A praying family

I have said it before, and I will say it again — it is a crime for a man to leave his wife and children in the morning without spending serious time with them in prayer. Sir, the greatest thing that you can do for your family is make it your business to pray with them each day, preferably early in the morning, but any time of the day will work. In the spirit of Nike, “Just Do It!”

I guarantee you that this time of dedicated prayer will be the most difficult thing you will do in your life, and the devil will fight against you on this like nothing else. But this is a fight you must win for the glory of God and for your family. As I Corinthians 16:13 says, “Quit yourself like a man” and lead your family into victorious spiritual warfare!

You can do it. God will help you. I know he will, because in over twenty-five years of marriage, I have never missed a day in prayer and family devotions with my own family, and it is the single most important reason why we are still together and thriving in the work of the Lord.

Prayer is where the power is.

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

– Martin Luther

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

–Psalm 5:3

A New Year

4. Remember the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9 states: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

I am reminded of an old song I first learned right after I was saved titled, “Nothing but the Blood.” One of the stanzas goes like this:

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Ask God to apply the blood of Jesus Christ to your memory because the blood of Jesus Christ is so strong it has the power to cleanse and to erase from your mind your past failures. And even if the devil, your family, your friends, your enemies, or anyone else tries to bring up your past to you, all you have to say is, “It is covered under the blood of Jesus.” As the song, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” says:

The blood that Jesus shed for me
Way back on Calvary
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power.

It soothes my doubts and calms my fears
And it dries all my tears
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power.

CHORUS
It reaches to the highest mountain
It flows to the lowest valley
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power.

5. Do the very best you can to make things right with those you may have offended. Clear your conscience.

Acts 24:16 states: “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.”

Romans 12:2 states: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

If you have offended someone or if they perceive that you have offended them, try, by God’s grace, to make it right with them. Go the extra mile if you need to. Also, forgive and release those who may have offended you. You can’t harbor resentment and bitterness, and be happy. It simply can’t be done. Ephesians 4:31-32 states: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Christian author and long-time professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Lewis Smedes states in his book, Forgive and Forget: “With a little time, and a little more insight, we begin to see both ourselves and our enemies in humbler profiles. We are not really as innocent as we felt when we were first hurt. And we do not usually have a gigantic monster to forgive; we have a weak, needy, and somewhat stupid human being. When you see your enemy and yourself in the weakness and silliness of the humanity you share, you will make the miracle of forgiving a little easier.”

I remember once when a brother in Christ and I were not right with each other, that every time I tried to pray, God would bring this person to my memory. That stopped after I went to make things right with that dear brother. Bad memories won’t go away until you make things right.

Do you remember what Jesus said about those who want to bring Him an offering without first getting things right with the person they had offended or with the person who had offended them? Jesus said, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Jesus is saying in this verse, don’t come praying to Me when you are at odds with your brother or sister in Christ. Don’t come offering praises to Me when you refuse to shake your brother’s or sister’s hand. Don’t come telling Me you love Me when you have hatred and bitterness in your heart toward a family member. Don’t come expecting a New Year when you have unresolved issues from the past year. As I said earlier, bad memories won’t go away until you make things right.

6. Read several key passages of the Bible each day.

Psalm 119:9 states: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

The Bible has a cleansing effect on the heart, mind and spirit. Try reading at least three chapters in the morning and two at night and notice the difference it will make in your mindset and outlook. You have to replace bad memories with good stuff. The Bible is the best “stuff” in the world.

As you read your Bible, read all of it, but focus on verses that deal with your particular sins, failures, and struggles. As you read the Word of God, have an open mind as well as a made up mind to obey what it says. Don’t read it to forget it! Read it to remember it, and the more you obey it, the more you’ll be able to recall it. As you study God’s Holy Word, remain humble as you allow it, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to thoroughly cleanse you.

A New Year

I hear someone asking, ‘How can I forget? These bad memories keep coming back to my mind. When I try to do something good, the mistakes and failures that I have made in the past keep flying through my mind.’

One Christian writer said many years ago: “You may not be able to control the birds that fly over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair.” The same thing goes for negative memories. Here are some suggestions to help you forget the failures of the past:

1. Accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ if you have not done so already.

Romans 10:9,13 states: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Salvation through Jesus Christ has an amazing way of wiping the slate clean and causing you to forget a lot of negative things that you have done in the past. Since Jesus Christ saved me, there are even people that I have forgotten. So, if you are not saved yet, may I encourage you to accept the free gift of salvation by placing your trust, faith, and belief in Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, and He will save you and change you forever.

