near the end of this road,please bless this last, long mile.
If you have been fighting the wrong battle the Lord is saying it’s not too late. It’s not too late to step on over to His side. An old song said “Where will you stand? Who is on the Lord’s side?” I’m ready, willing and able to sing loud “I’m on the Lord’s Side!” Will you?
-Min. Austin M. Anderson
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Reflection on Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Reflections on Sunday, September 16, 2007
Minister Austin’s spirit-filled sermon, “The Inner Me,” inspired a lot of reflection on my part concerning my own spiritual journey: point being - is of the necessity to look inside one’s self to really overcome the challenges and fears in one’s life, including the devil.
Oftentimes, what we’re calling the devil is our own inability to confront the truth about who we are.
In the NY Times article, Austin made reference about a woman who had a mastectomy based upon hereditary factors or possible genetic abnormalities. It really brought home for me concerning the extent we humans will go to avoid supposed obstacles in our lives.
Lance Armstrong, in an interview said, his testicular cancer was the impetus of him achieving his goals, making him a household name and world cycling champion. Essentially, Lance had the faith to confront the obstacles in his life, opening doors he couldn’t even imagine.
In Roman 4:16 (the text used on Sunday) it talks about Abraham’s faith. But what is this faith Abraham had in scripture?
In Roman 4:3, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Therefore, you have to imagine…that there were no books or the Ten Commandments, in Abraham’s day. He trusted God and the spiritual journey he was to embark upon; essentially, leaving everything he had known - to go into a strange and unfamiliar territory God had promised, without a roadmap or a deed.
I’m sorry but Abraham clearly had chutzpah! (Definition: boldness coupled with supreme self-confidence) Or, faith!
My uncle said to me many years ago, “Son, your faith is only as strong as your self-esteem.” As a result, one’s self-esteem is only strengthened by the courage to look inside one’s self to embrace the inner you in all of its beauty, and at times, its ugliness.
As I’m challenged by this past Sunday’s sermon, I also want to challenge Liberation members and others to look at our inner selves and embrace the grace given to us through the Cross, allowing us to confront the challenges ahead of us with dignity and by faith. You remember the old song, "We have come this far by faith...leaning on the Lord."
Like Lance Armstrong and Abraham, (Philippians 3:14) “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Let’s pull out all the stops concerning our faith in God and the possibilities ahead of us as a people of God. It takes chutzpah to look inside of one self, all the while, having the faith to confront our tomorrows!
Blessings,
Rev. John Garlington
Director of Teaching Ministries
Liberation Ministries
Oftentimes, what we’re calling the devil is our own inability to confront the truth about who we are.
In the NY Times article, Austin made reference about a woman who had a mastectomy based upon hereditary factors or possible genetic abnormalities. It really brought home for me concerning the extent we humans will go to avoid supposed obstacles in our lives.
Lance Armstrong, in an interview said, his testicular cancer was the impetus of him achieving his goals, making him a household name and world cycling champion. Essentially, Lance had the faith to confront the obstacles in his life, opening doors he couldn’t even imagine.
In Roman 4:16 (the text used on Sunday) it talks about Abraham’s faith. But what is this faith Abraham had in scripture?
In Roman 4:3, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Therefore, you have to imagine…that there were no books or the Ten Commandments, in Abraham’s day. He trusted God and the spiritual journey he was to embark upon; essentially, leaving everything he had known - to go into a strange and unfamiliar territory God had promised, without a roadmap or a deed.
I’m sorry but Abraham clearly had chutzpah! (Definition: boldness coupled with supreme self-confidence) Or, faith!
My uncle said to me many years ago, “Son, your faith is only as strong as your self-esteem.” As a result, one’s self-esteem is only strengthened by the courage to look inside one’s self to embrace the inner you in all of its beauty, and at times, its ugliness.
As I’m challenged by this past Sunday’s sermon, I also want to challenge Liberation members and others to look at our inner selves and embrace the grace given to us through the Cross, allowing us to confront the challenges ahead of us with dignity and by faith. You remember the old song, "We have come this far by faith...leaning on the Lord."
