Survival of the Fittest!

Well yesterday we started this discussion about life. Through looking at the lives of Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus we found out that although life may throw you to be surprised at times, we can handle those things diligently if we would choose to put things in the right priority.
    Well today we're going to go a little further with using the lives of Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus to show how life is also about survival. In Matt.10:22 Jesus tells us, "And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But those who endure tot he end will be saved." Both of these great men teach us about survival through the type of life that they lived and the things that they did. They were both spit on and humiliated as they marched from town to town for what was right. There was a lot that they had to endure in order for them to make the difference that has been made by them taking a stand. Dr. MLK Jr.stood for equality and justice for all, regardless of race, creed or background. Jesus came and was the ultimate sacrifice for each and everyone of us as we were headed and on our way to hell.
   We have to realize that things in our life may not always go the way we plan for it to. We won't always have what we want and some people won't always do what they said they would do. Even from this scripture Jesus have already told us that we will be hated because of the allegiance that we have with Him, but we can rest assure that if we stay committed to God and be in allegiance with Him then our life will be more rewarding than we could ever imagine, because by no means was there ever promised to us a problem free life. Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus both knew that the road they were about to travel was going to be very rewarding in the end, but I'm sure they also knew that it was going to come with some pain. They knew it was going to come with some heartache and suffering, but they also knew that they had to survive for the greater good of what they were called to do. Please understand that we were called to do something far greater than what we could even probably imagine, but we just have to be willing to tap into that which we've been called to and then step out on faith to start making it happen.
   Trust and understand that life itself isn't easy, but truly in order for us to make it through this life and for us to be the person in whom God has called us to be, it is so very important that we survive. Not just survive in order that we might make it but also survive for those who are depending on us to make it. The words to Hezekiah Walker's song says it best:
 "I need you, you need me.
  We're all a part of God's body.
  Stand with me, agree with me.
  We're all a part of God's body.
  It is his will, that every need be supplied.
  You are important to me, I need you to survive." Be blessed! -AJH

Caught by surprise!

        Today we celebrate the life of a person who made history by stepping out to take a stand for his people. One that worked for equality amongst those of different races and backgrounds. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us a lot through his life and even more after his death. He reminds me of Jesus. No, I'm not saying that MLK was the Savior, but I will say that they both taught us a lot about life. Life will be our focus for the next few weeks. I have found that it is one of the hardest things that we as a people deal with and it's why so many are doing the crazy things that they do. It's the reason why people are taking their own life or the life of someone else. The things that are going on today happen more so because we have lost what the true value of life is really all about. We have lost the value of life because those that are suppose to be responsible for teaching us are not doing their part and we aren't doing ours to make sure we are being taught the right way. We have to understand that life comes with a lot of things and if we don't understand those things then we will continue to have a lot of problems as a people concerning life.
       Life is defined as, the total substance of a person's existence. In a sense it is all of the things that you do, whether good or bad, that we/others use to define who we are. Like I said the substance can be good or it can be bad, but we have to understand that life is so much more than just a substance. The 1st thing we will talk about is how life can be shocking/surprising.
      Luke 12:15-21 NLT says, "Then Jesus said, 'Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.' And he gave an illustration: 'A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."
     We can learn a lot here in this passage but today we will only deal with one area. It doesn't say it here but because of a humans natural instinct and the way we think, if it had been us in the illustration then we would've been shocked/surprised to know that all the thinking and work that we had done was really a waste of time because we just found out that tonight we are about to die. We hadn't planned on sharing anything with anyone or even trying to see whom we could help, but we were only focused on our own needs, desires and wants. Yes we would've been totally shocked and surprised. You know it's sad, but true, that we as a people have gotten so entangled with having only the finer things in life or more than enough, that the majority of us don't even care about the welfare of others anymore, which has led us to be surprised/shocked when certain things happen here in America or over in another country like Haiti.          Understand that there is nothing wrong with having nice things or even having more than enough, but please know that life is about so much more than just material things. MLK Jr. and Jesus both displayed this to us through the way they lived their lives and how they were willing to take a stand for people. They weren't caught by surprise nor shocked when things went the way they did because they understood and knew what life was really all about. The mistake that most of us make/have made is that we have gotten caught up in things and other stuff, which ended up leaving us surprised about how our life is going/has gone thus far. In order for us to stop going through this period of shock/surprise then we must continuously prepare ourselves for our ultimate future. Your ultimate future should not be based on how much money you have, what position/title you hold, your status in life or who does or does not like you, but it should be based on you having a rich relationship with Christ because without that even if you had all the things in the world that you wanted you still wouldn't be happy. If you would only change your perspectives and priorities then the things that God can/will allow to happen in your life will no longer shock you or catch you by surprised. Be Blessed! -AJH

"Beneath the Surface"

Welcome to this new beginning of "Beneath the Surface." This is a new journey that I embark upon and I would hope that you are ready for the ride. Many times in life we are faced with some situations that are beyond our control. We have no sense or idea why things are happening the way they are and when we seek out to people for answers we tend to get the same advice that the last person told us. Therefore we find ourselves still being stuck without really knowing which way to go when we leave because we haven't been challenged to do something different or because we have become dependent on that person instead of depending on God. Well I can't say that I have all of the answers to life's problems but I know the One who does. God has every answer we need but we can only receive it if we are willing to go beyond the surface of our problems and really deal with the root(s) of our issues. Well that is what "Beneath the Surface" will be all about. I'm going to take you beneath the surface of some of the issues that we all face in life and prayerfully give you the direction that you need in order to make a turn around. Not only just in life but we're even going to go deeper into the Word of God so that we might begin to have a better understanding of what God might be saying to us through His word, because many times we miss some of the key elements that we should get out of the Scriptures. I believe it's time out for us being comfortable with the way things are and have been in life for so long. Paul said in Philippians 4:8-9 "And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." It's time for us to go beyond the surface in God's Word so that we can Worship & Praise him like He fully deserves and that this World & our Lives might become better. I hope you're ready for the ride. Be blessed. -AJH