Because of our sins, the things that we have done wrong, God had to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the penalty of death and hell. If God did not send His Son to do this, each of us would have to pay the penalty for our own sins which is eternal punishment and separation from God in a place called hell. Three days after Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead, defeating death and hell forever. All we have to do to receive this free gift of salvation and secure a place in Heaven is believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for our sins. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, may I invite you to pray the following prayer from your heart and ask Him to come into your life:

After you get saved, you become a new creature in Christ. The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” As a new creature in Christ, you begin to take on a new mentality–a Christ-like mentality. That Christ-like mentality will allow you to forget about your failures and sins of the past because they have already been washed under the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He has forgiven you and now you can forgive yourself and move forward with your life.

2. Ask God to forgive you of your sins.

I John 1:9 states: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Friend of mine, you will never stop remembering the failures or sins of the past if you don’t ask God through Christ to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins.

Don’t just ask Jesus to cleanse you, accept His forgiveness. Many people pray daily, ‘Lord, forgive me of my sins.’ But after praying their hearts out, they refuse to accept the Lord’s forgiveness and don’t forgive themselves, and then continue to live defeated lives.

Forgiveness is a very important gift that is essential for life. It allows us to be free from past sins and wrongdoings and gives us peace and hope for a brighter future. As we accept the forgiveness of God, we will begin to realize that spiritual freedom is possible and we can overcome habits and strongholds in our lives, which will enable us to make the New Year truly the best New Year of our lives.

3. Repent of your sins.

Jesus told the woman taken in adultery, “Go and sin no more.”

Someone once said, “If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.” We cannot erase bad memories by creating new bad memories. So, repent and turn away from the failure or sin that produces the bad memories in your life.

Now to forget your failures and sins of the past, you have to accept those sins and failures and repent of those sins. Before you can move on in the New Year, you must deal with what is hindering you. Face up to your sins and mistakes and repent of them. When you do that, the devil and those who want to accuse you will have nothing to attack you with.

Dr. Mark Mcminn, professor of psychology at George Fox University writes the following about confession: “We must not forget human potential and goodness because somewhere deep inside is always a glimmering urge to confess, to be restored and reconciled in meaningful relationships, to do what is right and abandon what is wrong.”

Repent means to turn away from; to do an “about face.” Turn away from your sins of the past year, and turn away from whatever caused your failures in the past year. If you don’t want to fail, then do not do what you were doing that brought on the failures. Sin has major consequences, some of which are irreparable, and as the old saying goes, “sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and make you pay more than you wanted to pay.” Sin is a bad boy.

As you look back at your sins, failures, and mistakes of the past year, it would be wise to pay attention to the pain these sins and mistakes caused you (and maybe others around you), and tell yourself like T.D. Jakes said in one of the titles of his sermons, “I betcha I won’t do that again.”

Prayer

Excerpted from A Praying Time

1. Doubt
2. Delay
3. Devil

One reason is because of doubt. The devil tries to plant the seeds of doubt in our minds about this matter of prayer. He tries to cause doubt in our minds as to whether or not God is even hearing our prayer. He tries to plant doubt in our mind as to whether or not you are even worthy of praying. He tries to plant little doubts in our minds to keep us from praying and sometimes, unfortunately, he succeeds, and we don’t pray as we ought to pray.

A second reason why we faint in prayer is because of delay. We think that God is on our time and that He pays every Friday. But we must remind ourselves that God is on His own time and like the old preachers down in Georgia used to say: “God may not come when you want Him to but He’s always right on time.” Remember, a day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years is like one day to God.

For those of you who have been saved awhile, we know that time after time God has delivered us—right on time. When things seemed hopeless, God brought us through. He heard our prayer. Bank on it, dear friends, God wants to hear your prayer more than you want to pray. He delights in hearing us pray to Him. He wants to answer our prayers. He wants to bless us. He delights in blessing us. But, most importantly, He wants to hear from us.

Another reason why we faint in prayer is because of the onslaught of the devil. Let me share this testimony with you. When I first got saved, I spent a lot of time studying my Bible and was very excited about that. I was excited about going soul-winning and seeing people saved. But for some reason I did not spend much  quality time in prayer as I should have. I don’t know why to this day. I prayed a little bit in the mornings and a little bit at nights and that was it. But then one day, someone gave me a set of books by E. M. Bounds. E. M. Bounds was a praying man. He had tapped into the power one could have through prayer. He spent most of his ministry writing about prayer, teaching about prayer and praying himself. I call him the “prince of prayer.”

