Friday, July 1, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Southern Baptists Choose a Black Leader–Good Move
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
The meeting of the Southern Baptists this week in Phoenix revealed an interesting surprise. In an effort to increase minority representation in its ranks, the group has elected an African American pastor to become First Vice President. This is the first time in the group’s history that this move has been made.
Rev. Fred Luter Jr. was the man selected for the post, elected on Tuesday to help run the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. The group is seeing declining membership levels, and in response, has been working to bring minorities into the fold. Executive Committee President and CEO Frank Page has admitted that there needs to be “measurable information” to help the Southern Baptists evaluate their progress on race relations.
"I believe we are living in a day and time where there will be increased ethnic involvement and increased sensitivity to ethnic diversity within our convention," said Page. "In the principle of honesty, I tell you we have not done as we ought."
The Southern Baptists Convention has seen a decline in the rate of Baptism by five percent since 2009 and a .15 percent decline in membership, making this the fourth year the number has dipped. There was a debate regarding whether there should be specific language in the group’s charter to address diversity. Some felt that it was too deliberate, while others felt the change was necessary.
"We cannot any longer be a convention that is basically a white convention that anybody can come to," said Pastor Jim Goforth, who leads a multicultural church in Florissant, Mo. "We must intentionally be a convention that reaches out to everyone, and until the stage looks like we want the pew to look like, it won't be that way. It doesn't happen by accident."
SBC President Bryant Wright acknowledges that the Southern Baptist Convention was created to defend slavery.
"It took us 150 years to come to our senses … and seek the forgiveness of God and to apologize with our African-American friends and to ask their forgiveness for the strain of racism all through our history," he said. "But there's a noble reason for which we were founded, and that is for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
It seems that the Southern Baptist Convention has the same problem as the Republican Party. Even though the groups possess many principles that are in alignment with common views within the black community, they’ve allowed the blindness of racism to keep them from taking advantage of an opportunity for greater support. Republicans are continuously hindered by those on the Right Wing who can’t stomach a black president, which keeps African Americans loyal to the Democrats, even when the loyalty has not been earned.
I am impressed that there are those within the Southern Baptist Convention who avoid the temptation to, like so many other institutions, use the word “diversity” in every pamphlet without truly proving that they are committed to the concept. I spoke with a friend today who works for a law firm where there is only one black female attorney out of over 200 total attorneys working for the organization. There are quite a few organizations with equally embarrassing statistics, and no one holds these groups accountable for this blatant form of Americanized apartheid. If you are involved with a company, university or organization that has less than 10% African American representation within its ranks, the organization needs to be confronted in an honest and forthright way. It’s much easier to use the word “diversity” than to prove that diversity actually exists.
There are few institutions that run deeper in black America than the church. Additionally, the Southern Baptist tradition in is strong, alive and well. It is both wasteful and confusing that the Southern Baptist Convention has waited this long to take advantage of the obvious connection. But now that they’ve opened that door to accepting black people as their fellow citizens with the Lord, they’ve taken a few steps closer to Godliness.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Creflo Dollar: Bishop Eddie Long “already has a ticket into heaven”
In this “interesting” video, Creflo Dollar tells his congregation that Bishop Eddie Long already has a ticket into heaven.
Friday, June 3, 2011
When Faith Challenges
This has been a most difficult year for those who proclaim a hope and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From headlines involving charges of Pastoral sexual allegations against youth, senseless infighting, the use of religious who do not provide children health treatments; polygamous sects; how religion is one's financial destiny to today's story, where religion is to blame taking the fun out of sex while dating. On the surface, only the Christian faith is the cause of all ill, Islam, Buddhism, Vodoun, various sects do not play the same role as hindering progress as those who love Jesus, even though the report of the Worldwide Religious News Service (WWRN) reports from the world perspective.
