Accepting Unapologies: Take Your Power Back

I grappled with what to write this week because I wanted to avoid cliché topics related to Easter. Over the weekend, I saw so many posts alluding to Christ's resurrection, and while all of them were great, I wanted to do something different. While brainstorming, I found this quote, "I never knew how strong I was until I had to forgive someone who wasn't sorry and accept an apology I never received." - Author unknown

I've seen this quote floating around Facebook for a few months now, and I've always thought it was poignant, but it seems especially appropriate on Easter. Some of Jesus's last words in Luke 23:34 were, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (NIV). Even as He hung on the cross with nails in His hands and feet and a crown of thorns on His head, Jesus still managed to ask God for forgiveness for the very ones who crucified Him. As humans, it is common for us to struggle with forgiveness, to hold grudges against those who have wronged us. Oftentimes we feel like we are owed an apology and that they don't deserve our forgiveness, but forgiveness is not given because the other person deserves it. We should extend forgiveness to others for a number of reasons. First, consider this: Think of all the times God forgave you when you didn't obey Him, all the times He spared you when it looked like you wouldn't make it, all the times He provided for you when you didn't have the means. We fall short of God's glory every day and He still looks out for us. He forgives us even when we know that what we are doing is wrong.

Image source: Byron Katie Blogs / Shape [edits are my own]

Not only is forgiveness a godly thing to practice, it's also necessary for our peace of mind. We should extend forgiveness not for the sake of the person who wronged us, not because they earned it, but for ourselves. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (NIV). When we hold a grudge against someone, we inadvertently give them an amount of power over us. When we forgive them wholeheartedly, without allowing ourselves to harbor anger and resentment, we take our power back.

If you're still angry about a situation, that means you haven't fully let it go, and if you don't let it go, you're giving it permission to keep eating away at you. Sometimes, you'll never get the 'I'm sorry' you think they owe you. Don't lose sleep (or salvation) over it, because 9 times out of 10, the person who wronged you is moving on with their lives not caring about the fact that you're hurting. Ask yourself this: Is whatever they did to you worth giving up your spot in Heaven? If the answer is no (The answer will always be no!), forgive and give it to the Father. Take your power back. Your eternal life depends on it.

#MessageMonday - Do Not Resuscitate: Walking In God's Will

First Baptist Church of Glenarden, main campus exterior / Metro Acoustics

First Baptist Church of Glenarden, main campus interior / Metro Acoustics

I've been a virtual member of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, MD since the first time I visited there in 2014. I have a local home church in NC, but I call FBCG my home away from home. Based on size and seating capacity, FBCG would be classified as a mega church. At a whopping 205,000 square feet, it seats 4,000 people, but it feels personal.


Every Sunday, members greet the guests with warm smiles and heartfelt prayers, making them feel like part of the family. Under the leadership of Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr. and First Lady Trina Jenkins, the church fulfills its mission, "Developing Dynamic Disciples through Discipleship, Discipline, and Duplication," both inside and outside the sanctuary through community outreach, classes and activities ranging from departmental retreats to health expos. The ministry at FBCG is something truly special, and the fact that so many of their members are active in the community at large is exemplary of how the Church should be, not just a building, but a body.

Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.

First Lady Trina E. Jenkins

I watch FBCG's noon service almost every Sunday, but yesterday's sermon particularly blessed me. It was a powerful message called "How to Know God's Will," as referenced in Ephesians 5:8-17. In the message, Pastor Jenkins touched on a few key things we have to do in order to make sure our life is aligned with God's will, but I'll focus on the two points that resonated with me the most: 1) Walk as children of light and 2) Stop having fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. These seem fairly simple, but they're easier said than done.

Until we make the choice to be saved and accept Jesus Christ as the head of our lives, we are walking in darkness. When we become born again, God turns the proverbial light on in our lives so that we can discover our purpose and our truth. Just like we have to decide to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have to decide to walk in the truth that God shows us. Once we know the truth, we have to make decisions that reflect the truth. If we're not making the right decisions after the light has been turned on, our lives will be a mess because we are not living according to His will.  We can't continue to live in darkness.

Pastor Jenkins' discussion of darkness was a segue into his second point. In order to align our lives with God's will, we have to choose to cut out ALL darkness in our lives; the darkness we recognize in ourselves as well as the "dark" people in our circle. This reminded me of a quote I saw awhile ago on Twitter from pastor and psalmist Smokie Norful: "Sometimes elevation requires isolation."