God convicted me of my prayer life through this set of books. I determined in my heart and mind that I was going to spend more time in prayer. And do you know that as I began to pray more in the mornings and afternoons, in the late mornings and late evenings, and, of course, at nights, and as I began to pray more and more throughout the day, instead of things immediately getting better things immediately got worse. I couldn’t understand why, back then, but I understand it now. You see, the devil did not want me to pray. He was discouraging me from praying. He was trying to make me faint in prayer. But God gave me the grace to continue in prayer and God, of course, delivered and blessed and answered my prayers.

Be aware, as you make up your mind to pray more, and as you pray more, things are not going to immediately be a bed of roses; your days are not going to be problem-free. Quite the contrary. Why? Because Satan will be there to meet you head-on. He does not want you to pray; he does not want you to tap into your source of strength and power; he does not want you to call upon Jesus. So therefore, he will throw every obstacle your way to prevent you from praying. Satan does not mind you learning about prayer, but he does not want you to get into the habit of praying. Why? Because something happens when a Christian prays; something happens when a Christian communicates with God. Satan does not want the Christian to pray because he knows he will be defeated through prayer.

Father and son

I cannot stress enough that the greatest thing my father ever did for me was staying with our family. That is why I wrote God Has Smiled on Me—to honor my father.  I know that I am stronger and better because of my father’s sacrifice.

However, even though there are many other fathers who choose to stay with their families and raise their children, there are even more fathers who choose not to do what my father did. Statistics show that children who do not grow up with fathers in the home are worse off than the children who do.

According to Rebecca O’Neill of CIVITAS, “the experiment has failed:”

For the best part of thirty years we have been conducting a vast experiment with the family, and now the results are in: the decline of the two-parent, married-couple family has resulted in poverty, ill-health, educational failure, unhappiness, anti-social behaviour, isolation and social exclusion for thousands of women, men and children. (Source: Experiments in Living: The Fatherless Family, September 2002)

Here are statistics on children without fathers in the home:

- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

- 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average.  (Center for Disease Control)

- 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes – 14 times the average.  (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.  (National Principals Association Report)

- 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.  (Rainbows for All God’s Children)

- 70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.  (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

- 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average.  (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

Also, notice the following:

Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor. In 2002, 7.8 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 38.4 percent of children in female-householder families. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003)

Compared to living with both parents, living in a single-parent home doubles the risk that a child will suffer physical, emotional, or educational neglect. The overall rate of child abuse and neglect in single-parent households is 27.3 children per 1,000, whereas the rate of overall maltreatment in two-parent households is 15.5 per 1,000. (America’s Children, 1997)

If you are still not convinced, you can find many more statistics by going online and searching for “fatherless children” and “statistics on fatherless children.” It is clear that a father being in the life of a child is very important. Yes, mothers play an important role, but they cannot raise children by themselves. A child needs both parents in the home.  Being a father is a very special role and opportunity. Fathers, may I encourage you to take it seriously and be the best father to your child that you can be. It is important for fathers to stay.

Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker"

Excerpted from Letters to Young Black Men

One of the saddest things that I see today is so many people who do not think for themselves, especially young black men. It is painful to watch so many gullible people be led astray.

Think for yourself! Be a leader instead of a follower. We have enough followers. These people let others think for them, speak for them and even do for them. Don’t allow yourself to get into that rut. Think for yourself. Be the leader that God wants you to be.

Simply because a person is older and in a position of authority and is considered a leader by many, does not mean he has to be your leader. His perceived high position by many does not mean his ideas, statements and direction are correct. Think for yourself!

Now, in order to learn how to think for yourself, you need to do at least three things:

1. You need to size up every “leader” and his statements with the rule book: the Bible. You must see if what the person is saying is jiving with God’s eternal Word.

2. You need to have a set of convictions about the issues of life based upon a biblical foundation. This way you are not swayed by every new wind of ideas that blow your way.

3. You need to examine what people say before you accept it “hook, line and sinker,” so to speak.

In order to keep from going down the wrong path, in order to protect your family, in order to be the leader that God wants you to be, you must think for yourself and take responsibility for your statements, decisions and actions.

My friend, trust me: it is much easier to be a follower than it is to be a leader. But it is much better to think for yourself and be the leader that God wants you to be — the leader who is going right and who is leading others right.

Thinking For Myself,

Bro. Daniel

P.T.: “It takes no courage to get in the back of a crowd and throw a rock.” —Thurgood Marshall

“It’s never the right time to take a particular stand.” —Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The hallmark of courage in this age of conform-ity is to stand up for what you believe.” —Courtland Milloy

“Fear is an illusion.” —Michael Jordan

Down through the years, I have noticed that one of the marks of a “Morehouse man” is confidence. And that is what I want to write to you about today.

I hope that you are not one of the many young men in our community who feels inferior and shows that he feels inferior to other races — particularly the white race. It is disturbing to see so many young black men catch this disease called an inferiority complex when it comes to other races. It is almost as though this disease is in the air in the black community.

