Isn’t it wonderful and a blessing when out of the blue the Holy Spirit desires to converse with you and ask, “So, how are you today and what are your needs? Do you wish to speak with the Almighty? For as you know, He is the Alpha and Omega. What is your pleasure, my child?

Sometimes when we pray for a specific need, it is respectful and praiseworthy to address our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by specific titles given Him in scriptures. So, for this week’s blog, I have put together a 3-column chart (below) listing a specific need, a biblical title for Jesus that represents that need and where in the Holy Bible that specific scripture can be found. I often practice this method of prayer and I can attest to the fact that you will find tranquility and peace in your conversations with God using Scriptures.

 

What is Your Need…	What is Jesus’ title…	Where is Scripture Found…
I need advice	Counselor	Isaiah 9:6
I need food	Bread of Heaven	John 6:32-33
I need a better life	Bread of Life	John 6:35
Person to stand with me	Advocate	1 John 2:1
Be more dependable	Author of your faith	Hebrews 12:1-2
I am a wreck	All in All	Col. 3:11-12
Guidance	Chief Shepherd	1 Peter 5:4
Sympathy, comfort	Father of Mercies	2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Hope	God of Hope	Romans 15:18
Leniency	God the Judge of All	Hebrews 12:23
I am a bear faced Liar	God of Truth	Deut. 32:4
I’m sad; depressed	Brightness of Glory	Hebrews 1:3
I’m lost; no hope	Captain of Salvation	Joshua 5:14
Patience and comfort	God of Patience	Romans 15:5
Love my neighbor	God of Love and Peace	2 Corinthians 13:11
To be rescued	Deliverer	Romans 11:26

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LIFE Worship

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Genesis 8:22 – While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Do you know anybody who loves to debate whether or not God exists? Or better yet, do you personally attempt to engage others in frivolous conversations that have no serious purpose, value or intent to enlighten them concerning the Majestic Character of God.

Well, on Monday, April 8, 2024, you will have an opportunity to engage in holy conversations that will take on a life of their own. In fact, you might just have nothing to say, because the miraculous solar eclipse will ‘speak‘ for you. I’m certain the people around you will be speechless, awestruck and in a state of wonder. It has been reported that during other eclipse sightings, people have actually fainted.

It is my prayer that one day soon, all the peoples of the world will one day look up and give praise, honor glory and adoration to the Son of God, our Lord, Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

It is recorded in the final Book of Revelation in the New Testament, the Earth suffers “Seven Plagues” — from disease to “intense heat” and drought, then finally a shower of deadly hailstones. Who says there is no God and who says he is not the Divine Meteorologist?

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An “A-C-T-S” Prayer(*) For A Loved One Dealing With Mental Illness

Dearest Almighty God, Father of our Lord and Savior and Keeper of Promises…namely, The Holy Spirit:

“A” – ADORATION…

We come humbly before Your throne of grace to first and foremost to thank You for Who You are…for loving us in spite of our transgressions and for providing a sinless Surrogate to pay the ultimate price that all mankind should have endured. You and You alone are so worthy to be praised.

As you know, many of Your people, friends, pleasure seekers and, yes, back-sliders gather from time to time to fellowship with one another and to often give You thanks, reverence and to partition Your throne of grace for mercy. It is no different today. For today, just before we begin our day, a few of your humble servants have been asked to call upon Your precious Name on behalf of several subjects troubling our hearts and our commitment to the faith.

“C” – CONFESSION…

So, here we are, Lord, standing in the need of answered prayer.

It’s no secret to You, Holy Spirit, that down here on earth there is an ingrained stigma against all those who suffer from mental illnesses, especially attributed to help-seeking adolescence, and young people. They are the ones who bear the brunt of the negative name-calling and criticism associated with mental illness. Suicide is the leading cause of death within this group.

“T” – THANKSGIVING…

Lord Jesus, it is this urgent matter that we are sending up this fervent prayer on their behalf today. We beseech You and give You all the glory for your infinite power to bring hope, comfort, professional help, protection and most of all deliverance from this debilitating illness. To praise You and give You thanks for taking the shackles off their feet, so they, too, can dance.

