The Sleeping Church

Revelations 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: `I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 `Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.

Today, I tweeted “I would love to give someone a car, or house, or tuition. Needless to say, my timeline went crazy with people responding to such a “Kingdom” statement. People with authentic needs responded with their mortgage amounts in which they had fallen behind. People responded indicating they wanted to go back to school and needed transportation to keep a job.

As I read the amalgamation of responses, I wondered where these individuals attended church, if they went. I began to click on some of their pages and saw their tweets and info about them and noticed that most were Christians.

They were Christians but in crisis.

Each week, The Word Center is bombarded with calls from people with needs. Sadly, these individuals attend churches with monthly budgets that exceed The Word Center’s yearly budget. Where are their churches?

The scripture in Revelation above referenced that churches are sleeping. I believe that they are also lulling people to sleep with irrelevant doctrine, music ensembles, and nonexistent vision.

• People are continuing to suffer financially, while the church is sleeping.

• People are continuing to suffer in their marriages, while churches are sleeping.

• People are continuing to suffer mentally, emotionally, psychologically and the church is sound asleep.

Wake up! The spiritual alarm clock should be the amount of Christians that no longer go to church because they knocked on the door of desperation and their church did not answer.

They were sleeping!

Wake up! The spiritual alarm clock should be the youth who have gone astray. They knocked on the door asking for help, but their parents were busy being deacons but not beacons in their home.

They were sleeping!

Wake up! The spiritual alarm clock should be the amount of Christian marriages faltering because of adultery, dishonor, or disconnect. They went to the pastor for help, but he was so busy with his mistress that he couldn't minister reconciliation.

WAKE UP! HE IS COMING!

Love and Peace

Pastor Rich

When God Gives You a Dream

When God speaks to you, He speaks in various ways. One way He speaks is through dreams. In scripture, dreams were sometimes impressions on the minds of sleeping persons, made by divine agency. God came to Abimelech in a dream. Daniel had a dream. Gideon had a dream.

The story of Joseph paints a descriptive picture of a young man with a dream. Despite relational issues with his brothers, despite parental favoritism of his father, despite the family mess, Joseph still had dream.

• No matter where you came from or what others have done to you, they can’t stop you from dreaming.

You know the story. Joseph had a dream that one day his brothers would bow down to him. He did dream it. God did give it to him. You know the end. They ended up bowing down to him. But there was something that was a trip about the whole situation!

There was no where in the text, where God said tell the dream. Sometimes, when God gives you something, you need to sit on it for while. There is something called deam killers! I remember telling my dream of “The Word” Center to someone that I thought was close to me. They took the information and used it to their advantage. I received so much persecution as a result.

• There are some people who don’t have dreams of their own, so they spend all their time and resources trying to kill yours!

In telling your dreams and aspirations to dream killers, they are quick to bring up who you are. You grew up over there (where you grew up). Your momma wasn’t nothing. They remind you of your economic situation. They remind you of your educational attainment. They remind you of the kids you had out of wedlock. They remind you of your previous marriages!

• Who people say you are is not what God calls you.

My Dream of Ministry

Several years ago, I had a dream. A dreamt of building a ministry for all people. This type of ministry that would help people regardless of their membership, fellowship, friendship, stewardship, or relationship. I wanted to build a ministry that would help people without bureaucracy . As The Word Center approaches 1-year old, I reflect on what God has done through the members of “The Word.” We have:

• Purchased jerseys for an entire football team
• Gave incentives such as gift cards and laptops to high achieving students
• Homeless project that blessed literally hundreds of the homeless and underprivileged during the coldest months
• Book bag and school supply distribution
• Bought snacks for JPS students during SATP testing
• Numerous benevolences to members of “The Word” and members of other churches
• Many other charitable acts that undergird the fundamental purpose of “The Word.”

In 11 months, we have done Jesus ministry. Matthew 25:35-36 states “I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

As I write this blog, I am amazed at ordinary people pulling together to accomplish Kingdom work. As we turn to the next chapter of “The Word,” I stand in tip-toe anticipation of what God will do in Year 2! Sit back and watch our God!