What are some of the ways that we catch this awful disease? Well, one way to get this disease is by not being raised right. Often times, if a parent does not know how to love and nurture a child while he is young, especially black boys, that child will grow up out of balance mentally, therefore feeling inferior. I am one of those who believe that young black children need lots of love, nurturing, and encouragement to turn out right in this strange society that we live in, especially black boys. It is crucial.

I believe the second reason why young black men feel inferior to others is because they have become addicted to that one eyed monster – the television set. I am convinced through my own observation of children that those children who grow up with a heavy diet of television watching will often times end up with feelings of inferiority. This happens simply because they are constantly watching others on the tube doing things and who are progressing and moving forward with their lives while they just watch. Of course, most of the people we see on television are white, and certainly most of the people we see in positive roles on television are white. This constant bombardment on our young black boys is destructive. One of the reasons why I don’t let my children watch television is because I don’t want them to think that white people are the standard of beauty and I don’t want them to think that white is always right.

In consequence of this heavy dose of television watching, they never develop a pattern of progress and success for their own lives, thus making their lives feel and appear inferior. The more you conquer, succeed, and prosper, the more competent and confident you will become.

A third reason for this feeling of inferiority among young black men is because many do not pursue more knowledge. I didn’t say education. Unfortunately, knowledge and education are not necessarily the same in our society. Be that as it may, the more knowledge that you have, the more confidence you will have. It is trite, but true – KNOWLEDGE IS POWER — and, may I say, huge power. Knowledge puts a smile on your face and a pep in your step that is unmistakable. Now when I speak of knowledge and confidence, I don’t speak of this haughty, snobbish and proud attitude that can come with knowledge. For Saint Paul said it well: “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth” (I Corinthians 8:1). No, I am speaking of the humble gaining of bold, loving, and biblical confidence.

No matter where we come from, what side of the tracks we live on, how rich or poor, we as young black men can and must have the confidence and boldness to accomplish great things that God designed for us to do.

Out of all of the billions of folks who have been born into this world, there is no one like you; and there is no one who can do what you can do.

No one is better than you. You are just as good as anyone else,

Daniel

P.T.: “I did not equate my self-worth with my wins and losses.” —Arthur Ashe

“The most important thing I have to fight as a black person in an oppressive, racist society is what I think about myself.” —Mark Mathabane

“With a spirit straining toward true self-esteem, the Negro must boldly throw off the manacles of self-abnegation and say to himself and the world: ‘I am somebody. I am a person. I am a man with dignity and honor. I have a rich and noble history.’” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If you respect yourself, it’s easier to respect other people.” —John Singleton

“I think one of my basic flaws has been a lack of self-esteem…always feeling like I had to do more. I never could do enough or be good enough.” —Max Robinson

A Praying Time

Yes, we know God’s people ought to pray all  the time. But these days are certainly ‘praying times.’ Why do I say that? Well, because we are living in perilous times, and perilous times call for men and women of God to rise up, stand together or stand alone, and be faithful in prayer to God.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:4-14)

Now, perhaps you are living in a fine house, in a quiet neighborhood, on the pleasant side of town. Perhaps you have steady employment, a loving spouse, and healthy children. Perhaps you have money to pay your bills, buy groceries, and even take two vacations a year. You attend church regularly; you pray for and are in a position to help the distant relative who is having some difficulties; you occasionally go golfing with the guys or shopping with the girls —in short, your life is going along just fine. Why, you ask, is this a praying time? Why do we need increased prayer activity in our world today? Well, my friend, there are many reasons why we are living in praying times. Let me share with you seven of the most important reasons why we need more prayer so we can have God’s power to fulfill His purpose and mission in our lives, our communities, and the world.

It is unfortunate that when we turn on the evening news to unwind after a long day, we are bombarded with the news of robberies, house invasions, murders, rapes, drug dealing and kidnappings. Hardly a day goes by without someone (or several people) in our own cities being affected by one of these criminal acts of violence. In this day and time, it is nothing to hear about a mother killing her child or a child killing his parents. It is nothing to hear of a husband and father going into his house, killing all the family members, and then killing himself. We live in a day and age when men not only want to sleep with men and women want to sleep with women, but men now want to marry men and women now want to marry women. Then these homosexuals want to adopt children and make them two-fold more a child of hell than themselves. Demons are running rampant in our society today. Indeed, my friend, this is a praying time.

Take a look at the statistics below to give you an idea of the type of criminal activities that are on the increase in the United States today.

