I have a confession to make, sometimes reading the Bible is not my favorite thing to do. In fact at times it can be down right boring. I'm not talking about the book of Acts or the awesome bloody stories of the Old Testament. Some of those are actually actions movies that should have been made by now. Like when Deborah kills that dude with a tent peg through the head, or the King that was so fat when he got stabbed with a sword it got stuck in his belly. These are really in the Bible as are many other amazing happenings, not to mention the earth shattering teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The part that kind of gets to me is I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles. They just seem soooo redundant. Of course you have some David and Solomon, and the prophets Elijah and Elisha, but for the most part it seems to read Israel had a bad king, then a worse king, then things where so screwed that the next king repented then there was a good king or two, and then a bad king for the next few generations. Well reading last week I saw plenty of that, but something jumped out of the pages, that's one of the benefits of reading the Bible more than once, you always find something new.
Two of the kings mentioned in II Chronicles chapters 24 and 25, Joash and Amaziah, who I'm sure won't be kind to my spell check, both started out very well. King Joash was raised under a godly priest , he renovated the Temple of God (what we would call the church building), and made sure the right offerings where brought to God from his people. King Amaziah listened to Godly council and was enlarging his kingdoms boundaries by trusting God to fight his battles. If they story were to end here these kings would go down as great rulers.
However this is not the case, before I snitch on these two kings, I want the reader to think about their life and their past. It's easy to start out great for God. You have a conversion experience and are filled with fire and want to do everything you can to please Him. But as time goes on your passion wanes and you don't do all the things you used to do. After reading these chapters I felt convicted to write this, not just to bring it to someone else's attention, but to also confess my own short comings. Some where in the busyness of life I can't honestly say my relationship with God is the best it's ever been, and that's a sin. I'm confident it wasn't God who moved but me.
So just as King Joash listened to evil advisors and deserted God's temple and took up worship and sex shrines and other false idols, and King Amaziah was coming home from a battle where God gave him the win, instead of praising he brought back the false idols of the people he had conquered, it just shows it's easy to start out right, but finishing right is much harder.
So as 2011 comes to a close, if you can reflect on your year and say it was great, don't rest on it, there is always more to do. If you look back and say you made mistakes last year, just be grateful our God is a God of second chance. Your start may not have been the best, but it's all in how you finish.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
This Is What I Was Born To Do!
"This is what I was born to do!" This blog may be titled "Still Quiet Voice", but those words were not quiet, not much is when it is spoken by Randall Black. A thing you have no know about Randall is he is a great preacher, he can take a Bible verse and break it down and explain it so that it makes sense like it never had before. He just has an incredible understanding of scripture and can make words on a page be applicable to everyday life, as God intended for them to be when he inspired them. The other thing you need to know about Randall is the brother can tend to be loud. Not that it's a bad thing. His energy makes his sermons come to life in the most amazing ways. As he was giving his testimony on how doctors told him he would never preach again due to throat surgery he made the empathic statement, "This is what I was born to do!"
It's been almost three weeks since I heard those words and I still can't shake them. Now as it was when I sat in the pew, my mind continues to wander back to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Maybe it's all the Blue Mountain Coffee I've had to drink tonight but I felt the need to write about thing thing I was born to do. I go to what is supposed to be depressing places; a school in what may be the roughest neighborhood I have ever seen in my life. A hospice full of pain and sickness. Orphanages were children have been forgotten. But in that school house I feel love poured out with no reservation. In that hospice I see people with faith that doesn't just move mountains, it moves people from a place of suffering to true peace that passes any earthly understanding. In these orphanages I see joy that only comes through the love of Jesus Christ. In these places I get a sneak peak at what I think Heaven will feel like. It comes from loving and being loved, from doing the will of God the father. It comes from seeing the book of James come to live. Living out James 1:27. This is what I was born to do, who's coming with me?
It's been almost three weeks since I heard those words and I still can't shake them. Now as it was when I sat in the pew, my mind continues to wander back to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Maybe it's all the Blue Mountain Coffee I've had to drink tonight but I felt the need to write about thing thing I was born to do. I go to what is supposed to be depressing places; a school in what may be the roughest neighborhood I have ever seen in my life. A hospice full of pain and sickness. Orphanages were children have been forgotten. But in that school house I feel love poured out with no reservation. In that hospice I see people with faith that doesn't just move mountains, it moves people from a place of suffering to true peace that passes any earthly understanding. In these orphanages I see joy that only comes through the love of Jesus Christ. In these places I get a sneak peak at what I think Heaven will feel like. It comes from loving and being loved, from doing the will of God the father. It comes from seeing the book of James come to live. Living out James 1:27. This is what I was born to do, who's coming with me?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
When God Winks at You
Yes I'm stealing the title of this blog from a book by Squire Rushnell but with the past couple of days I've had I think it's very appropriate. I think the Lord was telling me to blog again. It's something I wish I would do more often because often when I do write it's something that God has laid on my heart. I'm not saying I'm inspired like the writers of the Bible or anything like that, but it helps to get the dialogue between God and me out in the open. The lack of inspiration for these is all my fault and not his, so I'm hoping I can refocus and changed that.