In other words, the growing process, the process of relinquishing your will to God's will almost always require you to cut people off. Cuts hurt, but they will be worth it. Some people in life weigh you down. You may not understand why right now, but every person God removes from your life is removed for a reason. Everybody can't go where God is taking you because what God has for you is tailor made for you. There's no room for negativity where you're going, and God won't take you higher until you cut off that deadweight: pessimists, jealous "friends" who are secretly praying for your downfall, bad ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and anything else in your past that you've been holding onto long after God said no. All of that has to go in order for you to grow and get the blessings that God has for you.

If it's already dead, leave it alone. Trying to resurrect it can ruin you. Some of us try so hard to resurrect situations that are already dead, and before we know it, dead things consume us. We know that we're being called to go higher, but we can't move forward because we're so busy looking behind us. Some of us have things in our lives that need to die, but we keep resuscitating them. We speak life into situations that should've died a long time ago because we're afraid of the change that will occur when they're over. If you're dealing with something in your life that needs to die, let it go and trust your process. Trust that God will replace those people/places/things in your life that stunted your growth with new opportunities and relationships that will encourage you to keep pressing toward Christ. Say, "Lord, your will be done," and mean it, then watch God work in your life. His plans are always better than ours.

New Look, Same Great Taste: Breaking Tradition in Christian Music

I'm 22 years old, and I've been saved for almost 17 years. My Christian walk started in a Baptist church, and my current home church is interdenominational, so I grew up listening to a wide range of Gospel artists, everything from Shirley Caesar and The Williams Brothers to Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, and Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson. I've noticed that as I've matured, my taste in music has expanded to include more contemporary artists like Travis Greene, Jonathan McReynolds, Anthony Brown, The Walls Group, and most recently, Todd Galberth and WillMBand...and the list goes on and on. One thing's for sure: No other music makes me feel like Gospel music does.

     

 

While I still appreciate the hymns and songs that require double clap, I am loving the fresh, transparent anointing I'm hearing in Christian music from my generation. This new wave of psalmists is revolutionizing the genre and redefining what it means to be a Gospel artist. It's not just one sound anymore, but it's still raw, undignified praise. They're making it personal. Unlike older Gospel, which primarily focused on what God did in Biblical times, more contemporary artists candidly sing about what He's currently doing or has done most recently in their own lives. Sometimes, tradition has to be broken in order for change to occur. I think that's what's happening in Gospel music right now. All of the aforementioned artists in my playlist are fairly young, but they have deep, "churchy" roots. If you listen to their work closely, you'll hear influences from hymns, quartets, and many of the reknowned Gospel legends who paved the way for them. You'll also hear influences from popular artists in the secular realm, instances where Christian artists give a nod or two to a melody that is familiar to the world, but the music itself still does its job, which is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When a company wants to revamp its image and boost its sales, the first thing it usually does is change its packaging. Since the company doesn't want to lose its returning customers, it marks this packaging with a seemingly trivial but very important label: "New look, same great taste!" The same thing applies to new-school Gospel. In order to reach new Christians who may not be drawn to the old-timey church songs our parents and grandparents loved, God is giving a new song (and a new fashion sense) to artists who don't fit in a traditional box. New sound, same great message.

Folks write artists off if their sound isn't "traditional," but all that really matters is that God is pleased. Gospel artists have to market themselves a certain way because Gospel music is (and should be) held to a certain standard, but some young artists are also pressured to dress a certain way because of the type of music they sing. We are imperfect Christians serving a perfect God. These artists' main objective is to win souls for Him, even if it doesn't look "traditional." I'm not saying young Christian artists should be wearing provacative clothes, but if their demographic is young people (many of whom may not know Christ), dressing on trend while still remaining modest can help them show others that serving God is cool. Erica Campbell said it best in her hit, "I Luh God," "Cuz none of this means nothin' if He come and I miss Him, shawty!" That's it in a nutshell.

As Christians, we are required to meet certain standards, but at the end of the day, however you praise, just make sure you don't miss Him! Don't get so caught up in the new packaging of the sound that you miss the message. Open your mind, heart, and ears to the music that the Lord has placed inside of these young singer-songwriters. These are more than songs, they are psalms, from their hearts to God's ears. These are the sounds that souls who don't know our Savior desperately need to hear.