Recent statistics show:

•    There were 360,000 robberies and 1,900,000 burglaries in one year.
•    There were 54,000 murders in one year.
•    There were 293,000 forcible rapes in one year.
•    There were 275,000 cases of aggravated assault in one year.
•    Nearly 69,000 children are abducted every year. (U.S. Census Bureau)

While these events may not have impacted your family directly (and there’s nothing to say that they won’t impact your family in the future),  they are certainly devastating to the relatives of those who these crimes happen to.

Before the Great Flood of Noah’s day, the Bible tells us that “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11). The type of violence that we see today, is the same type of violence that God saw on the earth before He decided to destroy the earth with water. In this case, God’s desire is for us to pray for those who are affected by these crimes so that they can be healed, saved and strengthened. I also believe God wants us to pray for the restraining of the demonic forces which drive the perpetrators of these crimes.

Christians and many on the conservative end of the political spectrum have long decried the increasing immorality in our society and culture. The sexual revolution of the 1960s gave many the excuse to engage in illicit sexual behavior — sex before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. While many claimed that the sexual revolution had a “liberating” effect on our culture, the reality is quite different. Please notice the sad statistics below:

•    There are approximately 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year.
•    About half of these cases occur in people between the ages of 15 and 24.
•    750,000 teen pregnancies occur each year.
•    Approximately 33% of females become pregnant before reaching the age of 20.
•    Early sexual activity and multiple partners are also associated with pain and suffering from broken relationships, a sense of betrayal and abandonment, confusion about romantic feelings, low or no self-esteem, depression, and impaired ability to form healthy long-term relationships. (Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons)

Further, according to the Barna Research Group’s survey of American attitudes in 2000:

•    60 percent of Americans consider it acceptable for unmarried people to cohabitate.
•    Nearly half of Americans (45 percent) consider abortion acceptable.
•    30 percent of Americans find homosexuality acceptable.
•    38 percent of the population approve of pornography.
•    42 percent of Americans say extramarital sex is okay.
•    And, according to a 2003 edition of Newsweek magazine, marriage therapists estimate that among their clients, 30-40 percent of married women have had sex with someone they aren’t married to and 50 percent of men have done the same.

These shocking numbers lead to my next point as to why we are living in praying times:

I am quite sure that you have heard the devastating statistic of over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce. This is a sad state of affairs in our country. During the 20th century, the divorce rate skyrocketed by 700%: in 1900, there were 56,000 divorces but in 1992, there were 1,200,000 (1.2 million). According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, within six months of their marriage, 50% of newlyweds begin to doubt that their marriage will last.

The failure of marriages does not only affect the husbands and wives, but it affects the children in a deep and damaging way. Not only are 25% (22 million) of the children in the United States growing up in a single-parent household, but 14 million homes in the U.S. are headed by single parents. This number has not gone down since 1994. Additionally, notice the following statistics from Larry Bilotta’s “Marriage Success Secrets”:

•    Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of these, close to half will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage.
•    Among the millions of children who have seen their parents divorce, one of every 10 will also live through three or more parental marriage breakups.
•    Forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers.
•    Studies in the early 1980’s showed that children in repeat divorces earned lower grades and their peers rated them as less pleasant to be around. (In fact, in the news recently, the daughter of a well-known man who has been married and divorced several times, was convicted of killing a neighbor’s child.)
•    Teenagers in single-parent families and in blended families are three times more likely to need psychological help within a given year.
•    Compared to children from homes disrupted by death, children from divorced homes have more psychological problems.
•    Following divorce, children are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems than two parent families.
•    Most victims of child molestation come from single-parent households or are the children of drug ring members.
•    A child in a female-headed home is ten times more likely to be beaten or murdered.
•    People who come from broken homes are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who do not come from broken homes. (Marriage-Success-Secrets.com)

Friend, it is easy to see why families are in need of a great amount of intercession. Even if your marriage and family seem strong right now, seek out those families in your community who are on the rocks and make it your mission to pray for them daily.

Due to the media attention that natural disasters receive, we do not have to look hard to see that natural disasters or “acts of God,” (which is a legal term for calamities that happen in nature), affect human lives in unimaginable ways, from family members being killed or going missing, to people’s livelihoods being stripped away in one catastrophic moment. Think back to the tsunami which hit Indonesia and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean in 2004: over 230,000 people in 14 nations were killed and coastal communities were washed out by 100 foot waves.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast area of the United States: over 1,800 people died, and there was $81 billion in property damage. Skip forward to January 2010 and the earthquake in Haiti: according to reports, over 300,000 people were killed, another 300,000 were injured and over one million people were homeless after the disaster. That country still has not recovered.

