THE FAMILY PIT

          One of my favorite O.T. bible characters is Joseph. His life seemed to be a continuous downward spiral from bad to worse and he ended up victorious. However, the unique thing about Joseph is he was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by family members.

Many of us can relate to Joseph, because we are incarcerated by and made slaves to the very people closes to us.  I mean we’ve accepted the limitations others have labeled us with. We naively believe those that say “you will end up just like you’re father”.  Some of us believe if family members died with cancer then our fate is to die with cancer. Others consider themselves to be victims of their neighborhoods, or their racial orientation and label themselves as worthless .

I want you to know you don’t have to be incarcerated by your environment nor do you have to stay in the pit of generational curses. God did not put here simply to keep a negative family trait active. I believe you were put here to change the family trait and pull the next generation of family members out of the pit.

Joseph was thrown in a pit by his brothers because of the favor he had with their father, and the dreams God had shown him. There are family members that will destroy your dream. Some honestly love you and don’t want to see you make a mistake.  Others won’t support you because they’d rather control you.

Maybe you’re the family member that speaks negativity into others.  Perhaps you’ve not taken time to listen to others dreams and plans. Are you going to be poison or fertilizer? Are you gonna be dream-fire that consumes others dreams or will you be dream-fuel that accelerates them?

What seemed to be a downward spiral in Joseph’s life was actually God’s chosen path to purpose. He was able to enjoy the victory because he endured the hardship. He lived a life pleasing to God and not once did he make an excuse.  His final testimony to his brothers was “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good”.

Don’t be discouraged by your surroundings. I know it may not look like what God has promised, but it’s all working for your good. You are not who people, your environment, or even your last name says you are. You are who God says you are.

ARVIE'S S.T.A.R (Special Thanks and Recognition)

Special thanks to Pastor/Moderator  Matthew Alfred Jr. and the St. Joseph Baptist for allowing me the honor of preaching their 89^th year Church Annual Celebration.

Thanks to Min. M. Ferguson for filling in for me this Sunday morning at St. Luke B.C.

 I want to recognize the Health Ministry of S.J.B.C.  They are preparing for our 1^st Community Health Fair. Let’s set a standard of excellence. 9/21/13

 Special recognition to the Ebenezer Baptist Church Youth staff.  I’m excited to spend two nights in revival at the church I grew up in… Looking forward to being with you.

HE MEANT IT FOR MY GOOD

           My most difficult test of faith by far, came during the birth of my first born son. Under-developed heart & lungs, cleft lip & pallet are parts of a long list of medical problems that so harshly welcomed Reginald Jr. into the world.

 I was twenty years old in my rookie year of preaching and the minister of music Ebenezer B.C. where my father pastors. Although in one of the best hospitals in Louisiana, I was helpless. Though surrounded by the love and support of family, I felt lonely.

As I reflect back on this painful season, I recognize God’s fingerprints. He molded me into the individual I am today. Any valley walker will tell you that there are certain things you will learn only while in the valley. Any storm survivor will tell you there are valuable lessons learned in the storm. Here are a few of the things I learned while in my storm.

I’M NOT SUPERMAN

• God can touch an area in our lives that will produce true dependency on him. Many people don’t worship sincerely until/unless their in a storm.

STRETCHING YOU IS GROWING YOU

• The toughest problem in my life produced stronger prayer in my life. During the time of searching, praying, & believing (even after Doctors had given bad reports) God was stretching my faith while in unfamiliar territory.

• I was growing in wisdom, worship, and the word. You’re elevation is connected to your meditation.

• When you feel like you’re about to break, he’ll stretch you even more.  1 Cor. 10:13 “... God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you   can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."(NIV)

 DON’T LET YOUR PROBLEMS OUTWEIGH YOUR PRAISE.

·         During this stretching season, I changed from musician to worshiper. The realization that God was the ONLY one that could heal my son led me to tap into his presence in a greater way.

      ·         My problem became the birthing place of anointing. During that season, I began to write songs that we would sing during service and later produced two CDs’. People were touched, blessed, and ushered into God’s presence by the music produced by pain.

