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The Keepers of the Mysteries

I love writing these types of posts!

It exemplifies a Christian’s walk.

I love hearing from families who appreciate what their loved ones are doing for them!

Any man can be a father, but only the special ones are Dads!

—To all men who are responsible for taking care of homes

—With wives who call them husbands

—Where children & grandchildren are living and calling them Dad

—Those men who are taking care of children who may not be their DNA & yet have stepped up to make their place a Home for them!

We dedicate this Post to you. Those who are the Keepers of the Mysteries of God. Those men who devote the time teaching their families the power of the Gospel of Christ.

Those men who have gone from being just fathers, to Legendary Dads in their homes!

June 16, 2019June 14, 2019

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We Start Off Where We Left Off |Friendships

I remember sitting with the neighborhood young men who would come to our house for bible study and hang out during the week to play video games. My wife and I would host them after work so that they would have a place where they could be safe and untempted from this world’s vices.

It was a usual day; the guys were loud and obnoxious as usual. They were having fun beating up the old guy (in my 30s at that time). I received a call from my younger brother’s wife. He had passed away. The young men knew my joyful face, but they also understood my look of concern. They automatically quieted down. No one had to tell them that I was experiencing a tragic moment. They turned off the TV and video game while gathering around me. I told them what had happened, and they all shed tears with me.

As I look back, the incident is still vivid in my mind. Because these young kids were all in their teens. We had gone through some thick and thin times with most of them. Divorced parents, drugs in the family, and so on.

Some of these young men and women were living with their grandparents because the dads were not around, and the moms were not able to handle their teen male rambunctiousness.

Yet, these young men taught me the meaning of true loyalty. They hung out and protected each other. They protected my daughters whenever I asked them to keep an eye on them. These young men were joyful with my family and me.

The ministry my family had, was not a ministry but a joyful fellowship
Where we taught these young men and women what family should be
How to always lean on God, and to continue on in life, no matter the circumstances
Most of those young men have moved on.
Some have kids now, with their own joys, problems, and experiences.

Then there was the men and women, our friends and brethren in Christ. They, too, have been a big part of our joys and sorrows. We have all been there for each other. Some, we see often, others, not so often. However, here is the incredible part, whenever we get together with these old friends, it’s like we had seen each other yesterday. We start where we left off, no matter the time passed.

Here is the secret to the joyful gatherings even in times of trials. We all have one thing in common. We all have committed our lives to Christ. You see, it is only in faith through our Lord and Savior Jesus the Savior, that we have the strength to be joyfully happy in the good times, and also shed tears with our loved ones and friends during life’s tragic times.

As we get older, there’s a reason why we hurt emotionally but are joyful when one of our friends passes into the next journey. We know that losing a brother or sister in Christ is only a temporary thing. We shall see them again because they have only gone ahead of us. They have finished the race and have completed their journey, reaching their destination. We rejoice in this but feel sorrow for not having them around.

One day we will rejoice and kick back with all of the people that have come through our home, our lives, and once again, we will start where we left off here on earth…

I would invite you to have this joyful assurance of knowing what your next life journey will take you. I invite you and ask that you invite your loved ones and friends on this jpurney too!

Get to know God like I do:

How Can I know God

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

June 11, 2019June 8, 2019

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The Passionate Jesus —Get to Know Him Personally This Passionate Week |Passion Week Series

The Roman Road leads to the edge of the cliff and into the bottomless pit unless you confess Jesus as your personal LORD & Savior
That cliff will always keep you separated eternally from God until you choose His Son, who has paid the death contract for you.
We all carry the death contract from the day we are born and it gets heavier the older we get.

—This Sunday will start the beginning of a great and awesome week. Where God did a wondrous work of sacrifice though His Son Jesus the Savior for those who out their trust in Him.

—Passion Week starts with Palm Sunday( Matthew 21) and ends on Resurrection Sunday. But it doesn’t end there. You see, the story starts with Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity. Who is the Creator of this universe. He spoke and the Big cosmological Bang happened.