Mary Mary – Shackles (Praise You) LyricsYouTube · Lyrics 90’s3 minutes, 15 secondsSep 2, 2023

“S” – SUPPLICATION…

We earnestly plead that You, My Lord, give the mentally challenged an understanding that their loved ones will do everything in their power to make the journey to recovery a successful one. That everyone involved in their health caregiving will seek the best professional resources for them. Treat them with respect, nurture and attend to their persona with dignity and pray for their recovery, in the precious Name of Jesus we ask it all, Amen and Amen.

This prayer is being offered up on behalf of all those under the sound of my voice who stand in the need of prayer. For it is written in James 1:5, to seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom when asking the difficult decisions needed to help our loved ones who suffer in their infirmities of troubled minds. In the matchless Name of Christ Jesus I pray, Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

(*) NOTE:  “So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness …(Google)

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Today, you are encouraged to come and go with me to a place where we can talk. Where we can learn about how to have perfect peace and be in good health at the same time, even when our bodies are racked with pain; and troubled with disturbing thoughts; and our spirit is questioning our faith. Christ’s perfect peace is enough for me!

With the help of the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), I will attempt, by using Scripture, to apply a certain reasoning to why Jesus Christ used so many examples of life’s emotions to teach on how to be blessed and content when all hell is breaking loose all around you.

Our Scriptures comes out of two chapters from the Book of Matthew 4:23 to 5:12, so let’s establish our foundation and get an understanding.

While living down here on earth we ought always to be salt and light to the world regardless of what physical, mental or material state we find ourselves in. If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our ways and demeanor should bring illumination and savor (preservation) to our fellow man. Living in a manner befitting the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God!

So, Jesus is referring to the broader meaning of “blessed” when He says blessed are those who are poor in spirit, who mourn and who are meek. Why? Because they are dependent on God and not the world. They are sensitive to their spiritual fault and seek God’s help and comfort. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…why? They have a deep longing for both personal righteousness and justice for the oppressed. Blessed are the merciful…why? They both forgive and have compassion for others. When you are sensitive to God’s forgiveness it frees you from feeling guilty and brings comfort. Blessed are the pure in heart…why? They have no guilt trip as they engage in their devotion to God and therefore are spiritually able to feel God’s presence.

All of these qualities or emotions allow us to bring peace to others. But it is also a catch 22 situation, because it can also make us vulnerable to persecution. Jesus goes on to teach, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God. Here on earth, our only reward may be to be called “Sons and Daughters of God”. And we may have to experience God’s kingdom rule while here on earth by becoming a peacemaker thus proving our fitness for the eternal kingdom by suffering.

NOTE: (*) Sickness and infirmities can come about through bad habits, weak constitutions, exposure to danger, crimes, accidents, birth defects, etc., but while experiencing sickness it can also reveal attitudes, values and motives which must be transformed if human beings are to be truly in harmony with God. Matt. 5:19-48

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It’s all in a day’s work. Yes, all we have to do as ambassadors of Christ Jesus is look for an opportunity to serve Him. Believe it or not, I found that perfect opportunity to share the love of the Almighty while attending and participating in my physical therapy sessions to strengthen my bones and muscles.

During the past month I have been extremely active in various exercise classes here at my apartment complex where there is an on sight physical therapist trainer employed seven days a week. She schedules a variety of physical routines, instructions on how to operate various equipment and also schedules outside exercises such as swimming and walking the neighborhood.

In addition, my doctors have also scheduled professional medical physical therapy sessions for low impact injuries I sustained during an accidental fall. It was while participating with these sessions that I found a way to ‘witness’ to several of the therapy employees at the facility. After each session, towards the end, each patient is instructed for 15 minuets to cool down while sitting in a chair with a hot towel around their neck along with 4 electric heated disc placed across the back of the shoulder near the neck area.

During this cool down time, I normally past the time by reading an inspirational book. And sure enough, different staff members check on me from time to time and ask me what I am reading. Now, I’ve learned during my visits that a couple of the trainers are Sunday School teachers at their churches. Also, the husband and wife team owners are devoted Christians and their establishment reflects their sentiments exactly. So I feel encouraged to share the contents of any book I am reading at that time.

A perfect example presented itself as I was reading how to engage children to learn more about the teachings of Jesus and how they should and could retain and respond to hand signals. Below is how I informed (through suggestions) those persons who inquired as what I was reading.