Even when it comes to ethnic-based religious news, unlike American Religious reporting which has a tendency not to report the whole story but only those parts which have a tendency to downplay the significance of all religions in the world. When talking specifically about Black Religions and the religious influence of Blackamericans, to only speak in terms of Christianity is misleading, for Blackamericans are not all Christians, some identify themselves as secularists, humanists, theistic or nontheistics, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, African Traditionalists, and yet many more names to describe their belief system, even if they atheists, agnostic, gnostic, the various religious and nonreligious instruction, quite often as people of color we have allowed ourselves to become duped, bamboozled, that we cannot see the forest for the trees.
The tenets of a belief system differ even within the same grouping. For example, there is a grave difference of the humanism expressed by Black Church Theologian William R. Jones who wrote God is a White Racist, and humanism expressed in the early 17th century. However, if your source is based on Focus on the Family who only started including Blacks in their reports after the mid-1980sl, or the work of the Church Pollster whom many Black Conservative Clergy follow blindly, George Barna, who prior to the 1990s rarely included Blacks in his research; or, reports of the Family Research Council. Recent articles written Ken Blackwell and Bob Morrison, senior fellows with the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., reveals the religious danger of this organization and influence with political ideology which goes unchallenged by Black academia.
'
Revisionist historians of American Christianity and the significance of Black Religion which was argued during the 2008 Presidential Campaign by an individual whose claim to fame is neoconservatism and brashness perceived as boldness with selective guests with the aid of the Philadelphia native whose ministry in Boston was brought to America's attention because of his impression record in fighting gang violence. These articles are used not because they provide correct information, but the opposite reason - misinformation. Why? Using a homiletics tool, "I'm glad you asked."
These articles and others manifested daily are filled with half-truths and innuendos, information whose filter should be question. Those who write against Black religion in blogs, are not honest and they cannot help it, because they have not devoted the time, research, serious debate, and that is not their fault along. As we were privy to the Smiley and Joiner early years on the Public Broadcasting System where they produced several meetings on the State of the Black Church, which could have been a broad based topic on the role of Black Religions in today's changing culture.
After teaching Black Religion and Black Religions of the Diaspora for over 20 years, expanding, revising, attempting to assist students in becoming critical thinkers and not ever to accept my word without checking all sources, many seminarians and Black Studies, Africana Studies, Africologists, have abandoned or merely dropped serious dialogue about Black Religions, and particularly its significance for those who are descendants of enslaved Africans. Contrary to the early teachings of Joseph R. Washington with his 1963 publication, there is a need to reaffirm the debate which led to the development of Black Theology which had been initially suggested by Swiss Theologian Karl Barth.
The time has come for a serious dialogue to take place by those who are concerned with the authenticity and in discovering the role of Black Religions. For those who would argue that race doesn't matter, maybe they should reread the Biblical text, or revisit their theological thinking, for example, telling people they will know their loved one when we all get to heaven. Yet, if the Bible is taken seriously, race is seriously exposed. Contrary to the feverish conversation of Hannity and Rivers, they selectively forget while standing against Jeremiah Wright to show his wrongs, they need to re-examine their pontification which continually contribute to the proclamation of questionable ignorance which makes their smiley faces quite dangerous.
Knowledge of Black Religion birth in America still escapes the mental deliberations of this present age. In an earlier article I spoke of the one hour I was given to share with the late Dr. Manning Marable when he came to Nebraska. We agreed that the next level for African Studies will be Black Religion as birth in America. What we see today the lack of credible discussions on religions, we seem to have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Faith is challenging us = and yet our response is lacking.
Even when it comes to ethnic-based religious news, unlike American Religious reporting which has a tendency not to report the whole story but only those parts which have a tendency to downplay the significance of all religions in the world. When talking specifically about Black Religions and the religious influence of Blackamericans, to only speak in terms of Christianity is misleading, for Blackamericans are not all Christians, some identify themselves as secularists, humanists, theistic or nontheistics, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, African Traditionalists, and yet many more names to describe their belief system, even if they atheists, agnostic, gnostic, the various religious and nonreligious instruction, quite often as people of color we have allowed ourselves to become duped, bamboozled, that we cannot see the forest for the trees.