—From the beginning of time, Jesus knew what was going to happen when He breathed life into humans.

—Yet, with all His omnipotent knowledge, He still obediently humiliated Himself by leaving His throne and coming down to earth as a human baby. That is unimaginable to me.

—That God would become flesh & bones(John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14 ). With the same carnal needs. With all of the weakness of a human body (Hebrews 2:17) which starts decaying the minute we are born.

—He was 100% human—100% God. I won’t try to explain this in 1-3 sentences because theologians have tried answering this wonderful and mysterious truth in volumes of books.

Just know that the chances of 1 person fulfilling a few prophecies or predictions are astronomical. Jesus has fulfilled over 350. Yes, 350. If I was a Vegas man, I would place my bets on Jesus. I would take what He said and the predictions or prophecies He fulfilled as facts.
Now comes the most extraordinary 3 facts to take away from this:

— Jesus was tortured & died on the cross (Matthew 27)

— Jesus was buried (Matthew 27:56-66)

— Jesus resurrected from death 3 days later (Matthew 28:1-15)

If this was not true, the greatest Empire and military in history, would have:

—Made a ridicule out of Jesus by displaying His body
— And/or killing off Jesus’ disciples for lying.
—Solving the mystery of where the body was hidden.

But neither of those things happened, why?

— There were too many witnesses who saw Jesus after His death. (Acts 5:32)

—The story was never fully disputed & the disciples continued preaching in the same city Jesus was buried. The Sanhedrin could not shut them up! ( Acts 5:32; Acts 23:24)

—The rest of what happened to His followers as they multiplied has been chronicled in the Bible and in other historical chronicles. (1 Corinthians 15:2-4)

Jesus disciples were:

—Beaten to stop having them share the Gospel of Jesus.

—Tortured to deny Jesus as the Messiah—Savior of Israel and the world.

—Killed for not recanting. It was the other way around, people like Paul of Tarsus chained up to his jailers converted many of them until he was put to death for His Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Yet, His disciple remained faithful to the story of:

— Jesus,

—His teachings,

—His miracles,

—His crucifixion,

—His death

—His resurrection.

All this along with changing the mightiest empire that ever was through:

—Person to person sharing of the Gospel of Jesus.

— One on one disciplining on how to be followers of Christ.(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

—Continued fellowship of the church of Jesus who were called people of the Way.(Acts 2:46)

Yet still there are:

—Doubters to Jesus being who He said He was.

—Almost two thousand years later, Jesus is still controversial.

—People are still coming to know Him personally.

—Others are still scoffing at the stories they hear.

No other person in history has been:

— Loved & hated.

—Admired & Despised

—Worshipped & ridiculed….

Jesus remains a central figure in modern history.

—Countries have come and gone.

—Scoffers have said that Christianity is dead countless times.

—They have vowed to make Christians disappear.

—Yet, Jesus’ followers remain strong as always.

— The Bible remains the most read book in History because it’s His Story!

All this, due to a humble Carpenter who:

—Was born in Bethlehem

—Raised in Nazareth

—Taught scriptures to the masses by His Authority

—Said that He was God

—Fulfilled over 250 prophecies written centuries before His birth

—Healed the sick and lame

—Raised people from the grave

—Walked on water

—Gave sight to the blind

—Gave grace, mercy & peace to this sinner!

May you get to know Jesus the Messiah—Savior of this world during this most Holy of Weeks.

Get to know Him, here is how:

How Can I know God

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

April 12, 2019April 12, 2019

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Marriage—Kids—Divorce—Marriage—Kids—Left Behind |Mariage & Divorce Series

Deuteronomy 21-15.png

Deuteronomy 21:15 KJV

I recently had a conversation with a couple who are older and their kids have not visited them for a while.

At first, I was disappointed in their kids because no one should go through life lonely & not visited.