Back to God winking at you, you know those little things that some would call a coincidence, but you know that it was to perfect to be anything but the Creator give you an encouraging nod. Wednesday was full of those for me. Actually going back to even a few weeks before the 2011 Friends Forever Missions trip to Jamaica I was getting quite a few of them I chose to ignore.
I would be driving around my hometown and look out the window to see kids who looked exactly like some of my friends I had met at Grants Basic school playing in yards. Now before you accuse me of saying that all black people look the same, don't shake your head I know at least half of the people reading this are thinking that, it wasn't "oh look at the little black kids playing in their yard he kinda looks like a kid I know in Jamaica." No, it was more like, "Wow that looks exactly like my friend Omar Warren from Grants Basic School." It wasn't just a resemblance this kid looked just like Omar, it was to the point I wanted to yell "Omar!", just to see if he would turn around. Well flash forward and few weeks and as I walk up that ramp leading into the school house, and I meet Omar's older brother.
It doesn't stop there though, once I'm home the signs just keep adding up. I read biographies of some of my favorite musicians, Johnny Cash, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney and all three had parts in the book about them spending time in Jamaica, especially Cash. So anytime I hear the Beatles or the Stones my mind will always drift down to Montego Bay. Every time I see beef patties in stock at Food Lion or Walmart I have to pick up a pack. I have a Jamaican flag hanging in my garage so I start and end every trip I go thinking about my Jamaican friends. Now these examples may seem like no big deal, even like I'm forcing it. Almost like when you pick out the car you want to buy you think no one else has one until you're driving around in it and suddenly you see that car everywhere.
Then Wednesday morning I have to run an early errand at Wal-Mart when the lady ringing me up is named Pearline. Well there are two Mrs. Pearls that I have come to love in Montego Bay Jamaica, one is the principal of the school I love so dearly, and the other is a lady I call the Judy Dale of Jamaica (because just a few seconds after walking into Norwood Full Gospel Church she made me feel right at home, as Judy Dale does in Clayton) Mrs. Pearline Haughton. I dismissed this as a cool coincidence and not even a mile past the stop light I see a guy walking in the median with a back bag that has the Jamaican flag on it. I get home and my dog wants to play with a soccer ball, the only time I touch one of those is when I'm in Jamaica, and some how with all the baseballs around the house the dog wants to play "futball". Again this may just be a small thing but it keeps my mind focused on an area that Jesus Christ has called me to.
I think we all have a place like that. If you haven't discovered yours yet I urge you to pray and search until you find. As Dr. Mark, the fearless leader of the Friends Forever Ministries, often says missions is not a trip it's a life style. I'm starting to see that more and more. It's not just things Jamaica that come to my mind now, it's other international ambassadors I've had the privilege to travel with. When I check a Yankees score I think of the awesome Scruggs family I've had the honor to serve beside and learn from. When I hear I may have some work coming up in Charlotte I thought to myself that's where Brittani lives. When I saw the president on tv tonight I thought of the president of the D.C. crew, Mr. Brian Citizen. I can't watch an Atlanta Braves highlight without thinking of Susana Chanis. I saw a guy cutting grass earlier this week who looked just like Josh Porter, okay that one may be because the guy was a brother, but it was more about the hat he was wearing (if you've seen Josh's hat you know what I'm talking about). I guess this is just a thank you to all you I have ever travelled with and a thank you Lord for all the great people I've meet while serving you. Keep winking and I'll keep writing.
This has nothing to do with the blog but I'm going to try to start doing the twitter thing so if you're a tweeter follow me at JBatten13.
Back to God winking at you, you know those little things that some would call a coincidence, but you know that it was to perfect to be anything but the Creator give you an encouraging nod. Wednesday was full of those for me. Actually going back to even a few weeks before the 2011 Friends Forever Missions trip to Jamaica I was getting quite a few of them I chose to ignore.