The tenets of a belief system differ even within the same grouping. For example, there is a grave difference of the humanism expressed by Black Church Theologian William R. Jones who wrote God is a White Racist, and humanism expressed in the early 17th century. However, if your source is based on Focus on the Family who only started including Blacks in their reports after the mid-1980sl, or the work of the Church Pollster whom many Black Conservative Clergy follow blindly, George Barna, who prior to the 1990s rarely included Blacks in his research; or, reports of the Family Research Council. Recent articles written Ken Blackwell and Bob Morrison, senior fellows with the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., reveals the religious danger of this organization and influence with political ideology which goes unchallenged by Black academia.
'
Revisionist historians of American Christianity and the significance of Black Religion which was argued during the 2008 Presidential Campaign by an individual whose claim to fame is neoconservatism and brashness perceived as boldness with selective guests with the aid of the Philadelphia native whose ministry in Boston was brought to America's attention because of his impression record in fighting gang violence. These articles are used not because they provide correct information, but the opposite reason - misinformation. Why? Using a homiletics tool, "I'm glad you asked."
These articles and others manifested daily are filled with half-truths and innuendos, information whose filter should be question. Those who write against Black religion in blogs, are not honest and they cannot help it, because they have not devoted the time, research, serious debate, and that is not their fault along. As we were privy to the Smiley and Joiner early years on the Public Broadcasting System where they produced several meetings on the State of the Black Church, which could have been a broad based topic on the role of Black Religions in today's changing culture.
After teaching Black Religion and Black Religions of the Diaspora for over 20 years, expanding, revising, attempting to assist students in becoming critical thinkers and not ever to accept my word without checking all sources, many seminarians and Black Studies, Africana Studies, Africologists, have abandoned or merely dropped serious dialogue about Black Religions, and particularly its significance for those who are descendants of enslaved Africans. Contrary to the early teachings of Joseph R. Washington with his 1963 publication, there is a need to reaffirm the debate which led to the development of Black Theology which had been initially suggested by Swiss Theologian Karl Barth.
The time has come for a serious dialogue to take place by those who are concerned with the authenticity and in discovering the role of Black Religions. For those who would argue that race doesn't matter, maybe they should reread the Biblical text, or revisit their theological thinking, for example, telling people they will know their loved one when we all get to heaven. Yet, if the Bible is taken seriously, race is seriously exposed. Contrary to the feverish conversation of Hannity and Rivers, they selectively forget while standing against Jeremiah Wright to show his wrongs, they need to re-examine their pontification which continually contribute to the proclamation of questionable ignorance which makes their smiley faces quite dangerous.
Knowledge of Black Religion birth in America still escapes the mental deliberations of this present age. In an earlier article I spoke of the one hour I was given to share with the late Dr. Manning Marable when he came to Nebraska. We agreed that the next level for African Studies will be Black Religion as birth in America. What we see today the lack of credible discussions on religions, we seem to have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Faith is challenging us = and yet our response is lacking.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Al Sharpton Featured on 60 Minutes – Video
The CBS show, 60 Minutes, had a lot to say about Rev. Al Sharpton. It’s an interesting segment about his life, his politics, and how he has changed over the years.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pastor Onslow Ross: A Crook or a Victim?
Is this pastor a crook or a victim? Why he got 10 years in prison.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Alabama Tornado Victims Struggle to Stay Strong Emotionally
Alabama tornado victims get by through faith and football.
click to read
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Survey: Black Women More Likely to be Single Than Any Other Group
A new census bureau survey said that black women are the least likely of all ethnic groups to jump the broom. Why is that?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Roland Martin Apologizes for Donald Trump’s Behavior
CNN’s Roland Martin had some interesting things to say about "The Donald” – Click to read.