I did not say anything to this couple, and they kept telling me how the kids were ingrates and unloving towards this person and the spouse.
Then as they kept talking, I picked up that both of these people were married a few times each.
This is where my mouth didn’t let my Christian sense catch up.
I went into my subconscious sales mode of probing for more information that had been dormant a few years since leaving all sales jobs behind.
The more questions I asked, the more they explained their true ordeal.
Both had left their kids behind from their previous marriages each time they had met the “one” they would live happily ever after. The combined total of kids was five kids left behind.
Then I asked (what most people who leave a trail of mental and spiritual blood and pain behind) the question that very few kids from such marriages ask their parents, or should I say the parent that leaves —
“Did you see your kids when they were young?
“Did you go and see them regularly?”
“Or talk to them during the week by phone or in person regularly?”
“Did you make it a point to communicate with them always no matter what?”
Their response— “No, blah, blah, blah, poor excuses, woes me, nobody cares about me!”….was the usual answer to me.

The way we communicate.png

Now, here comes the shocking part, both professed to have a relationship with Christ as their Personal Lord and Savior. They both are physical and verbal decision to follow Jesus and ask Him to forgive them of all the things they had ever done.
I then asked them, yes I know, my mouth was faster than my Christian sense again, “How’s your walk with Christ?”
Now for those that don’t know what this walking with Christ is, it means that you communicate with God in a way that you would with your spouse, kids, grandkids, good friends, but with an incredibly more profound fashion.
Walking with God takes your whole being! You just don’t sit and pray and say, ”Thank you, how do You do and goodbye.”
This walk with Christ is a thing that happens with constant and consistent communication and obedience to what God has in your life.
It is where you sit long enough not to literally throw up all your spiritual and physical needs. It is not a one-way conversation.
Believe me, I have had many of these types of conversations with God. But the ones that give me a more genuine sense of grace, mercy, peace, and joy no matter the situations, are the ones when I just sit, being tired of the way things have been going when I don’t listen to God’s guiding Spirit.
I explained this to the couple, and both were highly surprised at all my questions. They closed up and said that no one could judge them but God. I told them they were 100% correct. But I did not stop there…I know…I know…but again, the words were screaming to come out of my mouth, “You are 100% correct. God is the only One that will judge all of us. I see that you love each other and that love needs to be taken to your kids that were least behind.
Some people take a few decades to get things right with their kids after such a terrible ordeal of breaking up as a family. I understand that.
But what God says in his word is that for me as a man, Deuteronomy 21:15 tells me to love my kids and also my first wife.
Had I been remarried, I would make sure that my unloved or as the King James puts it: “The beloved, and another hated, and they(wives) have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated, then it shall be…that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn(second, third, fourth marriages) before the son of the hated(first marriage), which is indeed the same of the firstborn….giving him(first marriage) double portions.”— Deuteronomy 21:15 KJV
I explained what that meant. That all kids in their order were to have their parents’ full attention, money and time. I thought they were going to explode, but the husband looked at me, tears welling up. Realizing that he had not invested time into his kids or even thought of giving alimony cheerfully.

Kids that make no effort to see.png

The wife had a hardened heart. She looked at me and said, “See what you did! You are judging us!”
I ignored her… looked at him and said, there’s still time left to mend your kids. —””They need an apology. They need their dad to say, “I’m sorry for everything I caused you. It wasn’t your fault what happened between mom and I. Please forgive me for not being there and for leaving you. I want to be in your life and want to make so much better effort to hear you out on everything.””
The wife started leaving, walking to her car. He stayed, and I heard the best thing he could have said…”Will you pray with me to give me the strength to face my kids?”
And there it was! It was his shame that had kept him away from his kids. Guilt and fear are horrible burdens to carry around for so long.
I smiled and told him that the Lord had heard his tears and petitions already and started praying with him, in public, not caring who saw us.
That day, this man’s walk became real. He had listened to what God had been nudging him to do.