A HANDY TEACHING AID FOR CHILDREN WHEN REMEMBERING GOD’S PROMISES (BIBLE VERSES FOUND IN HEBREWS:

• Find a quiet place and unplug your I-pad or tablet.
• Raise your right hand. Use your left hand and point to your little finger on your right hand.
• Begin sharing God’s promises by saying: “I” (God); point to the next finger, say “WILL”; point to the next finger and say “NEVER“; point to the next finger and say, “LEAVE“; when you get to the thumb, substitute the word you for the child’s name and use the thumb to point to himself and say his or her name. (Hebrews 13:5) (You can also use Hebrews 13:6 “The Lord is my helper”.

Just for fun, the teacher can also teach the children how to ‘sign’ the alphabet letters for the deaf. What a difference it will make in a child’s life to learn about Jesus in so many different ways. And how He cares and loves everybody. Since attending my therapy classes with this religious company of employees, I have experienced God in a new and invigorating way. I feel more alive and a contributor to the human race. WHY…because…

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Hello, again to my faithful readers of this week’s blog. So, thank you for your faithfulness and interest in Dorothy’s saga when she was a child. Don’t forget, Dorothy is my (deceased) mother and she told me this story of her life on November 25, 2001. If you missed reading Part 1 of this heart-wrenching story, please look on the right side of this blog page and click (Archive March 2024) and catch up with the events so far.

Is It Cracklin’ Yet?….

Up until this point, Dorothy was not allowed to pour off the hot grease. But on the sixth evening of this cooking ordeal, the smell of the cracklin’ and her curiosity got the best of her. It was evening time and the wooden logs were ashes and the oven had cooled down.

Dorothy screamed to high heaven! Momma Kate, who was a large woman, came running to her rescue. Dorothy was in such pain that when she saw her mother she ran to meet her and thrust her burned hand under the fat arm pit of her mother and proceeded to rub her hand in a back and forth motion. Before Momma Kate could calm Dorothy and stop her, all the top skin had been removed from the back of her hand from the wrist to the knuckles. Dorothy’s hand was white as snow. Momma Kate yelled for her husband, Buckwheat, my grandfather, to run to the drugstore which was about 15 blocks away to buy some sulfur powder which was sold by the pound. Today, you need a prescription to buy sulfur, but back then Buckwheat bought 15 cents worth and hurried back home.

Buckwheat’s big foot leaped upon the front porch, barely clearing two steps as his massive hand swung opened the front door. “Get the sorghum (*) molasses and make a paste with the sulfur, quick,” cried Momma Kate. Granddad hurriedly mixed the concoction and spread a thick portion on the back of Dorothy’s hand while she danced a slow motion quick step. (Today, a tetanus shot would be required to prevent infection. But no such precaution was taken for poor little ole Dorothy.)

The next day Dorothy went to school and because of her dilemma became an instant celebrity with her classmates and teacher, Mrs Shackelford. Everyone not only wanted to hear the story, but also wanted to help make Dorothy’s life easier while at school. Surprisingly, the teacher allowed Dorothy to sit at her big desk until the bandages came off. For more than a month, Momma Kate replaced the dressings each night with fresh linens. But best of all, Dorothy’s cousin , Paul, had to do all of her chores until she was 100 percent well.

When I visited my mother in Minnesota on that memorial day, she was 84 years old, and the back of her right hand bares only faint scares of her childhood burns. AIN’T GOD GOOD!!!! It is because of the home remedies and the wise thinking of my Grandmother, Momma Kate, that my mother’s hand is not grossly discolored. You see, after two weeks of Dorothy’s hand being bandaged, Momma Kate took red onion husks and boiled them until, the water turned red. Then she made Dorothy soak her hand in this solution for many days. This process was thought to be a natural dye and after several applications, Dorothy’s pale burnt skin color returned back to its normal brown. Boiled onion juice was also used to dye eggs at Easter time, too.

Post Script…After being raised by a praying mother and grandmother, and being constantly fed by cherished memories of just how the Lord Jesus provided when professional relief was unavailable, has been a guiding light in my upbringing and has caused me to trust the God of our Salvation!

THE END

NOTES:

(*) Sorghum – Rich in vitamins B2 and C, sorghum helps to promote and maintain healthy skin. It can increase the secretion of mucus, which has been proven to help rosacea sufferers and sufferers of other skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. (Information reported on Google search.)

(**) Sad Iron:

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Did you know that God can and will use anything or anybody to further the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ. To name a few verses recorded in the Holy Scriptures that testifies to this, how about Genesis 6:10. That verse tells how a dove brought a message to Noah that the flood waters had receded and land was in view. So Noah and his cargo could now dock and come out of the Ark. There are also many other verses about inanimate objects bearing messages from God to his people, as well as numerous animals, humans and celestial beings.