South Park Makes Fun of Tyler Perry
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
South Park is a show that takes no prisoners. Sometimes they can be brutal, and when your name is mentioned on the show, you might as well prepare to be embarrassed. The latest victim of the show is Tyler Perry, who is presented as “Funny Bot,” a woman in a dress who tells silly stereotypical jokes that make you laugh over and over again. Every time Funny Bot throws out a catch phrase (“Oh lawud, this chicken sho is hot!”), someone hands him a dollar. He is also, by the way, presented as the greatest threat to all of man-kind by President Barack Obama (you can see a clip by clicking here).
click to read
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Pastor Argues that Bin Laden Died Long Ago
Editor's Note: The Rev. David Lewicki is co-pastor of North Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia. He is a graduate of Yale University and Union Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2005 by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
By the Rev. David Lewicki, Special to CNN
On Sunday night I watched the news as it crescendoed around the president’s speech declaring the death of Osama bin Laden. The talking heads worked capably with what few details they had. On the split screen, familiar spliced video footage replayed what little most of us know — or care to know — about bin Laden: wearing a turban, sitting drinking tea, a long salt and pepper beard, speaking to friends, crouching holding a machine gun, skyscrapers smoking.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Bishop Desmond Tutu Announces Changes in South African Aids Policy
Your Black World Reports
Desmond Tutu -- former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa -- says South Africa should not be embarrassed about its policies to combat AIDS.
"For many years we were embarrassed in international gatherings for what we were not doing in fighting AIDS. We therefore thank the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, for the change in policy....It is a very rare privilege and honor for us the older ones to say we are passing the baton to you the young to carry on with the fight against this pandemic." - Desmond Tutu
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
How You See Yourself
The more time you spend feeling sorry for yourself, the more things you’ll have to be sorry about. If you insist on seeing yourself as a victim, you’ll end up experiencing your life as a victim.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Because you can choose right now, and every day, to see yourself in a positive, empowering light.
The way you see yourself is up to you. It doesn’t have anything to do with the circumstances you happen to be facing.
See yourself as the unique, beautiful, creative and effective person you know you are. See yourself as a bundle of positive, inspiring and meaningful possibilities that are well on their way to being fulfilled.
See that you are able to successfully handle whatever life sends your way.
See that you are able to thrive and grow and make positive meaning out of the world in which you live.
See yourself as constantly moving forward through it all, with love and joy and purpose. And what you see, you will be.
— Ralph Marston
It doesn’t have to be that way. Because you can choose right now, and every day, to see yourself in a positive, empowering light.
The way you see yourself is up to you. It doesn’t have anything to do with the circumstances you happen to be facing.
See yourself as the unique, beautiful, creative and effective person you know you are. See yourself as a bundle of positive, inspiring and meaningful possibilities that are well on their way to being fulfilled.
See that you are able to successfully handle whatever life sends your way.
See that you are able to thrive and grow and make positive meaning out of the world in which you live.
See yourself as constantly moving forward through it all, with love and joy and purpose. And what you see, you will be.
— Ralph Marston
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Every Day is a Good Day!
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how every day is a good day; no matter what these days entail. Each day we’re blessed to see is a day someone didn’t get to see & a day to try to get things right yet again :) We take so much for granted & it’s easy to lose sight of this.
When looking at the news & all that is going on in the world, my prayers go out to those affected by the earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, & more. We look at the TV and begin to wonder, “Why is this happening?” and again, “Why is this happening to them?”. I think that there may be things in life that we don’t receive answers to, but I do believe that God does things to show us that He’s still in control; no matter what things may seem like.
So, my friends, live each day to the fullest; know the opportunities that God presents in each day. We have another opportunity to LIVE & there’s no reason we should waste the opportunity God presents us with. No matter what you see on the news, TV, or read about, focus on God & the fact that “every day is a good day!” Even if something occurs throughout the day that makes you think otherwise, every day is the prime gift to praise God for life, love, & health!