Nvere too late.png

I saw him a few months later, he was alone.
The wife was not able to handle sharing him with others. Specifically, his own children, who are adults now and with their own kids.
She never apologized to her kids nor did she ever ask God for forgiveness. How do I know? The man told me he pleaded with her to no avail.
All this to say, may your walk be filed with the grace, mercy, and peace that Christ can give you daily, hourly, and by the minute. May you be humble to ask Him to help you by cleansing your wrongs and guiding your rights. May He fill you with the strength to withstand a little humble pie (humiliation) when asking for forgiveness from all those you have left behind who call you dad, mom, uncle, aunt, poppa, nana…
Go and make things right for those firstborn, second born, third born kids and the unloved spouses left behind.

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019

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Look Outwardly Not Inward |No more “Woes Me” Syndrome

WARNING: Not for sensitive people.

Why I don’t allow someone to continually have “Woes Me” syndrome.

And why I tell them to keep their eyes off of themselves and onto others…

Hebrews 12:2

Feelings, emotions, personality assessments, all good and useful.
Periods of stress, loneliness, and depression come to all people, no matter who you are.
My siblings and I dealt with this early in life. My parents left their home country to give us opportunities.
I left a close extended family. My mom’s older sister took care of us when we were young. My mom had rheumatoid arthritis, and my aunt stepped in to be our guardian.
My aunt and uncle already had five kids when three more were added to their ranks. They loved us as their own.
I remember not knowing why we were living there and why my parents would just up and leave.
I didn’t understand, because my young mind couldn’t comprehend the things keeping me away from my parents.

Then we came back here. My aunts, uncles, my grandmother, cousins and the rest of my extended family disappeared.

—Jump forward to when I was 28. I got the worst call of my life.

My mom finally lost her battle and was resting from her life long physical war. She was finally pain-free and more alive than what we could ever imagine.

Again, I was missing her, and my adult-sized mind couldn’t comprehend her not being there.
It took a toll on my siblings. My sisters were in their 20’s, and my younger brother was three years younger than me, but his mind never grew up past the day we both left home. I had just turned 18, and my younger brother was only 15.
My older brother and sister were adults…carrying self-inflicted heavy burdens from life long challenges they both had to personally deal with.

—I got the second worst call of my life. I would have to travel three thousand miles to say, “see you later” to my older brother.

—My older brother went home to be with the Lord. I was devastated. We had always talked and promised to stay in contact no matter the distance. He had called a week earlier and seemed to be finally happy in the stage in life he was in. He had married a younger person who probably didn’t realize what she was getting into. Yet they were content.

—My older brother had made a decision to follow Christ. He was not perfect, yet his over stimulated and active mind couldn’t let him sleep most of the time; hence the heavy alcohol consumption.

I knew his battles were just beginning. I prayed with him, and that was the first time I had hope for his life to turn around, but it would not be.

—A few years later, the third worst call of my life. My younger brother lost his battle with self-inflicted drug and alcohol abuse.

— There were 3 brothers, 2 had gone way too early in their lives. I was in my early 30’s, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to scream out to the world. The pain was intense. If you have not felt a loss of a parent, or sibling, you cannot understand.

I wondered why God had me going through this. I wondered if I had done anything that had “offended” God.
I knew the instant I said this, the Lord answered me and my mind went to Jeremiah 1:5:

Jer 1-5.png

—I laughed. Not because of the Sender of the message but because of the last words—prophet to all nations.

The thing is, God wasn’t saying that I would be a prophet but that He, the —Creator of the universe, the Lord God Almighty, who holds the universe in a perfect symphony, knew me before I was born.
Before I breathed my first smog infested breath, God knew me. He knew I would be born, and saw my life before it started and after my physical time on earth is done. He sees all because He is all.
This is one of the most powerful thoughts I have ever had. One that sat me down, staying still for a bit. If you know me, you know I’m fidgety. Being still is not my thing.
Then I see people complaining about work or about being lonely. Most have not gone through one-fourth of what I have.
And please, I am not boasting! I would not wish going through my experience on anyone.

—For those who are always looking inwardly at your own lives, stop doing it.

—Look to the Perfecter of our faith. Jesus is the only One that can change your circumstances. He will not take you out of the fire

—He will a make way for you to endure the painfulness.