In my case, as I look back over my life, the Lord has engaged all Three Persons of the Trinity to foster me in spiritual learning, faith building and how to obtain a deeper understanding about sacred things. Hallelujah!! Thus, portrayed in the story below that I am about to reveal to you (in a two-part blog post), says it all. My grandmother’s prayers on behalf of her child (my mom) are felt even today, fifty years later! (For the record, I was blessed to have a praying mother and grandmother.) So thank You, Holy Spirit, for your grace and mercy and for positively growing my faith in You. YOUR GUIDING HAND HAS BEEN AN ANCHOR IN THE LINEAGE OF MY FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS…TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

It was bitter cold that day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.  I was standing at the window peering out from my mom's eleventh floor apartment.  I could see snow drifts on the streets below that appeared to be four or five feet high; cars were sliding in slow motion across white lines, yellow lines and cross walks.  It was a cold and windy day around Thanksgiving time in November 2001, and also my birthday.  I had traveled to Minnesota to celebrate my 62nd  year of life with my mom, who was lovingly referred to as  Momma T.

That particular morning, mom was on the telephone with one of her many girlfriends and she was laughing and interjecting bits and pieces of an amusing childhood story while at the same time discussing current events.  She was in such good spirits that day, and I could overhear her relate portions of an incident that had happened to her as a child.  Mom was sitting at her kitchen table and was fingering her personal telephone book, completely oblivious  of my presence in the room.  Her conversation so intrigued me that I turned from the window and deliberately eavesdropped on her.

After finishing her conversation, and hanging up the phone, I asked her what she had been talking about and implored her to tell me the whole childhood story.  It went like this:

The date was 1931 or 32. My mom was about 12 years old when the incident happened. It was in the winter time. Her adopted mother, Kate, (who was also her biological aunt) made delicious fried skins from the rind of bacon slabs. At that time skins (or cracklin’) were not sold in stores. Today these curled crispy morsels sell for about one dollar per bag. Momma Kate would slice the rind off bacon, put it in a large loaf pan and place it in the hot oven. It was not an electric or gas oven but a wood burning stove which turned fire-engine red when hot. Now this stove held its heat all day, but during the night the fire went out and the stove cooled.

The next morning the fire was rekindled by Paul, mom’s older cousin who lived with them. Now, the half-baked bacon rinds stayed in the oven for another day of cooking. This went on for about a week: Cooking, cooling and re-cooking until all the fat grease was extracted from the rind. Once the rind curled, it was done. The hot grease was drained from the pan each day by Momma Kate. As a child, baked bacon cracklin’ was one of my momma’s favorite treats. So, naturally, every day she asked Momma Kate gleefully, “Is it cracklin’ yet? May I peer into the oven to see if it is done?” Momma Kate said yes, but she cautioned my mom to be careful so as not to get burned.

(TO BE CONTINUED NEXT FRIDAY. STAY TUNED. COME BACK FOR PART 2.)

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“The body that is sown (planted like a seed) is perishable, the body that is raised (instructed to stand up) is imperishable; a body is sown in dishonor (often misrepresented), it is raised in glory (in the hereafter…Heaven); a body is sown in weakness (self-criticism), it is raised in power (by the Trumpet of the Son); it is sown a natural body (given a certain number of days), it is raised a spiritual body (given an endless number of days).” 1 Corinthians. 15:42

Death of a loved one, (whether sudden or in due season) can, does, and often takes the wind from beneath our wings.  The ones who are left behind often are unable to process their feelings immediately or even after months of acceptance.  Feelings of shock, numbness, denial and/or remorse can linger still.  Even when reality sets in, deep forlorn sadness could cause a person to seek medical attention.

NEVERTHELESS, God desires all of us to go on living and to cast all our anxieties on Him. (1 Peter 5:7).

Over the past several years I have experienced the untimely demise of six of my closest relatives:  My father and mother, three siblings and one niece.  Consequently, in addition to this group of family members, my older sister and myself are the only ones left as the matriarchs of this family.  Of course, we both have our own children and grandchildren, but our core family members have whispered a fond adieu.