Enjoy your “good day”!
Until next time.
Blessings,
© Lisi P, 2011
When looking at the news & all that is going on in the world, my prayers go out to those affected by the earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, & more. We look at the TV and begin to wonder, “Why is this happening?” and again, “Why is this happening to them?”. I think that there may be things in life that we don’t receive answers to, but I do believe that God does things to show us that He’s still in control; no matter what things may seem like.
So, my friends, live each day to the fullest; know the opportunities that God presents in each day. We have another opportunity to LIVE & there’s no reason we should waste the opportunity God presents us with. No matter what you see on the news, TV, or read about, focus on God & the fact that “every day is a good day!” Even if something occurs throughout the day that makes you think otherwise, every day is the prime gift to praise God for life, love, & health!
Enjoy your “good day”!
Until next time.
Blessings,
© Lisi P, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Friday, May 28, 2010
Marvin Sapp: "He Has His Hands on You"
A very inspiring song by Marvin Sapp, "He Has His Hands on You". Be encouraged!! Blessings.
~Lisi P.
~Lisi P.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Serenity Prayer
With everything we're reading, seeing, and hearing now-a-days, I thought it would be nice to share "The Serenity Prayer"!
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
May we continue to be encouraged and uplifted at all times! God is in control.
Blessings!
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
May we continue to be encouraged and uplifted at all times! God is in control.
Blessings!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Grammy Winning Singer Readies ‘Soulful Christmas’ DVD and Holiday TV Special
Closing out a remarkable year in music, Ann Nesby , the two-time Grammy award winning former lead vocalist to the Sounds of Blackness readies the release of her latest musical offering ‘Ann Nesby's a Soulful Christmas' for the 2009 holiday season.‘Soulful Christmas' released on Ann Nesby's It's Time Child Records in association with Tyscot Records follows her acclaimed The Lula Lee Project album which debuted at #13 on Billboard's Top Gospel album chart and #57 respectively on the R&B chart this year.
Spending the summer promoting The Lula Lee Project , she taped ‘Soulful Christmas' with a live band at the Gospel Music Channel studios in Atlanta in front of a live studio audience.
“I wanted to be used by God to help them usher in the masses into the holiday season,” says Ann Nesby who excitingly marks this as her first ever Christmas show collection.
‘Soulful Christmas' highlights a few of the most noted holiday anthems sung only as Ann Nesby could deliver - “Jesus, What a Wonderful Child” leads the musical montage setting the tone for cheerful yuletide, the classically melodic “Silent Night ” finds an appropriate spot on this Christmas set, to her holiday staple from the Sounds of Blackness, “Soul Holiday,” featuring Grammy award winning songwriter/singer Big Jim Wright, musical director of the new hit BET late night talk show the Mo'Nique Show.
Read the rest here.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Soulful alum set on captivating listeners
Some students on the doorsteps of graduation may struggle with their future plans, but Temple alum and R&B singer Rafiya has not been one of those people.Rafiya has managed to do several things in her young life, traveling the world at an early age, graduating from Temple with honors, teaching at a New Jersey High School and recording her upcoming EP, on which she sings in several different languages.
As the daughter of a Congolese diplomat, her father’s occupation allowed the now 26-year-old, who was born in Los Angeles, to travel to such places as Benin, Senegal and Cape Verde, to name a few, spending approximately three years in each country.
The experience of living in several different places has also affected her musically in terms of the instrumentation and arrangements on her EP.
The four songs on the EP, which is set to be released Nov. 17, were recorded in Philadelphia, New York and Paris. The EP features the recently released single “Amazing.”
Rafiya described her music as diverse and said it shows who she is as a person.
You can read the rest of story by clicking here.