The year 2011 was a heartbreaker for many in regards to natural disasters. The year began with devastating earthquakes in Argentina and China. It is also interesting to note (even though these probably do not qualify as natural disasters) that there were some strange occurrences with animal life during the early part of 2011. Some of these were:

•    More than 1,000 dead birds fell from the sky in Arkansas (January 2).
•    Dead fish covered a 20-mile section of the Arkansas River (January 2).
•    Thousands of birds were found dead in Louisiana, Manitoba (Canada), and South America (January 3).
•    100 tons of dead fish washed up on Brazil’s shores (January 4).
•    40,000 crabs were found dead on England’s beaches (January 6).

We could go on with more examples. But beyond this, on March 11, a massive earthquake struck eastern Japan. It also spawned a fierce tsunami with waves over 120 feet high that stretched as far as six miles inland. Over 15,000 people were killed and 8,000 people were missing. This earthquake also impacted the world’s economy as  Japan is the third largest economy. Japan has yet to recover.

More recently, in the spring of 2011, the Mississippi River flooded more than it has at any other time in the past century. Over 350 people were killed in the accompanying storms and thousands of homes were evacuated. During the same time, a massive storm system spawned hundreds of extremely destructive killer tornadoes that spread across the Midwest, Southeast, and unusually in the Northeast parts of the United States. Nearly 1000 people were killed because of these tornadoes, and 2011 has already been named the deadliest year for tornadoes in U.S. history, and we are only at the halfway point of the year.

In this case, it is easy to see why increased natural disasters are a cause for more prayer. The victims of these disasters need God’s strength and help as they face difficult days—and years—of burying loved ones, salvaging what remains of their lives, and, in many cases, starting all over again.

The fifth reason why the people of God need to realize that these are praying times is because the world is becoming an increasingly hostile and violent place. No, I do not mean just common civil violence, but large-scale wars are being fought and violent uprisings are taking place in different parts of the globe like never before. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched longer than World War II. Thousands of American, coalition, and civilian lives have been lost, and both countries still do not have stable governments.

Around the globe, wars and genocide have been happening with increasing frequency. A few of these are: the war in Darfur, the Israel-Lebanon war, the Mexican drug war, the war in Somalia, the ongoing Cambodian-Thai standoff, the  ancient struggle between Israel and the Palestinians, the Israel-Gaza war, and Russia’s invasion of Georgia. Dangerous regimes, such as those in Iran and North Korea also threaten regional peace and global stability. On top of that, acts of terrorism (oftentimes influenced by radical Muslim doctrines) have become shockingly frequent occurrences. In 2007 alone, the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center counted 14,499 acts of terrorism which left 22,685 people dead and 44,310 people injured. This is up from 2004, where only 3,259 acts of terrorism were recorded.

In addition to wars and terrorist activities, 2011 has seen what many are calling the “Arab Spring” — a rash of uprisings (many of which have, at times, turned violent in nature) in the Middle East and North Africa led by people calling for greater freedom from totalitarian governments.

Jesus Christ warned us in Matthew 24:6 that we would see “wars and rumours of wars” as the end times draw near. The prayers of the people of God should go up unceasingly for the peace of every nation around the globe, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the salvation of the millions of souls who need to find not only freedom from oppressive regimes, but true spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The sixth reason why these times call for increased prayer activity is because, frankly and unfortunately, the church has failed in its fulfillment of the Great Commission. While the world has grown more interconnected through the use of the internet, television, cellphones, and other mass media, many churches have unfortunately withdrawn into their own “Christian ghettoes” (according to a Christian minister in Germany) and have refused to reach out to the world around them. Thank God for those churches and ministries that have recognized the potential and jumped into this brave new world and are doing all they can to win souls for Christ. However, according to the Barna Group, nearly one quarter of Americans do not attend church and have no affiliation with a church family.

Beyond the Great Commission, the church has also failed in making the teachings of the Bible clear to the present culture. Many Christian “leaders” are guilty of watering down the Gospel, being unclear on matters that the Bible speaks clearly on, and stripping Biblical doctrine down to happy go lucky theology that will make any adherent healthy, wealthy, and (hopefully) wise. This is evidenced by the relatively low number of Americans who hold to traditional Christian beliefs.
According to the Barna Group,

•    Currently, just one-third of Americans strongly disagree that Jesus sinned (37%) and just one-quarter strongly reject the idea that Satan is not a real spiritual being (24%).
•    Currently two-thirds of Americans believe that God is best described as the all-powerful, all-knowing perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today (66%). However, this proportion is lower than it was a year ago (71%) and represents the lowest percentage in more than twenty years of similar surveys.
•    Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life.
•    Only one-third of 8-12 year olds say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life.