Love,

Pastor Rich

The Blessing Behind Closed Doors

Jesus in the scripture encountered rejection. He had something to offer. He something to give. No matter how great it was or no matter how it would have helped those he offered to help, they rejected it. They closed the door in the face of the Savior!

We’ve all had some closed doors in our lives. Many of us fail to see the providential blessing behind the closed doors and adopt an attitude that will allow us to move beyond surviving to thriving. You have to come to a point of realization that the doors that God closed, opened up an opportunity for you to be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

I have had many closed doors in my life. In 2010, a year to the day of this post, there were major shifts and changes that took place. As a result of a those changes, God taught me many lessons from which I believe you can learn.

First, you have to understand that anytime there is a major change, its causes you to grieve. Change in jobs, change in relationships, change in marital status, or change in health are examples of catalyst that can cause grief.

When an individual has not addressed the grief and the pain of their past, it comes out sideways in anger, violence, overworking, abuse of some kind, and all sorts of unhealthy behavior. Your ability to think normally is weakened by the poignant memories of experiences gone-by, especially in relationships.

In 2010, I worked for a particular church in Jackson, Ms. I was escorted out with an armed guard one morning. I didn’t steal anything. I didn’t do anything morally wrong. I didn’t touch anyone inappropriate. I was responsible for nearly 70% of ministry operations, which included youth, helps department, dean of education for their college, special projects, etc. I was competent in all that I did. I was not upset at the actions of this company. I saw God’s providential blessing in it!

Understand that sometimes we do not have the courage to leave certain situations, so God will close a door and make them leave you. If you’re reading this, you should shout that they left you, that they fired you, that they walked out of your life!

Here are some of the lessons I learned:

1. Don’t dwell in the place where you had been dumped. They moved on and so should you. To hold a grudge or be angry gives the person or place permission to prevent peace in your life.

2. Don’t trust them, trust HIM. Too many of us put our trust in people. Love, people, respect people, teach people, help people, but only put 100% of your trust in God. There is no worse hurt than to be hurt by someone that says I love you. Hurt People hurt people.

• Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

When an individual has been hurt and does not grieve and work through the hurt, chances are high they will hurt someone else. Contrary to popular belief, its really not the passing of time that heals us, its what we do in that time. The sting may become less server as time wears, but if grief is not addressed, it will come to us again and most of the time when you least expect it.

• Its not good to hook up with someone right out of a relationship.

• When your heart is broke your head don’t work. Isaiah 1:5-6 “5 Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil.”

God was trying to close door for me, all that was in me said fight it. Egypt-God closed the doors to slavery for the Israelites and they wanted to go back in. God simply told them to follow me to an infinite future. If you are reading this, follow the fire by night and the cloud by day.

3. Don't try to make fit, someone who may not be fit for you anymore

Sometimes immaturity blinds us to the reality of rejection. Understand rejection is many times Gods protection.

Matthew 10:14 "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. “

The best thing they could have done for me was get rid of me. Had they never fired me, I would have never left, and had I never left I would have never walked in my purpose. The birth of the “The Word” Center would have been a distant dream. Through "The Word" 1000's accross the WORLD have been blessed through our Iphone App, through our local television broadcast, and social mediums.

o When they abandoned me, they blessed me!

Have you carefully considered the closed doors of your life? Consider how many setbacks you encountered that ended up being setups for something greater. God has a tendency to bless us in strange ways.

Sometimes destiny dresses up in denial’s clothes. You have no idea that what appears to be denial is actually destiny in costume.

Look for that blessing behind the closed doors in your life!

Peace and Love

Pastor Rich

Who Urinated In The Water?

If someone passed you a glass of water and they said someone had urinated in it, would you drink it? I am probably right in saying that you would not. Why? No one in his or her right mind would drink something that had been obviously contaminated.

Did you know that when we talk bad about other people to other people; we are actually urinating on that person's character? Sometimes unknowingly, but many times intentionally, the jabs we throw at people are design to contaminate people’s personalities so that others will not drink from their cup. We are urinating in the water.