Monday, July 27, 2009
News: African American Group Attempts to promote marriage
Group holds a conference to promote Black Marriage. Click here to watch the video trailer! You can learn more by visiting their website at HappilyEverAfterTheMovie.com.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
PK Takes on Secular Music in Gospel
PJ Morton won't be the first preacher's kid to sing secular music, and he isn't likely to be the last!
Unlike those before him who were ostracized and condemned by traditional churchgoers and religious radicals for singing non-sacred sounds, Morton has decided to educate churchgoers rather than rebelling against them.
The 28-year-old singer, who is the son of renowned pastors Bishop Paul S. Morton (Changing a Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta) and Dr. Debra B. Morton (Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans), has written a new book called 'Why Can't I Sing About Love?' that dispels the myth that all Christian singers must record and perform gospel music.
"I hope that the book causes people to see how big God is and that His affects reach far beyond the church and church music," he explained. "Also, I want people to realize that if we believe that the Bible is truly God's word, we can't overlook certain parts, specifically the book of love songs in the Bible. He created those as well."
Click to read.Thursday, July 2, 2009
How To Stop Sinning
Most Christians realize that they shouldn’t sin. So they try their best to live a good and moral life and not to live a life of sin. But as we will see from the bible, that way of living life is exhausting and ineffective and never brings true freedom from sin and its grip on our lives.
In a familiar scripture describing the problem we have with living a life free of sin, Paul said this, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out. For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.” (Rom. 7:18-19 Amplified Bible)
Man! What a problem. We have the power to want to do good but we do not have the power within ourselves (that is our own flesh and our own trying) to do so. So because of this problem, God made a spiritual way of life for us so that we can obtain his power to do good. And that way of life is called "living by faith." But like anything else, we have to know what it means and how it works for it to ever help us. Knowing what it means to "live by faith" and then doing it is what will make the difference between a life of struggling with sin or a life of freedom from it.
Now most Christians know that we can never live a good enough life to gain eternal life. They know that in order to attain eternal life we must accept Jesus as our savior. But what they don’t always know is how to live a life of righteousness after they have accepted the Lord. So they simply try and try to do so in their own strength, but like Paul said, that is impossible. The things we want to do we have no power to do. It is the things that we don't want to do that we will end up doing. What then is solution?
Paul later described the solution when he said, “This I say then, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…” (Gal. 3:16)
"Walking in the spirit" is the solution and is simply another way of saying "living by faith." When we learn what that means and live that way, it will enable us to live a life free of sin. Like Paul said, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh!
Let's explain this a little. The Christian “walk” is no different than how we became Christians. It is by FAITH and not by WORKS of our own. In salvation, there was nothing we could do ourselves to gain eternal life and in exactly the same way there is nothing we can do ourselves to live a righteous life even after we accept the Lord. The key to living a righteous life after we have accepted the Lord is to believe, not to do, just like we needed to believe to become “saved.” If we do that, it will then be what we choose to believe that will empower us to do.
The bible says that a man becomes what he thinks in his heart “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pr. 23:7) It is what we believe and think in our hearts that we will become and what we will do. It will not be by trying harder that we can accomplish anything. Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…” (Mt. 15:19) That is where all sin originates and that is where all righteous living originates. It is in the heart.
Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:1-2) What Paul is commanding here is for us to live free of sin and then he tells us how to do so. And it is NOT by trying harder that we are told to live a holy life. We are told that it is by renewing our mind. It is how we think and what we believe that will transform us and enable us to do those things that we are suppose to do. This is a fight of faith, not of works. It is an inner fight. It is about what we choose to think and to believe, not how hard we try to live right.
But what is it that we are supposed to believe? And how is it that believing will enable us to live a righteous life?