 

Doctors gave my son a discouraging percentage of survival and in the case that he did survive the numerous heart & facial surgeries, the trauma alone would leave him confined to bed or wheelchair. “But God” allowed me to witness the kind of miracle I’d only previously read about. Reginald Jr. is currently a totally healed, healthy & handsome 15yr old following in his father’s musical footsteps.

 

 

 

 

ARVIE'S S.T.A.R. (Special Thanks and Recognition)

Special thanks to Min. Joseph Gallow & Min. McKinley Ferguson for preaching this past week while I was out. I've gotten great feedback.

Special recognition to S.J.B.C. Hopeful Heart Nurses that are prepping to host our 1st Community Wide Health Fair.

Special recognition to Sis. Marquettiea Henry and L.E.G.O. Min. for young girls. They had their meet & greet this past weekend and successfully sparked a flame of spiritual motivation in the teenage girls. It'll be greater later.

Started the Fall Semester at Caskey School Of Divinity this past weekend. Classes in Proclaiming the Pentateuch  and Proclaiming the Gospels and Acts....





NOTES FROM SUNDAY'S SERMON

Text: Rom. 1:18-21
Title: No More Excuses

I.    Unrighteousness Reveals The Wrath of God        vs. 18a
II.   Unrighteousness Restrains The Truth of God       vs. 18b
III.  God's Spirit Removes Excuses of Man                 vs. 19-20

THE WAITING GAME

Let me paint the picture for you. You’re walking out of the doctor’s office after having just run a series of test. The doctor has given you a list of possible diagnosis and outcomes, but nothing definite. His last words are “we’ll just have to wait & see what the results are.”

 Maybe it’s the week before your much needed vacation from work, and you’re full of excitement as you sit daydreaming of the getaway, the fun, or just  the rest & relaxation that eagerly waits.

Waiting, in my opinion is one of the most uncomfortable scriptural commands given to the believer. Whether you’re waiting on something good, or bad to occur, waiting is just hard to do. Anxiety, stress, or even excitement seemingly brings you to a point of frustration and can even disrupt your day to day function.

 All of us at one time or another have taken the same problem to bed more times than we expected. All of us have asked God to move in our lives and his answer was obviously to wait. What reasons would God want us to wait when the clock seem to be ticking away?

 

God is Sovereign

 The word sovereign means God is independent with complete power and authority. Simply put, he can do what he wants, when he wants, how he wants because he is God. You see, when we do things, we have to wait to see the outcome, but God does things because he already knows the outcome. He knows his plans for our lives. Maybe it’s not your time. If you are a believer, you need to rely on the sovereignty of God who knows what’s best for us.

 

 God is Strategic

 Waiting on God means you’re in transition. Transition can bring about frustration. When in seasons of frustration, human nature wants to cry out “Lord please deliver me” but God has a strategy at work in our life. Before he delivers you from the storm, he wants to develop you in the storm. Your storm is the womb of your faith. James says the trying of your faith produces patience. Believers need to realize they are coming out of the storm stronger, and wiser than when they went in.

 

 God is Glorified

 When my daughter was younger, she would come to my desk and shuffle things around while I tried to prepare sermons. As soon as I set things back in order, she’d mess it up again. I finally allowed her to entertain herself until she’d get tired. Once she was sleeping, I could set things back in order and complete my work. Many of us try everything in our own power to deliver ourselves. The problem with that is when God has things arranged, we come in and mess it up. If we get the hook up, call some friend or family member to help us, then we’ll be tempted to give them credit for pulling us out. God will allow us to remain in a situation until we’ve exhausted ourselves & all of our lifelines and come to rest on him. Believers need to know God will allow us to suffer in-spite of our best efforts or the help of others, so that we and others will know that he ALONE gets the glory.

 

My dad says “Every storm has an expiration date that only God knows. We just have to wait.” Waiting is not easy but is essential to the development of every Christian. What have you prayed for that has not happened yet? What issue has been the subject of your daily prayer? Have you turned it completely over to the Lord?

Isaiah 40:31 (King James Version) ³¹But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint