New Podcast- "Just As I Am"

New Podcast

When I first learned about podcasting it was a blessing for me. I always wanted to be a broadcaster. This was a good mix. Like going to a mall, you often forget why you originally wanted to go with so many options. I created several "shows" that I have let "podfade".

This morning, I launched "just as I am" at www.jaia.us, you will soon find it on iTunes. It is going to be my Christian outreach arm. I am going to reveal my failures, hopes and dreams as a new pastor, believer and man of God trying to live in a fallen world.

Sometimes I'll put my sermons on it, hopefully that will make me better because I'm not all that right now. And sometimes, it will just be words of encouragement, prayers, and commentary. I hope to also put up a systematic and weekly bible study to help folks navigate the best collection of books ever assembled.

I am a new pastor of District of Columbia's gentry. I am truly a testament of God's favor. I don't deserve anything I have but truly appreciative to God for the opportunity to represent and present the Gospel. I hope to do that in my living and future dialogue. It is a tall order from where I am coming from. Hope you like the show and become one of my new listeners. Or at least follow my progress here on "Just As I Am"- http://jaia.us

Idol Worship

I am concerned of the popularity one man has received that resembles worship. Does this bother anyone else? How can he ever live up to the pedestal he has been placed upon? Look at the picture (right) that someone has created as if Sen. Obama was the Messiah. It's straight up blasphemy.

This situation reminds me of Scripture:

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. -- 1 John 2:18

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.-- 1 John 2:22

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichrist. -- 2 John 1:7

Computers

When you buy a new computer it does all kinds of cool things. The colors are vivid. Uploads and downloads are fast. Everything seems right with the world. But after awhile, things start to happen to your computer. You start to wonder why. You haven’t downloaded porn or surfed the net that much. What happened? It may be from all the forwards (FWD:) you received from that internet un-savvy cousin or friend. Every picture, chain letter, attachment, email, funny quote, cute, Christian themed thing that someone you know sends you is a potential computer threat. Evil, diabolical hackers can attach virus, Trojans, and malicious spy ware to these notes, pictures that are able to do anything from opening secret doors inside your computer to learning your passwords, keystrokes, reading your email, to shutting down your computer. It’s pretty bad. What is worse is when you try to tell them to stop, they take it as a personal assault. You would think if they thought so much of you to send you a note, that they would take the time to actually write something unique and NOT forward you some crap. But, that is not how it goes. The longer you stay on the net, you will see that Solomon was right when he said, that there is nothing new under the sun. Or on the net. What is cute, funny and nice to share to you, has already been seen. Make sure you buy a really good SPAM filter or virus protector. Unfortunately, the ones that come with your computer are not good enough. Do some research and get something nobody else has.

On a similar note, your mind is like a computer. With a steady flow of negative news, fear, politics, financial woes, crime and violence, you can be numb. You can get slowed down too. Find a church to get your spirit right and “fast” on the intake of worldly crap you allow into your head (hard drive). Pay more attention to your heroes than your zeros. The news sells fear, reboot your mind this weekend and clean your hard drive.

Think Right

It is easy to be sad and down right now. The world is crazy but if you look at it from someone that has been around awhile, it always has been. It is easy to be down on yourself, on your failures, on things you regret. The only way to stop feeling that way is to let it go.

Acknowledge the mistake, take the “beating” and move on. Regret is like a bee sting that keeps on stinging. Let that thing go. No matter how dark it is now, today is temporary. It will be gone tomorrow. Prepare your mind for the future, even if it is not anything fabulous, think happier thoughts, think positively, think about what you could do, what you should do, not of what you failed at, or wish you could have done. Every day you live is another chance to get it right.

If you are reading this, you are blessed. Believe that, and live it.

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in
our own sunshine.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Life

We just had our first Baptism in the new baptistery on Sunday. It was special because we also observed Holy Communion. Our church observes the Lord Supper on the Second Sunday of each month normally but this month we joined with several other churches to celebrate “Worldwide Communion”. It was significant because the candidate and new member is eleven years old. He represents new life. The term is biblical in itself but our church in whose very name holds “historic” remains in the past. I as a planter hope to be used by God to return this stump back into tree.

The sermon that I taught was doctrinal on Baptism. That was important because if Baptist people are to be effective witnesses for The Kingdom they should know what the core beliefs of their church is. Without that knowledge it is easy to get confused, manipulated, or led astray. The Jehovah Witnesses are effective because they know what they believe. Black Muslims can sell bean pies in the streets because they know what they believe. And even young elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints can ride bicycles in Barry Farms (SE Washington, DC) because they know, what they believe.

On the back of our church bulletin it reads that the mission of this church is to:

• To touch the heart of God


• To teach the Word of God


• To equip the people of God

In order to spiritually equip the Baptist of Historic Berean church they needed to know what we believed about Baptism. Our doctrine is that baptism is the immersion of a believer in Christ in water in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Unfortunately, we had some issues, with personalities and egos but the work of the Lord managed anyway.

We Change

We get older every minute. Some of us are growing wider every week. I know you know this; I’m just here to remind you as I think about how miserable some of my friends are. That is sad. We all change. Sometimes as a married person, that change is not good. We can grow apart. We can grow callous, distant, aloof, and obtuse. Remember when the friends first became lovers, the sex was explosive, and the love passionate? Have you lost that loving feeling? Things didn’t change, we changed. Life happened.

I have heard that the difference between a grave and a rut are the ends. If you are in a rut with your marriage, don’t let it die. Don’t let dirt get on the ends as you lay there. You were an exciting, fun person to be around once. Don’t you remember? As a pastor, a husband and a father, I realize the importance of keeping my marriage healthy. It is not easy. Sometimes you don’t even like the person you live with. You still love them but something just ain’t right. The change is subtle. No one will notice right away. It is easy to let things slip. It is easy to take each other for granted. It is easy to wake up one day and think; I don’t want to be here anymore. It is easy to get bored in comparison to all that you see and think is going on in the world. But can I tell you something? People are not just the sum of their parts. I don’t like math but I discovered that Algebra best describes people.

Let’s put you in an imaginary equation. Your wife in her current state of being, moods and attitude is X. She “doesn’t like this, and she is tired of this…” and you are bored with her shtick. She is starting to look plain, unattractive and yucky.

Meanwhile, you have been looking at “Y” at the job, and she is kinda hot. “Y” does this, and “Y” does that, personally, you could deal with some more of that. Why, because you haven’t had any in awhile.

Now let’s introduce another number, we’ll call him 3. Mr. Three has jokes, big brown eyes and listens. He talks a good game and is attentive. The wife now looks forward to the mental stimulation and starts to dress better. The skirts get shorter and she starts looking more like her old self. If you were a fly on the wall at her job, when X and 3 are in the same room, you wouldn’t recognize X. The equation is now, 3 + X. There has been no coitus but mentally and spiritually she is there. If the relationship multiplied further and they became 3X, she would do things with him that you thought she would never do.

We each bring different things to the recipe. When the cake falls flat, it’s our fault. If it is to turn out right, you have to take responsibility for what is going on or not happening and fix it. We are more than what we demonstrate daily. You know there is a “hotter” you and a “hotter” her inside that has went dormant. Your mission if you are not a quitter is to recapture the castle, slay the dragon and win the princess inside.

It’s easy to forget. It’s even easier to quit. Don’t be another statistic. Winners Never Surrender.

With God, all things are possible.