I would be driving around my hometown and look out the window to see kids who looked exactly like some of my friends I had met at Grants Basic school playing in yards. Now before you accuse me of saying that all black people look the same, don't shake your head I know at least half of the people reading this are thinking that, it wasn't "oh look at the little black kids playing in their yard he kinda looks like a kid I know in Jamaica." No, it was more like, "Wow that looks exactly like my friend Omar Warren from Grants Basic School." It wasn't just a resemblance this kid looked just like Omar, it was to the point I wanted to yell "Omar!", just to see if he would turn around. Well flash forward and few weeks and as I walk up that ramp leading into the school house, and I meet Omar's older brother.
It doesn't stop there though, once I'm home the signs just keep adding up. I read biographies of some of my favorite musicians, Johnny Cash, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney and all three had parts in the book about them spending time in Jamaica, especially Cash. So anytime I hear the Beatles or the Stones my mind will always drift down to Montego Bay. Every time I see beef patties in stock at Food Lion or Walmart I have to pick up a pack. I have a Jamaican flag hanging in my garage so I start and end every trip I go thinking about my Jamaican friends. Now these examples may seem like no big deal, even like I'm forcing it. Almost like when you pick out the car you want to buy you think no one else has one until you're driving around in it and suddenly you see that car everywhere.
Then Wednesday morning I have to run an early errand at Wal-Mart when the lady ringing me up is named Pearline. Well there are two Mrs. Pearls that I have come to love in Montego Bay Jamaica, one is the principal of the school I love so dearly, and the other is a lady I call the Judy Dale of Jamaica (because just a few seconds after walking into Norwood Full Gospel Church she made me feel right at home, as Judy Dale does in Clayton) Mrs. Pearline Haughton. I dismissed this as a cool coincidence and not even a mile past the stop light I see a guy walking in the median with a back bag that has the Jamaican flag on it. I get home and my dog wants to play with a soccer ball, the only time I touch one of those is when I'm in Jamaica, and some how with all the baseballs around the house the dog wants to play "futball". Again this may just be a small thing but it keeps my mind focused on an area that Jesus Christ has called me to.
I think we all have a place like that. If you haven't discovered yours yet I urge you to pray and search until you find. As Dr. Mark, the fearless leader of the Friends Forever Ministries, often says missions is not a trip it's a life style. I'm starting to see that more and more. It's not just things Jamaica that come to my mind now, it's other international ambassadors I've had the privilege to travel with. When I check a Yankees score I think of the awesome Scruggs family I've had the honor to serve beside and learn from. When I hear I may have some work coming up in Charlotte I thought to myself that's where Brittani lives. When I saw the president on tv tonight I thought of the president of the D.C. crew, Mr. Brian Citizen. I can't watch an Atlanta Braves highlight without thinking of Susana Chanis. I saw a guy cutting grass earlier this week who looked just like Josh Porter, okay that one may be because the guy was a brother, but it was more about the hat he was wearing (if you've seen Josh's hat you know what I'm talking about). I guess this is just a thank you to all you I have ever travelled with and a thank you Lord for all the great people I've meet while serving you. Keep winking and I'll keep writing.
This has nothing to do with the blog but I'm going to try to start doing the twitter thing so if you're a tweeter follow me at JBatten13.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Today we celebrate freedom, but what is freedom exactly?
If that's how you choose to celebrate this weekend, don't get me mad for asking that. It's your choice, and by all means if that's what you want to do you are free to do it. Still is that freedom? The great American song writer once sang "You've got to serve somebody." "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're going to have to serve somebody." Now you can try to remain neutral, in Matthew 12:30 Jesus says, "He who is not with me is against me".
From a worldly perspective that may not make much sense, but looking at that statement with the scales removed from your eyes makes all the difference in the world. If you read the Bible the word free is mentioned 125 times and liberty 41. Freedom may look like doing whatever you want to do on the outside. but in reality the choices we make can ruin our lives physically and spiritually.
I know this may sound to preachy for some, but that small still voice just put this on my heart tonight. I know for me personally I never knew freedom until I made some changes in how I was living, and let the Lord lead me to a new live where I was free to say no to things that used to control and say yes to a live of purpose. In the next few blogs I'm going to talk about that purpose. I also hope to start back with some culturally relevant discussion on my other blog, http://highwaybyway.blogspot.com/. Until then have a safe July 4th.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Still Small Voice
"It's time to come back home", that's what I heard as my head pounded and my body lie aching all over. After twelve hours of drinking I could have easily have excused it as a figment of my imagination, but I was stone cold sober. The voice spoke again, the voice didn't gust like a wind, or rumble like an earthquake, or even burn like a fire. It was still quite voice. To this day I'm not even sure that it was audible, but I heard it and more importantly I felt it, and I instantly knew who it was.
