Resurrection Sunday- March 23, 2008

I hope everyone enjoyed the service this past Easter Sunday at Liberation Ministries. I know I enjoyed it and was uplifted by the whole service. Service was open by a great trio number by Minister Kiantha, Austin, and Pastor. The praise team did an amazing job as usual and Jared shined in his solo. Bro. Alan also gave us a mini concert. God truly has so many talented people at our church.

The sermon was good and I am blogging about what I personally took from it. I dont know if some of you feel like this, but I think the ministers are peaking in our diaries LOL. Pastor had two words for us. GET UP. He first talked about the meaning of Easter and how God got up. This really reached me because I have been going through my own personal demons. God endured all , suffered all just as us humans, but he got up. So that I can live, and when I had to think about that I was like WOW if GOD got up through everything than I should be able to also. Pastor talked about having stones always being in the way, and how you have to continue to get up, to learn, to keep going foward. That most of us will sit up, but wont fully get up, waiting for proof from God that he is really there instead of fully believing in our hearts that God is really there. I thought this was such a great message because as humans we think that some things are just so painful and that we can never get through them, but you can make it through anything with God, and through remembering that when you have no one he is there. I was telling Pastor and i will put my business out why cant God not give me a break I have seen my father get shot and killed in front of me. I lost my grandmother my best friend and number one supporter. I suffered through abusive relationships where I was thrown down a flight of stairs and then had my jaw broke. Went through deep depression and a suicide attempt.. and then when i feel like Im doing everything right getting back to the church. Im striked with another stone, and he was like God is not done with you the stones are not done.

I learned from this that I also have to believe in God through the good and the bad in my life. That just because I love god, believe in God, and have faith doesnt mean that he is going to make my life a petal of roses, because that is just not his plan, but he has prepared me to handle everything and anything. I am giving option and choices. I may have endured all this so one day I can help someone from suffering the way I have. God suffered to but he got up, and he continue to do what he did even with the stones in his way.

As God was given the choice I am given the choice to either GET UP and keep moving, and living, inspiring, developing, and growing. Or I can stay lay there and continue to be defeated due to my own inability to GET UP and have that courage and strength that God, had . So as pastor said when your feeling depressed GET UPPPP.. when your feeling stressed GET UPPPPPPP. when you feel like you cant go on GET UPPPPPPP. and then when you need inspiration as pastor said look at Alex or a baby, and they are young and there is something in them that want to GET UP and do their thing as GOD did even in the midst of the bad.

Remember as the praise team sang our GOD is an Awesome GOD. I also wanted to share that my alter prayer was one of the most powerful things I had experienced. I was hurting bad and wasnt even going to come to church at all on Sunday, but then decided to come because I didnt want to be alone and I wanted to be with my church family, but I was like Im going to go but Im not going to feel anything. That was completely impossible, because if God is going to reach you he is going to reach you. My heart opened the minute I stepped in the church, and when I went up for alter prayer this time was different. I felt like GOd was using Pastor to say the things he wanted me to hear. I felt as if Pastors voice was vibrating and going right into my heart, and I couldnt help but to release that pain and hurt in the moment and let it out and cry.It wasnt about looking a mess or having my mascara smear, I was truly in the house of the lord, and I felt it from head to toe.

Liberations Ministries is doing amazing things for me and for so many people in our church. I need it, it helps give my life balance, it centers me it gives me the comfort that I need sometimes. The messages are bible based, and relevant to what is always going on in my life. I truly believe that Pastor is a beautiful gift from God, and he gave Pastor to all of us as an extension to show what we can be and do, and how we can be ministers just as he is to us, and we need to take what he gives us and pass it along to other people who may need the word in there lives.

In conclusion i also want to say thank you to the Pastor on behalf of myself, and Im sure the other members who attended the lunch at Bluewater Bistro, and that two days have gone by now so I hope that you GET UP.. and SURVIVE.. Get UP.. and INSPIRE.. GET up and show God that his life and his ability to GET UP is not invain because you are using him as the example. I know I was ready to GET UP the moment service was over.

Bro. Jonray