Friend, next time you pray for the church, pray that God would reignite the fire in the hearts of Christians everywhere to love, live, preach, and serve as Jesus did — and then go out and do those things yourself.

It goes without saying that our world is turning into an increasingly secular place. Many individuals are giving up traditional beliefs in God for New Age spiritualism, occult activities, agnosticism, or atheism. Notice the following disturbing statistics:

•    Over 20 million people in the United States say they have ‘no faith.’
•    Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity.
•    According to experts, nine countries of the world are already on the verge of making Christianity nearly extinct: Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland.

Our world is changing in sometimes surprising and very destructive ways. Unless we, the people of God, stand together and form a firewall of intercessory prayer in our society, not only will God’s judgment destroy our country and our world, but our country and the world will begin to destroy itself from the inside out.

Crosses of Calvary

I have a lot to be thankful for. God has truly blessed me. Again, I can say with my Dad, “God has smiled on me.” The Lord has shown me great favor and mercy down through the years, and not only me, but my entire family, and everyone living today. If you are alive, you have a lot for which to be thankful. I have the blessings of health and strength.

I have the blessing of many beautiful and healthy children. I have the blessing of a beautiful wife and a son and daughter born on my birthday. I enjoy the blessings of good food to eat, clothes to wear and a place to stay. Since I first preached this devotional message, in a small church, in a little city called Apalachicola, Florida, nearly twenty years ago, I have been serving the Lord full-time, and God has taken care of me, my wife and our seven children by faith in Him. God has been good to me and it has been a joy serving Him. However, the person I thank God the most for is His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Here is why:

First, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He gave His Life that I might have Eternal Life.

He died so that I could have eternal life. He gave His life so that I could have life more abundantly. I thank God for the “blood that shall never lose its power.” Notice what the Bible says:

“Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” —Isaiah 53:1-6

Jesus Christ took my sin and shame upon Himself and allowed Himself to be crucified so that I could go free. I thank God for Jesus Christ!

Second, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He keeps me by His grace.

Because of the keeping power of Jesus Christ, through His grace, my salvation is secure.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” —John 10:27-30

I thank God for the comforting security that we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord, through the grace of God. In the words of the preacher of preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “It is all of grace.”

Third, Jesus Christ also keeps us from falling.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” —Jude 24

Praise God, He has the power to keep us from falling. If we fall, it is because we allow ourselves to. The Lord is able to keep us from falling.

Fourth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because, in His grace, mercy and love, He is still working on me.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
—Ephesians 2: 8-10

There was a popular song, years ago, entitled: “Don’t Judge Me Yet, God is Still Working On Me.” Thank God He is still working on me by the power of His Holy Spirit and through His Word; and thank God He is still working on you as well.

Fifth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He is constantly interceding for me.

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” —Hebrews 7:25

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” —I John 2:1

It’s a wonderful feeling to have anyone praying for you, but it’s a special blessing to know that the Lord Himself is praying for you.

Sixth, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He said He will never leave me nor forsake me.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” —Hebrews 13:5

Friends will forsake you, family will forsake you, but, thank God, Jesus Christ will never leave you nor forsake you.

Finally, I thank God for Jesus Christ because He has promised to come back to get me and all who believe in Him, and He will gather us unto Himself into glory.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” —John 14:1-3

Are we not living in perilous times? Doesn’t it appear that we are living in the last days? I don’t know about you, but I am so glad the Lord is coming back soon to get us out of this mess.

My question to you, dear friend, is, Are you going back with Him? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Do you thank God for Jesus Christ because He died on the cross for your sins? Do you believe in Him? Do you trust Him? Do you depend upon Him to save you from Hell? If not, why not trust Him today?

God’s Word says:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” —Acts 16:31

Pray and ask Jesus Christ to save you today, and you, too, will thank God for Jesus Christ.

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” —2 Corinthians 9:15

Black Church

While growing up in a very religious and church-going family, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now to me and my peers, “Being Saved” was a rather spooky and mystical thing, and only the real holy folk could be such — whatever it was. I was under the impression that anyone who went up and took the chair after the preacher said, “The do-o-o-rs of the church are open,” was saved. And then, if a person got baptized he got a little more saved. And then, if they really got a dose of this “Being Saved” stuff, they would follow a set of rules like not drinking and smoking. These really saved folk would also engage in shouting and/or speaking in some unknown tongue on Sunday mornings. Now if a person was considered a hard case, he would have to be put on the mourner’s bench until he saw a vision or felt some kind of a change. Then, he was considered saved.