—Because He has taken our depressions, our burdens, and our fears.

All this to say, life will bring you challenges. Things that might seem overwhelming will all pass. The battles you are fighting spiritually, mentally and physically will also vanquish away.

—I ask you to do a few things:

Parents don’t pass on your personal fears and shortcomings.
Pass along your strengths and allow God to work on you and your kids’ weaknesses.
Life brings you battles. In those battles there will be defeats. But there will be more victories.
Specially if you follow Christ.

Jesus tell us in John 16:33–

John 16-33.png

—For those going through some tough times.
—Or those who have allowed the enemy to convince them that they were born this way and that their personality is that way.
—Or those that are too shy, too angry or too lonely.

Going to counseling is terrific. Getting a personality assessment is a useful tool.
But those things are just tools.
They are not written in stone.

—Do not allow yourself to be placed inside a box.

—Do not allow yourself to shortchange what God has for you.

Instead of looking for self-improvement, look to the One that can change your mindset permanently. Not to psychology or self-improvement.

—Take your eyes off of you and start looking towards Jesus. Be like Him. Pour yourself out on helping others.
—The more you do, the less you have time to sit around allowing the enemy to infiltrate your mind.

—Had I not been serving in ministry all these years, I am not sure if I would be the same.

Woes me.png

—I kept my eyes on my wife, kids, work and ministry. This was the saving grace of God. He allowed me to go through all the Greek Tragedy, for me to keep running the race and not looking behind.

—I kept my eyes on my Redeemer. I am still keeping my eyes on Him. Not some self-improvement assessment or psychological profiling. Not on the weaknesses of my parents or what sister Mary Margaret(fictitious name) told me in school. Not what my counselor in High school told me.

—Had I listened to their advice on the things I should not be able to do, I would not be here telling you to keep your eyes on Jesus and reflect His Grace and love of salvation unto others. It’s time to stop whining about how life has been unfair and start living the life God wants you to fulfill through Him…

How Can I know God

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019

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Experience the Experience |Please Be Still Series

“9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”-Deuteronomy 4:9 Berean Study Bible

The last sporting event I went with the family, I saw the strangest of things. People were recording video of everything that’s was happening, I thought it was pretty nifty watching everyone films the live sporting event.

I recently wanted to use one of those pictures for an album I am doing for myself. It is pretty sad to see what I saw.

While recording for posterity’s sake, every picture of the event was marred with almost everyone recording and watching it through a cell phone camera lens.
Again, I love history and appreciate the documentation of activities for the annals of time as much as everyone.

Moments are highly precious and making sure that some of the important ones can be remembered vividly.

We are living at a time that I cherish and envy. I wish I were able to record precious moments with my kids when they were little.
Don’t get me wrong, I did, but it took an 8mm or beta cartridge to be inserted into a video camera the size of a small baby. So lugging it was a task when the kids were little; and like most parents with kids that age, it’s either the kids or recording the moments.

Having said this, society has come to an extreme. The extreme of pulling out cell phones and recording just about everything being done by everyone.

We have turned into a spectator society. Instead of experiencing life in moments, we are experiencing life in small data bits.
We are taking moments in time and making them a pseudo-life talking points.
Where once, parents enjoyed and breathed in their children’s first time experiences, mom’s and dad’s are now choreographing what their children should do and not do; to make themselves and their kids into something they are not.
Gone are the days where we see kids all dirty and muddy or running around with little boogies in their noses, just being kids.
Those are real moments. Moments in time that I cherished. The imperfect moments where life was a real battle of sorts. Parents doing their best to train their kids up in the way they should go, so when they got older, those rambunctious little toddlers would turn out fine.
They prayed to God always knowing that whatever life gave them, God would be there to see them through.
Now, we see perfect children, my wife calls them “children of the corn” because they look innocent and smiley on the outside, but on the inside, they’re all messed up.

Compare this to kids growing up pre-selfie times. We see kids who did not have to pose, or put on lip gloss or go put some clean clothing.