It's quite easy so let’s take one example from the bible to see how this works. The bible says that we are “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37) Now in order to be and live like we are more than conquerors we must believe that we are more than conquerors, not try to be more than a conqueror. Trying to be more than a conqueror just won’t work. It is believing what the bible says about us that will transform us into the very thing that it says about us... "For as a man thinks in is heart, so is he." (Pr. 23:7) And in this case, it is believing that we are more than conquerors. This faith in God's word will then transform us into that which we believe... being more than a conqueror.
Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:1-2) What Paul is commanding here is for us to live free of sin and then he tells us how to do so. And it is NOT by trying harder that we are told to live a holy life. We are told that it is by renewing our mind. It is how we think and what we believe that will transform us and enable us to do those things that we are suppose to do. This is a fight of faith, not of works. It is an inner fight. It is about what we choose to think and to believe, not how hard we try to live right.
But what is it that we are supposed to believe? And how is it that believing will enable us to live a righteous life?
It's quite easy so let’s take one example from the bible to see how this works. The bible says that we are “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37) Now in order to be and live like we are more than conquerors we must believe that we are more than conquerors, not try to be more than a conqueror. Trying to be more than a conqueror just won’t work. It is believing what the bible says about us that will transform us into the very thing that it says about us... "For as a man thinks in is heart, so is he." (Pr. 23:7) And in this case, it is believing that we are more than conquerors. This faith in God's word will then transform us into that which we believe... being more than a conqueror.
The key to this kind of faith is to believe what the bible says about us despite what we see in ourselves or think about ourselves. You see, when the bible says that we are more than conquerors, it is talking about the new inner spiritual man that was created within us when we accepted Christ as our savior. When we accepted Christ as our savior a real change took place. But that change was on the inside of us. Our spiritual man on the inside of us was changed into the very likeness of Jesus himself. (And Jesus is definitely more than a conqueror). It is in believing what the bible tells us about our new inner man that will bring that new man into our outer behavioral lives. It’s not a matter of trying harder. It is a matter of what we believe and how we think about ourselves. It is a fight of FAITH, not a fight of WORKS.
Our faith in God’s word will transform us and bring what is inside to the outside. Then and only then will we be able to easily live the life of Christ.
In the case of living free of sin, we must believe that we are already free of sin to be free of it. Ha! Think about it. The bible says that we are the “righteousness of God in him.” (2Cor. 5:21) If this is so, (and it is) we know that the righteousness of God never sins. So if we believe that we are the righteousness of God, the word of God will begin to transform us into that very thing making it easier and easier to live righteously and free of sin. Get it? It’s easy to understand, but it is an effort to begin thinking that way. In fact it will be a fight. It will be the "good fight of faith" that Paul commanded us to live. (1Tim. 6:12) And it is the only way to live free of any weaknesses or sin. Trying harder will only be a constant struggle with something we cannot do nor change and will NEVER transform us.
Probably we have all heard about the benefits of thinking positively and indeed it is very powerful, but when we think according to the Word of God it becomes supernatural power with the ability to literally transform our lives.
This does not mean that we should not "try" to live a good life. That would be ridiculous. We should always do what we can do. What it does mean however is that the real battle and the real victory (or loss) will take place within us, by how we think and what we believe. And it is this battle that we should always focus on. Thus we should always be developing our faith and transforming our lives by believing what the Word of God says about us rather than just trying and trying in our own strength to live up to its standards. Then, in time, living a good life will become more and more natural and more and more automatic. It will then be that the Word of God will be transforming us and empowering us to naturally do good works rather than trying in our own strength.
It always pays to remember the words of Jesus when he said, “It is the spirit that quickens (gives life); the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (Jn. 6:63 parentheshis mine) It is the word of God that has the power; it is not ourselves. And it is our faith in what the word of God says about us that will enable us to live a consistent life of righteousness... for it is "not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6)
Submitted by John B. Agati
Author of: “Suffering (God’s Will?)”
More information about this and an upcoming book “Suffering, Unanswered Prayer, (And How to Fix the Whole Thing),” along with a short bio may be found at: www. jbagati.com
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