Cut to the Chase (Inspired by Joseph Solomon)

A few days ago, I was scrolling through my subscription list on YouTube and I noticed a new video had been uploaded on the channel formerly known as Chase God TV. Chase God TV is the brainchild of Joseph Solomon, a speaker, poet, and singer-songwriter who hails from Fort Hood, Texas. Joseph recently changed the channel name to his given name and expanded it to include vlogs, but its God-centered content remains the same. Christianity can seem daunting to many people who are not familiar with it, especially young adults who are trying to discover themselves while exploring the Christian faith. Chase God TV is Bible-based, but it caters to those who want to learn about God from a more fresh, contemporary perspective. It focuses on doctrine, but in a cool way, simplifying it into a pursuit: chasing God. Through the channel, Joseph Solomon has found an innovative way to win souls for Christ by looking at the larger-than-life Jesus through an everyday life lens in discussions about relevant issues and topics that a lot of young adults face.

The title of the video I'll be discussing in this blog is Chase God, Not Her. The title alone caught my eye for two reasons: 1) It alluded to the channel's former name and 2) It reminded me of a post I wrote back in January called "Living Single (and Saved)." After watching the video twice, I started thinking about a lot of things, but mostly these: What do the things we chase say about us? Why do we chase them? And, perhaps the most important point of all, what does it mean to chase God for God's sake? Feel free to watch the video below before you read my commentary:

In Chase God, Not Her, Joe talked about how he had a crush on a girl and chased God in order to chase her. At first, he chased God because he thought it would impress her. She loved Jesus, so he thought if he could prove that he loved Jesus too, she would love him. When it didn't work out that way and his feelings weren't reciprocated, he had to stop and reassess why he was chasing God in the first place and decide whether or not he wanted to continue pursuing Him. This was SO profound to me. God is always available to us, always behind us to catch us when we fall. He is in constant pursuit of our hearts, but it is up to us to stop running from Him and start running to Him...in order to actually reach HIM, not the things of the world. Chasing God is a choice.

If you want to truly know who a person is, find out what they're chasing and why they're chasing it. If they're chasing a significant other, they want love. If they're chasing dreams, they're ambitious. If they're chasing money, cars, and clothes, they're materialistic. If they're chasing God, no matter where life takes them, they're headed in the right direction. In Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV), Jesus says:

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I like the King James version of Matthew 6:33 even better because instead of "given unto you," KJV says, "all these things shall be ADDED unto you." Everything you need, you'll find in God. He alone is enough. Everything else He gives us, the things we unnecessarily chase instead of chasing Him are bonuses! Chase God, and He'll send love your way. Chase God, and you won't have to chase your dreams; they'll come to you. Chase God, and He'll provide you with the resources you need. Money, cars, clothes, all those things we can't take with us when we die, they hold no value in Heaven. Chase God for God's sake, meaning chase Him just because He's God. God is not a fad or a trend. His love never fades or fails. Don't chase Him because of what He can do for you, or because Christianity looks cool (It IS cool, though!), or because everyone else is doing it. You can't serve Him to serve others. You have to make a personal, conscious decision to let Him in.

God wants us to cut to the chase, cut out all distractions and focus solely on following Him. The world may not understand the race we're running, and yes, there will be hurdles to jump over, but it'll all be worth it when we reach the finish line. As Joe would say, grace and peace, fam!

Check out more of Joseph Solomon's videos here. To find out if he's coming to a city near you, click here.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot (feat. Mali Music's "Ready Aim")

After a month-long hiatus, I'm back to blogging. I took a break to block the enemy's punches. In mid-February, I had to have unexpected minor surgery, and after a six-day hospital stay, I came home and found out a few days later that one of my cousins suddenly passed away. The last week and a half has been a whirlwind, and honestly, part of me is still in disbelief. As I went through the motions of surgery recovery followed by the stages of grief, I kept this blog in the back of my mind and found myself struggling to figure out what to write and how. I thought about taking another week to gather my thoughts, but I knew if I did that, a week would turn into a month, and before I knew it, I'd just stop writing altogether...and I couldn't let that happen. Writing is my gift, my assignment. The enemy packed a powerful punch, but I couldn't just let him win, so I wracked my brain to find songs about how to fight back when the Devil does everything in his power to knock you down...and God gave me Mali Music's "Ready Aim," a rock/soul hybrid from his 2014 album Mali Is..., about how to keep a winning attitude when it seems like Satan is giving us everything he's got.

Mali Is... cover art / Amazon 

Verse 1:

I’m on an airplane

And the destination of this flight is to the

other side

Guess I have to go there

Guess I have to come here, yeah

I know where I’m from but now

I’m headed where I’m going right

"Ready Aim" is essentially one giant extended metaphor. The "flight" is the Christian walk, and the "other side" is the place/person/thing that may cause us to doubt God and/or lose faith. In this life, there will always be an "other side," unfamiliar territory, new stresses we haven't dealt with before, and sometimes even unbelievers who will try to convince us that God's not real. God exposes us to certain people, places, and things in the world to allow us to grow in Him; sometimes to be a light in darkness, and other times to see how strong our faith is. When Mali says, "I know where I'm from but now / I'm headed where I'm going right," he means that as followers of Christ, we are IN the world but not OF the world. In an excerpt from John 15:19, Jesus says, "You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (NIV).