Like Lance Armstrong and Abraham, (Philippians 3:14) “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Let’s pull out all the stops concerning our faith in God and the possibilities ahead of us as a people of God. It takes chutzpah to look inside of one self, all the while, having the faith to confront our tomorrows!
Blessings,
Rev. John Garlington
Director of Teaching Ministries
Liberation Ministries
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Reflections on Sunday, September 9, 2007
Love a word that comes and goes but few people really know what it means to really love somebody"
One thing that I am learning about service at Liberation Ministries is that somehow Pastor D has a way of bringing a message that seems to be speaking directly to me every week. The interesting thing about that is at least five people said to me in conversation after service on Sunday September 9th that they felt like he was speaking directly to them, (go figure)!
The message this week challenged us to think about two major points. The first being how we love ourselves, our spouses and partners and families. The second and greatest challenge came when we were asked to look at how God in all his Mercy loves us. We were encouraged to see that if we were not in a place spiritually to be loved by God and love God more then it would be impossible for us to love any of the aforementioned people fully.
We so loosely use the word love in our everyday lives but the truth is unless we love God and realize God's love for us at all times, in all ways all we are doing is "liking" those in our lives. God's love is what enables us to love others. God's love for us should serve as the ultimate guide to loving others. God is patient with us, forgives us and is what keeps us in times of despair and loneliness.
What if we were to actually live in the greatness of God's love for real? What would our relationships look like? Would we have a greater peace in our daily lives? Would we be able to love those people who get on our last nerves? Would we respect and take care of ourselves and our bodies better? I believe so.
I know that at best I walked away wanting to realize the presence of God's love in my everyday life so that I am able to love those around me better.
Sis. Kiantha Duncan-Woods
One thing that I am learning about service at Liberation Ministries is that somehow Pastor D has a way of bringing a message that seems to be speaking directly to me every week. The interesting thing about that is at least five people said to me in conversation after service on Sunday September 9th that they felt like he was speaking directly to them, (go figure)!
The message this week challenged us to think about two major points. The first being how we love ourselves, our spouses and partners and families. The second and greatest challenge came when we were asked to look at how God in all his Mercy loves us. We were encouraged to see that if we were not in a place spiritually to be loved by God and love God more then it would be impossible for us to love any of the aforementioned people fully.
We so loosely use the word love in our everyday lives but the truth is unless we love God and realize God's love for us at all times, in all ways all we are doing is "liking" those in our lives. God's love is what enables us to love others. God's love for us should serve as the ultimate guide to loving others. God is patient with us, forgives us and is what keeps us in times of despair and loneliness.
What if we were to actually live in the greatness of God's love for real? What would our relationships look like? Would we have a greater peace in our daily lives? Would we be able to love those people who get on our last nerves? Would we respect and take care of ourselves and our bodies better? I believe so.
I know that at best I walked away wanting to realize the presence of God's love in my everyday life so that I am able to love those around me better.
Sis. Kiantha Duncan-Woods
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Reflection on Sunday, September 2, 2007
The service on Sunday, September 2nd, 2007, was very important and touching for me. All of the service including music, sermon, praise dance and individual prayer/blessings made it a meaningful experience for me that will carry me easily through the week. The sermon "God Wants A Yes", was one that I dearly needed to hear on Sunday. Giving a half-hearted and fearful "yeah" is so easy to do, since living in fear is what I basically learned/lived for much of my life without even realizing it. Hearing that God wants aresounding YES was just what I needed, along with the reminder that if I am fearful of living my own life, God never has the chance to handle the things that are my needs in the way that he desires. Knowing that God is always there with his commitment to where I am going, and whatever I am doing, before I have begun to make up my mind, is yet another reasurance of his love. I will remind myself that God is there to take care of all my needs, and that if I will trust/love him enough to let that happen it will be so much easier/lighter for me.
Sis. Celestine
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