The Marvelous Message

Presents have been opened, returns have been made, lights and trees will soon be taken down, and the radio/music playlists for many has changed back to regular tunes. A new year is at hand and soon a new POTUS. Between terrorist attacks, political scandals, societal tensions, embittered parties filled with hateful rhetoric, whether Republican or Democrat, 2016 has been a year full of conflict and corruption. For many, the idea of a New Year dawning somehow brings thoughts of hopeful change. Who knows what awaits us this year, so we make our attempts to “better” ourselves. We look back at what hasn’t been done and say to ourselves, “ This year, this year I will get busy. I will not waste my time, but I will be more practical, more purposeful, and more active.” For a short while, we will lift our heads high with grand aspirations, and yet in time, plans will be scrapped and promises will be broken. Hearts will be hardened, homes will be shattered, marriages will fail, churches will...

Shocked is something I hardly experience anymore. I suppose my travels across the states and in other countries has left me somewhat hardened over the actions of others. It is not that I do not care about what people do, but I am no longer surprised at other people's follies and attitudes. With this in mind, there are rare occasions that cause me to think " what in the world are they doing? "  You see, not long ago I was in a store with my kids, when I heard an elderly lady ask my six year old son, “What is Santa bringing you for Christmas?” His response was classic, “Santa is not real!” Immediately her eyes glared with shock and a little bit of anger. She then proceeded to argue with him that Santa is real. This altercation only lasted a few seconds, but she ended this trivial debate by saying, “Well! Good children get their gifts from Santa, and bad kids get their gifts from their parents.” I bit my tongue hard. Though I am not sure whether I would have yelled bac...

Go and make disciples is the Master's call Go and tell the world that He is Lord of all Don't just sit idly by, while you wait for His return Don't be like a Jonah, anticipating the world to burn A true believer will proclaim the news of God's salvation A true believer humbly wears the scars of persecution To mag nify the name of Christ and redeem the time To invest for eternity and shine His glorious light So why do we rarely seek for ways to spread God's Word Why is it that our speech is only filled with politics, fashion, or sports Why do we fight and toil when it comes to making money But grumble and trudge around when it comes to witnessing Do we really believe what God said is true? Perhaps, we want to “have our cake and eat it too” We must learn that to be a disciple is to bear the cross of Christ To further the gospel through a holy testimony and a faithful life

Genesis 2:7 states, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ” (KJV) There is an outlandish evolutionary theory that has been postulated among various scientists for years. It is the idea that life began on earth by some advanced alien race. Somehow these beings, through their impressive technology, started the ball rolling for life to begin. Some would call this theory audacious, but I simply call it an utterly foolish belief. Obviously, the question then is raised, if there were super intelligent aliens who seeded life on earth, then how were they created as well? The fact is that life began with Jesus Christ, because He is the Life! (John 14:6) In magnifying the power & divinity of Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote, “ He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they are kings or lords, rulers or powers- everything has been created through him and...

We have our spiritual programs, concerts, and conferences We have mounted our doctrines, promoted our denominations, and pushed our preferences We have booked calendars, busy lives, and countless bibles We have bumper stickers about faith, T-Shirts with scripture, and a mass marketed message of the gospel Yet, there is a steep decline in church attendance, a constant scorn for holy living, and a growing disdain for one's fellow man There is confusion over identity, carelessness over eternity, and an increase of biblical incompetence Perhaps it is because Christians have sought the favor of man above the fullness of the Spirit We have heralded our denominational differences, rather than proclaim the gospel to all who will hear it We mask our fear of complete surrender by hiding in a pew and handing over a tithe We timidly wade the surface of Christ-likeness rather than willingly take the glorious dive We must come ...

O Foolish Marah! What were you thinking? Everything that I have taught you has been for nothing. How utterly pathetic you are! Yet, you dare tell Dibbah that you were simply following my counsel. You better know that if I was at liberty to leave my mission, I would surely seek you out and demolish you myself! I told you to cause thoughts of self pity in that mindless grungy , but you have gone too far. Sure, he pined away for a time, but you should have known that he was prone to go to t hat enemy in prayer! I assumed you realized that once you had caused him to pity his own piety, you were then to have him think that he needed to cover the hurt and forget the problems with worldly pleasures! To make him see that the only solace was to find comfort in amusement. While he silently cried over the predicament within the congregation, you should have prodded him into binge watching a television show to get his mind “off of things” or made him see merit in taking some lavish vac...

My most Despicable Marah, I heard that that enemy has already found him a prized pupil within the congregation. This cannot be overlooked. This scrupulous creature has been trying to keep their spirits afloat and encourage them to stay focused on their real enemy. He dares try to unmask and expose us! You cannot avoid him any longer. You must make him believe that his efforts are futile, falling on deaf ears. Get him to see that to try to uplift those mindless grungies would only drag himself down. He must think that he is too good for such fools and can certainly be used elsewhere. I know you, Marah, and you are most certainly focusing your efforts too much on that fool who declared himself as leader of the pack. Let him be. You would be surprised at how long pride can impact and influence a grungy. To them, it is an insatiable leech that assuredly consumes peace and contentment. I cannot stress it enough. Do not allow light to be shared among the congregati...

Lord willing, I will continue to post the "letters of Madam Darkshade", but for now, I am posting something I wrote a few days ago regarding criticism and scrutiny. Romans 14:1-3 , “ Welcome people who are weak in faith, but don't get into an argument over differences of opinion. Some people believe that they can eat all kinds of food. Other people with weak faith believe that they can eat only vegetables. People who eat all foods should not despise people who eat only vegetables. In the same way, the vegetarians should not criticize people who eat all foods, because God has accepted those people (GWT).” 1 Corinthians 13:7a, “Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person... (AMP)” We have lost the art of giving someone the benefit of the doubt. In today's society, perhaps even more in the church, people have become avid critics. At some point in life, we all experience both sides of the ju...

My most despicable Marah, The abyss of my heart has grown beyond measure! Everything your sister has told me about your efforts - how undeniably successful they are - is just another reminder as to why I always saw myself in you. So, that foolish grungy has finally declared himself as bishop. Naturally, during their meeting, there was tremendous conflict and a choosing of sides. Classic. It reminds me of the struggle at Corinth, when so many fought over who was on Paul's side and who was on Apollos' side. Of course, you are much too young to know what I am referring to! Now, I must remind you that there is still much work to be done. Divide and conquer. The ecclessia is split, therefore, waste no time instilling pride and hatred. I know you are enticing our self exalted puppet to start his own assembly, which is good, but before he does, through slander and lies, he must cripple those who withstood him. Make him feel betrayed. As if he were a great captain who ...