It is for this reason I searched my library files of short stories and poems I had written over the course of my life to see if I could find any blog posts I had written concerning any of my deceased relatives. And sure enough, I ran across a heart-felt poem my deceased baby sister, Kathy, had written to our mother on May 9, 2003. If I remember correctly, Kathy was asked by one of our mother’s church members to compose and present a tribute to our mother at a recognition ceremony at which the church had chosen to honor her for. The title of Kathy’s poem is “My Mother Prayed For Me“.

"Mother prayed and raised us all.  Separately she prayed.  Our names she did call. 
Although I strayed, my mother still prayed that one day God would help me find my way.
She prayed for me!

During all those dark years that I was lost, my two boys she raised and religiously taught; Teaching them how to pray and trust in God; Helping them to find courage to make a new start.
Yes, she prayed for me.

In God's own time He responded to Momma in kind; Speaking assurances to her heart with words of kindness; Promising that her wayward child would be restored; Today, relationships with my two sons have been renewed.
Oh, yes, she prayed for me.

During those years of darkness and deep black of night; It was Momma's prayers that brought me to the Light; She said He was a God of a Second Chance, maybe three or four; All I know is it was God's grace that reunited my sons to me forevermore.
God knows mother prayed for me.

As I reflect on my life I now see; How long and how deeply my Momma prayed for me; She earnestly prayed, that woman really, really prayed; And in my despair I heard my Momma pray for me.
Thank God, she never gave up on me...My mother prayed for me.  Hallelujah!  Thanks be to God!
My mother prayed for me.  Amen and Amen!

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So, for this week’s blog, I would like to enlighten my readers with a report I gave to my church officials in July 2002, of my missionary experience while on assignment to Lusaka, Zambia, South Africa. It was during that year when about 38 other missionaries along with myself, whose churches are affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the South (ABCOTS), went on a seventeen-day mission trip to minister to several Baptist churches and a conclave of other church leaders in South Africa.

Our assignment while there was to be in communion with the Holy Spirit as we divided up into teams and visited several towns and villages that have covenant agreements with the ABCOTS association. In these communities we taught Bible classes, preached sermons, visited orphanages and schools and shared basic family skills with the inhabitants.

Our mode of transportation throughout the continent was by jitneys, tour buses, and small planes. The countryside was beautiful and we saw our share of wild animals. Towards the end of our trip, we traveled to Zimbabwe and visited the Victoria Falls. We also went on an early morning safari in Sun City just outside of Johnnesburg. We visited some historical sites in Cape Town, South Africa (Mandela’s home) before flying back to the United States.

My Out-of-body experience with the Holy Spirit

One evening, while reading the Book of Isaiah, the words in Chapter 44 began to transform into a pictorial expose of the entire trip to Zambia. The actual names of the towns and villages and many names of the churches we visited mysteriously appeared on the bible pages in the form of scriptures instead of the original words written by Isaiah.

Instinctively, I knew that I had been transported into a higher plain of existence by the Holy Spirit and He wanted to commune with me and give me a ‘Word to bring back‘ concerning South Africa. I grabbed my pen and paper and began to write the litany, “God’s Blessing on Zambia.” What a blessed post script to my missionary journey.

Now, my friends, it is your turn to recall a situation/event in your lives that has turned out to be a ‘divine life lesson’, that has altered or confirmed your understanding of God’s Word and how you can bring it back to help you share the Good News of the Gospel. God’s not dead but alive in your life! Today he is tenderly calling you to concentrate on him and whether you have traveled near or far, the question is…What will you take back?

  God's Blessing On Zambia
(An Adaptation of Isaiah 44:1-5)

"Yet hear me now, O Missionaries to Zambia,
My servants, and American Baptist Churches
of the South whom I have chosen.
Thus says the Lord who made you and formed
you from the womb, who will help you while
on your journey:

"Fear not, O missionaries My servants; and you,
Eleazar, whom I have chosen as their guide.
For I will pour water on the House of Lusaka who
is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground of
compounds in Zambia;

"I will pour My Spirit on all those who journeyed
to Africa and My blessing on Eleazar's dream
for the Zambian people; New churches will 
spring up among the grass huts like willows
by the watercourses;

Hope International Church of Lusaka will say,
'I am the Lord's;
Bethel Church of Kafue will call himself by the
Name of Jacob;
Soweto Baptist Church will write with his hand,
'The Lord's';
and Riverside Baptist Church of Chingola will
name himself by the name of Israel.

(This 2002 prophecy is certain to come to pass, saith the Lord.)

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