Since I was a baby I was in church. I expected the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior back in second grade. Still life had pulled me along way from saying that prayer under the covers of that top bunk with my dad so many years ago. Disagreements with Sunday school teachers, the pull of friends and acceptance had me at odds with I knew I believed. So far from a time when I felt a calling to preach there I lay, with the mother of all hanger overs, yet I had the sound mind to process what was going on. I think they call it "a moment of clarity", but I saw the past six years flash before my eyes. Just like the prodigal son I was taking a long hard look at error of my sinful ways.
I wasn't happy with what I saw. Leaving the church lead to drinking, while drinking led to a toxic relationship in which I was married because I fathered a child out of wedlock only to see my son die twenty minutes after birth and the marriage end in divorce almost exactly one year later. I was depressed, lost and broken. I no longer loved myself and I wondered how any one could love a wretch like me, but still I heard the voice say again, "It's time to come back home." So there on the spot I prayed the prayer many drunks before and after me have prayed, "Lord if you make this feeling go away I will change", only this time I meant it.
I didn't know how I was going to change, but I knew if the Lord cared enough to reach down for me in the state I was in he would help me find away to change as well. I knew one thing I had to do was get over my personal hang ups about "organized religon" and atleast attend a church service. Which I did one week to that day, and while I thought I may start having to attend a meeting once a week to keep up my end of the bargin with the All Mighty, I ended up on a journey that would take me around the world to learn about how He loves me, and then in turn spread that love.
Since I was a baby I was in church. I expected the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior back in second grade. Still life had pulled me along way from saying that prayer under the covers of that top bunk with my dad so many years ago. Disagreements with Sunday school teachers, the pull of friends and acceptance had me at odds with I knew I believed. So far from a time when I felt a calling to preach there I lay, with the mother of all hanger overs, yet I had the sound mind to process what was going on. I think they call it "a moment of clarity", but I saw the past six years flash before my eyes. Just like the prodigal son I was taking a long hard look at error of my sinful ways.
I wasn't happy with what I saw. Leaving the church lead to drinking, while drinking led to a toxic relationship in which I was married because I fathered a child out of wedlock only to see my son die twenty minutes after birth and the marriage end in divorce almost exactly one year later. I was depressed, lost and broken. I no longer loved myself and I wondered how any one could love a wretch like me, but still I heard the voice say again, "It's time to come back home." So there on the spot I prayed the prayer many drunks before and after me have prayed, "Lord if you make this feeling go away I will change", only this time I meant it.
I didn't know how I was going to change, but I knew if the Lord cared enough to reach down for me in the state I was in he would help me find away to change as well. I knew one thing I had to do was get over my personal hang ups about "organized religon" and atleast attend a church service. Which I did one week to that day, and while I thought I may start having to attend a meeting once a week to keep up my end of the bargin with the All Mighty, I ended up on a journey that would take me around the world to learn about how He loves me, and then in turn spread that love.
Why Another Blog?
The idea for this blog has been a long time coming. Since the beginning of the year I've been into reading biographies. I've read about the writers of the New Testament, professional athletes and rock stars. I've read about John the Apostle and Paul the Beatle, Keith Richards and Alice Cooper (who believe it or not has a great testimony), and everyone of them had a story. I began to think of my own story, or the story Christ has allowed me to live, and I felt it needed to be told. Not just my story but the people I've had the pleasure of meeting in the past seven years. So I had the bright idea to write a book.
Well several months have passed and a book was still never started. While on a missions trip last week I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me in that "quite voice". While the logistics for me to write a book right now aren't exactly there, I can blog and get my story out there. Just like king Namaan wanted to do something more dramatic than just bathing in the Jordan (2 Kings 5), I was hoping to do something a bit more important. So now with pride in check and a humble heart, I am going to start to a series of blogs that will tell of the great things God has done and the awesome people I have met.
Well several months have passed and a book was still never started. While on a missions trip last week I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me in that "quite voice". While the logistics for me to write a book right now aren't exactly there, I can blog and get my story out there. Just like king Namaan wanted to do something more dramatic than just bathing in the Jordan (2 Kings 5), I was hoping to do something a bit more important. So now with pride in check and a humble heart, I am going to start to a series of blogs that will tell of the great things God has done and the awesome people I have met.
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