It's not just the physical world that hates us, though. There are evil spiritual forces working against us too. Mali references these forces in the song's hook, "But there are powers, in the air, you can’t see them / And they have rockets and machine guns / And they’re firing on my plane." Ephesians 6:12-13 reads:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

The "rockets and machine guns" Mali mentions are a metaphor for the spiritual weapons that evil principalities use against us (our weaknesses, shortcomings, negative feelings, etc.) to keep us from becoming who God has called us to be.

Since Mali is equipped with the full armor of God, he challenges the enemy, basically telling him 'Hit me with your best shot!':

But I say fire, fire oh

Ready, aim, fire,

You can’t shoot me down, no

Fffff fire! Fire

Ready, aim, fire, you can’t stop me now, no

In spite of Satan's efforts to keep him down, he says he's on a mission:

Tryna make it straight cause it’s sideways

Tryna take water to a dry place

Tryna take hope where it ain’t none

Tryna take low to a high place

Wanna make the shooter put the gun down

So a mother gets to hold her son now

Wanna make the lame man run again

Make the blind man see the sun again

But all I hear is bang bang, gat, gat

I don’t think the powers really want that

Breathing down my neck

Always on my back

Got the guns out

The Devil is threatened by who we are in Christ. He sees the good we try to do in the world and does everything he can to stop us because he doesn't want other people to board the flight we're on, the airplane whose destination is eternal life. The enemy will always be on attack, always awaiting our downfall. It's up to us to fight back. Our lives, and the lives of almost everyone we're connected to, depend on it.

Ephesians 6:14-16 (NIV) says:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Satan can throw all the arrows he wants. As long as God is on my side, none of them will ever hit my bullseye. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Victory is mine (and yours)! In Jesus' name, amen.

Check out the acoustic version of "Ready Aim" below:

The Cost of Cool (feat. Anthony Brown's "Worth")

Nowadays, social media plays a huge role in our lives, especially for millennials. We've been conditioned to measure our success, or lack thereof, next to the successes of others based on the number of likes they get on their pictures...pictures that, more often than not, show only the best times in people's lives, because let's be honest, no one wants to broadcast their lows. We're not considered cool unless the most popular people approve of our highlights.

Often times, Christians find themselves feeling like they're not measuring up because most of the time, cool is not associated with Christ. If you choose not to turn up every weekend, go to clubs, shake your butt in front of a camera, or use fake, wax-faced, flower crown Snapchat filters (Snapchat is SO overrated! Yeah, I said it!), if you don't look or act like everybody else, society labels you weird or lame. In a world that equates worth with likes, comments, and material things, it's easy to lose sight of our worth when we're looking at things through the wrong lens—a worldly one, not a Godly one. 

I won't lie and say I don't care at all about what others think. Unfortunately, it's human nature for us to care what the world thinks. In elementary school I was bullied because I have a mild case of cerebral palsy which impedes my ability to run and climb. Kids teased me because I walk with a slight limp and I also have a visual impairment which causes my eye to wander. I used to let the things people said about me get under my skin until I realized two things: 1) I can't change the way God made me and 2) I only have to answer to what God calls me. Who cares what they say? Who are "they," anyway? I'm not gonna pretend like I don't have days where I feel less than. Of course I do. We all do. When I need a reminder of how much I mean to God, I play Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy's GRAMMY-nominated hit "Worth." (P.S. If you don't have Anthony's album Everyday Jesus, click here and get it NOW. It was so good, it won Anthony 10 Stellar awards in 2016—it won in every category in which it was nominated!) but I digress. Anyway, "Worth" is a simple song with a really powerful message.

Anthony Brown Everyday Jesus Album cover / Twitter

You thought I was worth saving,

So You came and changed my life.

You thought I was worth keeping,

So You cleaned me up inside.

You thought I was to die for,

So You sacrificed Your life

So I could be free,

So I could be whole,

So I can tell everyone I know...