Even though I was raised in this religious environment, I was still rather doubtful about this thing called “Being Saved.” I just could not buy what people said “Being Saved” was. I always had questions in my mind about this matter such as: Saved from what? Saved to what? Was a person saved to live a sinless life? Could a person ever lose this “savedness”? If so, how and at what point? It wasn’t until I was a grown man and in the Air Force that these questions, along with a host of others were answered. I finally found out what it really meant to be saved according to the Holy Scriptures. Allow me to share with you what “Being Saved” really means. But first, let me share with you what it does not mean…

WHAT “BEING SAVED” DOES NOT MEAN

I am a firm believer that before a person can fully grasp and appreciate truth, error must be exposed for what it is: error. Here are some things many believe “Being Saved” is, but is not:

1. Having your name on a church roll does not mean that you are saved. A person may be a good standing and long standing member of a very fine church. He may attend that church faithfully. But if he hasn’t been saved, he will go to Hell with the vilest of sinners. For the Bible states in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

2. Being baptized will not save you. There are many baptized people in Hell. I was baptized at the age of twelve, but I didn’t get saved until I was nineteen. Baptism is a very important aspect of the Christian’s life, but one should only get baptized after one has been saved. This is to testify to others that you are identifying with Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. The penitent thief on the cross was saved, but he never got baptized before he died. The Apostle Paul told some Corinthian believers this in I Corinthians 1:17: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Brother Paul would not have made that statement if baptism was necessary for “Being Saved.”

3. Being able to speak in an unknown tongue does not prove that one is saved. Speaking in tongues is not evidence of being saved. In I Corinthians chapter 12, Paul asked some rhetorical questions regarding the gifts of the Spirit that demanded some very obvious answers: “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” The obvious answer to these questions is an emphatic NO! If everyone does not have the gift of tongues, it stands to reason that tongues are not necessary to be saved.

4. Trying to keep the law, much religious activity, and keeping the Golden Rule will not save you. One can’t keep the law because all have broken the law at some point in their lives. For the Bible states in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” One may be a preacher, a deacon, an usher and still not be saved. One could shout, dance, sing in the choir, work on every auxiliary in the church and still die and go to Hell. Why? Because religious activity, no matter how much, no matter how sincere, does not save a soul. For the Bible says in Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

5. Seeing a vision or feeling a change at some time in your life is not a basis for “Being Saved”. True salvation is not based on sight or emotions, but rather on the eternal, infallible Word of God: the Bible. Now the Holy Scriptures state in the book of II Corinthians and Hebrews respectively that”We walk by faith and not by sight…” and “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

6. To be born into a religious family does not assure that you are saved. Just because your grandparents and parents are saved or religious does not mean that you are automatically saved yourself. It is a fearful truth that every man will have to stand before the Judge of the universe for himself. Psalm 49:7 states: “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him…”

In short, none of the above are ways of “Being Saved.” There is only one way of being saved. Allow me to share it with you now.

WHAT “BEING SAVED” REALLY MEANS

Error being exposed, truth can glisten like a beautiful diamond on the backdrop of black velvet. In order for one to be truly saved, one must first:

1. Recognize the fact that he needs to be saved. Or realize that he is a sinner and totally unable to save himself. Let’s face a cold, hard fact. We all have sinned. We all have done something wrong in our lifetime. Everyone born into this world since Adam, with the exception of Jesus Christ, has transgressed the Word of God. The Bible states in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not.” And the Bible also says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

2. Second, one must realize the fact that there is a horrible punishment for those not saved. That penalty, that punishment, is a place called Hell. Hell is as real as the house you live in, the clothes you wear, the water you drink. Now, whether you believe that there is a Hell or not, it really doesn’t matter because your unbelief will not change the fact that there is a Hell. For the Bible says, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” If you would investigate the Holy Scriptures, you would find a myriad of verses regarding that awful place. For example, King David said in Psalm 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God.”Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:22b: “…Whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire.” He also stated in Matthew 25:41: “Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” So, friend of mine, there is a very severe punishment for the unsaved and their sins. And that is a place called HELL.

3. The third thing that we must recognize is that God loves us very, very much. God is “not willing that any should perish” (II Peter 3:9). God loves us so much that He gave His only Son. As the Bible states: “…God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Someone once said, “That if anybody ought to want to go to Heaven, it ought to be black folk with all the trouble we’ve seen.” So if it is our desire to bypass that awful place called Hell (and it should be), we need to realize that God loves us more than we love ourselves. And He has made a way for us to escape. And that is by simply believing in the person and accomplished work of Jesus Christ, plus nothing, minus nothing. Now the way for us to apply this to our own lives is to be willing to repent (that is to change our minds about sin), and do as Romans 10: 9-13 says: to simply believe with your heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will. Romans 10: 9-13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you are willing to trust Christ as your Saviour, please pray with me the following prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Amen.