These kids were captured during everyday life moments that seemed real. I know I hated some of the dweeb pictures I came out on, but looking back, I would not change those pictures for the world.

Black Mass Premier At Coolidge Corner 1

—You see, it was in those pictures that I see myself in real life, broken bones and a full body cast in my post-toddler years. My second set of still growing crooked teeth. My rebellious heart of untucking my buttoned collared shirt and taking it off to show my white T-shirt which was much more comfortable to crawl under the house’s foundation. The perfectly shined Bostonian wingtips that lasted spotless for only minutes, since I loved to run and kick everything in sight.

—I hope that whoever is reading this, will stop to have a-peace-be-still-moment. Where they will come to see that recording video all the time, cheapens the actual experiences of those life moments.

—I hope to convey a sense of urgency to those parents with young children—Please experience life moments with your kids, They grow so fast and their time with you will go by faster.

—Don’t allow recording of the experience become the experience.

—Learn to just feel the moments. Learn to experience your loved ones and not record your loved ones for everyone else’s satisfaction.

—Be in the moment and experience the little things that life throws your way. Enjoy every minute of life so that when you get older, you ask yourself, ”Where did time go? And why do my kids seem like strangers?”

—Because it is in these good or bad life moments, that we all become the family unit that God wants us to grow into.

Next time you go out somewhere, promise yourself that you will only use the cell phone for emergencies. Leave a message on your voicemail stating that you will call people bald since you are experiencing life. They will understand, and if they don’t, they really aren’t looking out for your best interests….

Need God?

How Can I know God

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019

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The Love of God~The Godly Love |Valentine’s Day 2019

Love is… Love is.png

This post is dedicated to my wonderful and patient wife who has put up with me these last 36 years.

One day to celebrate your spouse is not enough. The selfless acts I see my wife do 365 days a year would need a decade to celebrate. The sacrifice I see her do for our marriage and the love she has for Christ is a witness and testimony to her love for others.

—Reminds me of the historical figure who selflessly went against the foolishness of a specific law during the Roman Empire period.
Valentine’s Day, like most of the other holy day traditions, is based on an actual person in history.
—He was a Christian man named Valentine, who lived during a time of a one world government who had almost 100% complete control of their citizens.
—This honorable Christian is said to have gone against a very vacuous law making most young people unable to marry during that time.

—It is believed that Claudius Gothicus II (see links below) was the one who ordered Valentine to be put to death. Valentine had married a young couple because of their spiritual conviction of staying faithful to God and to one another.

—The law did not impact most Roman citizens. That era was filled with hedonism and adultery. it was a way of life for a large majority of Romans.

—Yet, the small remnant of Christians who were growing in number, had to make a decision. One that was of life and death. The decision to become one in the sight of God was more important than the laws of men. Even powerful men like the Emperor.

—We know that Valentine was dragged to the Prefect’s place where he was condemned to be beaten with clubs and beheaded for marrying a couple who was in love, committed to their faith and to God.

—Today we see the world going in the same direction as the Roman Empire. Christians are beaten, harassed and ridiculed for their faith and their beliefs.

I encourage you all my fellow brethren, honor God and His Laws.
Honor your spouse. Husbands, love your wives like Christ loves His church.
Wives, respect your husbands as Christ respects His Father.
Both, submit to God and one another. No matter who or what law is in charge of your lives.

—One thing I know, Emperors come and go, governments come and go, laws come and go. God stands forever in His throne. His laws and His Word do not change. They are true today as they were yesterday and tomorrow.

—Happy Valentine’s Day. May you love one another in the true spirit of this day. No matter what happens. Stay true to each other and to the LORD God of the universe….

P.S. Love you Mary…Always have and always will.

References:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded

https://www.unrv.com/empire/timeline-3rd-century.php

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/research/monetary-history-of-the-world/roman-empire/chronology_-by_-emperor/roman-empire-restored/claudius-ii-gothicus-268-270-ad/

http://www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story

February 14, 2019

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