Scripture calls these individuals wicked and worthless people (Proverbs 6:12-19). They constantly sow discord among people. These individuals are constantly negative and complaining. When you allow someone to bring you mess, you become the toilet used to urinate on someone else’s character.

We can never know all the reasons why people do such, but the scripture give us the root of some of this behavior. Psalms 109:3 says this behavior stem from hatred. Matthew 15:19 say it’s because of an evil heart. Whatever the case, its an evil work (Psalms 52:2) and foolish (Prov 10:18).

Today, decide to be the bigger person. After all, if they are quick to urinate on someone else’s character, it won’t be long before they are spraying the walls of your personality.

Love and Peace

Pastor Rich

Foreclosure 2010

Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgagee, or other lien holder, usually a lender, obtains a court ordered termination of the relationship between Mortgage Company and the borrowers.

We are nearing the end of 2010. As with every other year, many people are promising themselves to make integral changes in their personal and professional lives. Some want to stop smoking, some want to lose weight, some want career changes and so forth. These changes are great, especially if they impact your health in some way.

However, there are some changes that are more pivotal than others. There are some changes that many need to make, but they don't realize until its too late. These changes are in the relationships we have with some people. For example, bananas are only meant to be in your household for a short period of time. If you try to keep them longer than purposed, they will begin to rot. There are people in your lives that may be close to you, in your house, but they have become rotten. You can only harbor something rotten for so long before it begins to stink. Like the bananas, they are not long useful and need to be disposed. Some relationships are seasonal like the bananas, but some relationships, like the foreclosure, end as result of someone not holding up to their end of the bargain.

Before someone’s property is foreclosed they received several notices. These notices indicate that the relationship is becoming sour. There were signs that some of the relationships in your life were going south, but you may have chosen to ignore them. The notices were stamped on the door of your heart, but you trashed them. You ignored the changing landscape and the nonpayment. Just because you ignore something, doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. Here are some overt signs that its time to end.

1. You invest more into the relationship than they do. So many times relationships are one-sided. As a result, one party becomes bankrupt because they are giving out more than they are receiving.

2. Their fingerprints are on the knife that stabbed you. Most Christians believe they need a Judas in their life to keep them alert. Jesus needed a Judas. I don't. I want people around me that reciprocate loyalty, because I give loyalty.

3. You only developed a relationship with them through a temporary condition. Be careful of trying to make temporary people permanent. Some people are simply meant to give you roadside assistance, visa versa.

4. You don’t see them in your future. Sometimes you simply grow apart. Time and distance has a tendency to do this. Your thinking, your actions, and your believing becomes different. This is natural so accept it and move on.

5. Their rottenness is polluting your relationship. When items began to decay, it releases toxins that can contaminate anything that comes into the sphere of its influence. Some people are so toxic that they speak venom and everyone that comes in contact with them are poisoned with their limited scope, philosophies, and bitterness. Be careful of this person. They are more dangerous than your enemies.

So in 2010, don’t be afraid to send some people eviction notices, remove some people from your phones, Facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc. Get them off the property of your life, before they cause damage that will be costly later.

Love and peace

Pastor Rich

The Diary of a Mad Black Man

How disheartened it is to turn on the television, view Facebook statuses, and even watch the most popular movies to see how black men have been emasculated and degraded to near nothings. From Tyler Perry escapades to Terry McMillan novels, our black men have been lifted up as the serpent upon the staff carried by feminist and males jockeying for female viewership. I personally have had enough.

The black man was created to be the foundation of the earth to which everything was built upon him. He is the foundation of the household. In fact, the word husband comes from a old Norse word which means householder. He is the backbone that holds the entire family together. Man was meant to be the foundation of the community, business, politics, and the center of which everything is evolved. Greatness is interwoven in the very fabric of his existence. He was created like God to carry the authority on earth like God.

Yes, somewhere along history, the attacks on the man have weakened his pedigree resulting in the reproduction of men that do not reflect God’s original creation. From the biblical onset, men have been targeted for mass genocide. When wicked kings sought to destroy a generation, they went after men, not women, to kill any potential for future generations. During slavery, the black men were used as trophy whores to impregnate multiple mammies throughout the plantations as if they were some thoroughbred horse.