Yes, I am a Christian. No, you won't find me at the club poppin' bottles or at a kickback getting high, and no, I don't walk like everyone else...because I'm choosing to walk with God. I'm on a mission as a representative of Christ. The world might not think I'm "cool," but Jesus thinks I'm to die for. That alone is enough. I'm done comparing my behind-the-scenes stuff to everyone else's highlight reel. Comparison is the thief of joy. In Mark 8:34-36 (NIV), Jesus tells his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" "Cool" isn't worth it if it costs you eternity. If it doesn't get me into heaven, I don't want it. Point blank, period. 

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I'll be standing by myself, and I'll have to answer for myself. He won't care if I was on trend, on Twitter or otherwise. He won't care what I looked like, how many people liked my selfie, or how many Facebook friends and Instagram followers I had. His only concern will be if I honored Him with my life. Will my gifts be used up when my time is through? Can my life be used as a template for other Christians to follow? I hope so. That's what matters. My worth does not lie in what others think of me. The only One I need to satisfy is God. That's easier said than done, of course, but there's so much more to life than being cool and flexin' on the 'gram with cars, money, clothes, accolades, and everything else society says we have to have in order to go viral or become a trending topic. We need to challenge ourselves to pray more than we post. Social media has made it scarily easy for us to become anti-social. Put your phone down and TALK to people face-to-face. Stop trying so hard to get them to follow you and encourage them to follow Jesus.

Oh, and by the way, serving God IS cool. The turn up is different, but it can be fun, especially if you surround yourself with like-minded people who also love God. In John 8:12 (NIV), Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In other words, literally and figuratively, He's lit. Give Him a try.

Check out the official video for "Worth" below.

Goldsboro's Night of Inspiration: A Recap

Night of Inspiration flyer / Facebook

Last Saturday (January 28th) was incredible! National recording artist Tyrone "Tye" Tribbett came to Goldsboro, NC for Goldsboro's Night of Inspiration. Having seen Tye a few times before, I knew what to expect. A Tye Tribbett concert is a worship experience like none other. Tye's worship is so authentic. It's uncut, undignified praise! The anointing bounces off of him and onto every person in the audience. It's a powerful, direct encounter with God.

Tye Tribbett / Twitter

I was excited for Tye, but I also enjoyed the MC and the opening acts. They really set the atmosphere for God to move. The MC for the evening was Tim Shropshire, a comedian from Fayetteville, NC. I've seen Shrop in action before too, but each time is like the first time because you never know what he's gonna say next...in a good way. His comedy is family-friendly and Christ-centered. #iRockWithShrop

Comedian Tim Shropshire / Facebook

The opening acts were great! They were all local, from Goldsboro and surrounding areas, and they were all young people, presumably ranging in age from late teens to late 20s. It was refreshing to see so many young adults souled out for Jesus. First up was Sound of the City from City Church of Goldsboro, then Generation Joshua from World Overcomers Christian Church in Raleigh, NC, followed by DeMarcus Kelly and Friends from Goldsboro/Mt. Olive, NC. All the opening acts had a similar sound: energetic, fresh, fun, and of course, Holy Ghost-filled, the perfect appetizers to prepare for the main entrée, Tye Tribbett.
                                        

DeMarcus Kelly / Facebook

Generation Joshua / Facebook

If you've never been to a Tye Tribbett concert, what are you waiting for? As I said before, it's a worship experience like none other...but it's also a workout (lol). Recording Tye's set is nearly impossible for two reasons: 1) it's hard to keep up with him! He's all over the place, but the anointing flows in tune with his movements which leads to 2) you can't watch him without dancing along with him. Tye's ministry isn't a sit-there-and-look-cute type of party. It's a you-better-GET-UP-AND-GET-YO-BLESSIN' type of party! A He's-been-TOO-GOOD, turned-my-mourning-into-dancing, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y praise! There's "No Way" you'll leave without getting blessed. (If you're familiar with Tye's music, you'll get what I did there 😉)

Tye gave us what we came for and then some, with classics like "Most High God," and "Everything" and a few of my Greater Than favorites, including "The Worship Medley (There Is Nothing Like/Glory To God Forever)." After a mini sermon, he segued seamlessly into another Greater Than hit, the shout-inducing "He Turned It," followed by his new rap-infused single "Work It Out" from his forthcoming project, a live recording called Bloody Win. To close the show (or so we thought), he revisited GT one more time with the ever-popular "If He Did It Before/Same God." Just when we thought it was over, he gave us an "after party" song, his 2006 smash hit, "Victory!" Goldsboro's Night of Inspiration left me inspired, encouraged, and wanting to hear more. I did my best to record, but I had to take a pause during "He Turned It" for that praise break #TurnUpForJesus! Check out videos of Tye's performance here.

*Images without captions are my own.