Even today, men are feeling the pinch of societal pressure. According to a recent report, “A Call to Change,” in the second quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate for Black males ages 20 and over was twice as high as the unemployment rate for White males of the same age. Black males had a double-digit unemployment rate (17.3 percent), while the unemployment rate for White males was in the single digits (8.6 percent) and below the national average (9.6 percent). Black males age 18 and over were more likely to have a lower income than White males with similar educational backgrounds. Generations of devaluing and perpetuated public degradation, the man has been through hell to hold up his head to say, “I am black man.”

Yes, there have been and are some who rob, steal, kill, and rape. They are the aberration from the norm. There are strong black men who love their wives. There are strong black men who take care their kids. There are strong black men who operate in integrity. There are strong black men who partake in civic engagement. There are strong black men who good for more than laying pipe, but can lay the foundation of business entities.

Contrary to popular belief, there are some good men out there. As you ruminate and contemplate on the transparent truths in this blog, some of you ladies are too trifling for strong black men in your lives. So before you become the hand that knocks a man from his God-given position, be the hand to help pick him up from decades of degradation. Be the hand that helps the young man, whose father may be incarcerated. Be the hand that helps some single mothers rear their child in the admonition and fear of the Lord. Until you open your hand to become a positive solution to the problem, you don’t have a right to open your man-mutilating mouth.

Peace and blessings!

Pastor Rich

The Diary of a Mad Black Man!

I've had enough!

1 Kings 19:4 "while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors" (NIV)

In 1 Kings 19, the Prophet Elijah experienced one of the greatest attacks in his entire life. This attack came on the eve of some of his greatest successes. He had just raised someone from the dead. He called fire from heaven and killed over 700 people. He was miraculously feed by a raven. He had just outran a chariot to name a few. Understand that your greatest accomplishments many times are followed by your greatest tests!

All of a sudden Jazabel, a wicked woman, launched an all out attack against him. Some of the greatest challenges a man can face are those that come from a scorned woman! The scriptures says he ran for his life. No matter how great you are superman, superwoman, there is some kryptonite with your name on it. There is something that we all know, will have us running for our lives.

In verse 4, the man of God was sitting under a broom tree. After looking deeply into the story, I realized that Elijah had enough. It wasn't a spiritual problem. The man was just tired. He had just outran some horses! The man was tired in his physical body. Many times we can become like him. People look at the types of jobs we have. They look at the types cars we drive, the houses we live in, and they want what we have. Yet, they do not know what we had to go through to get what we have. Many of us who prosper publicly, struggle privately. Elijah was tired of being Elijah!

Have you every been tired of being YOU? People look at your lives and want to be you, but have not a clue of the type of attacks you have to sustain and overcome. The type of scrutiny you are under. A guy said to me the other day, "I admire you. I want to be like you." I told him quickly, you better be careful what you ask for!

There are couple of things that that you need to do when you are tired.

1. Be careful what you speak out of your mouth. He told the Lord, "take my life." He didn't mean it. Sometimes we say things to our loved ones that we really don't mean when we are tired. We have go back later and apologize, but the damage has been done! Be careful of being trapped by the words of your mouth!

2. Access the attacks on our lives. This man had just killed 700 prophets of the grove and baal and one woman had him speaking suicide! When you are tired, you can be defeated by things that you can easily conquer. Temptations to do things become greater to fight off. When you assess the situation, you will realize that the problem ain't that deep.

3. You need to be ministered to. Angels had to come down and tend to his needs. Sometimes when you are tired and seemly have had enough in life, you just need to sit your butt down somewhere! Even Jesus rested. Fellas, if you are overcome by sexual temptation. Tell your wife. I guarantee that she will fix it! Ladies, if you are not receiving enough affirmation, take him to see "Why did I get married too." Go on a vacation! GET MINISTERED TO!

4. Don't compare yourself to those around you. He said that he was no better than his ancestors. Never measure yourself by another man's yardstick. You will always fall short! This unhealthy comparison gave him a shallow image of himself and a faulty tool for measuring his progress. You are the best you! No one can be better at being you!

Love you!

Pastor Rich