The world I know...

Have you ever seen the beauty of a rainbow in the sky while you were staring into the mud at your feet?

What is the world that I know? The world I know is full of war, and famine and death... politics, underachievers, systematic decline. People hurting people just because they can. People taking advantage of others, for financial gain. What can we understand about the health of human society  based on the facts... based on the signs we see all around us? Is "the human condition" so bad that all hope is lost? Well, that depends on your point of view.

    As a person that sees the good in things (at least that's what I look for... sometimes I don't find what I'm looking for), I understand that it is all too easy to become overwhelmed by what the world would have me focus on. The trick for me is not to focus on the world, and the temporary, but on the things that have lasting value, the things that belong to the kingdom of God. I don't dismiss the fact that there are things in this world that are negative. I am not always successful in focusing on the positive. I do however understand this thing... that if I look for the negative, the negative is what I will find. That is the reason I choose to be "perpetually juvenile" in my search for the positive...because I want to see the good, I want to see the things of God revealed here on earth. Make no mistake my friends, the negative will always scream in your ear, while the positive whispers from your shoulder. Will you see the improvement in ethnic relations if you continue to focus on the hate crimes of 30, 40, 100 years ago?...of one day ago? No. will you see freedom found in God, the freedom from the chains that bind an addict, or an alcoholic, if you choose to focus on the addiction, and not on the freedom? No. Will you see the acceptance of thousands and thousands into God's kingdom if you focus on the mistakes made after salvation, rather than on the salvation? NO.

Have you ever seen the beauty of a rainbow in the sky while you were staring into the mud at your feet? ...no.

God is getting ready to do a thing. He is getting ready to once again bring into His kingdom a powerful concept; one that will free thousands of people from the chains that bind them. What is it?...

See Matthew 22:36-40.  'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment.And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

How do I know this? Am I a prophet? Am I a messenger? Am I a man so in tune with God that I know His thoughts? Well...look at scripture and see what God's word says if you happen to think I am any of those things. In my own mind, I am simply a man in love with God, and that because He loved me first. This is also the world I know... and it's a world I am understanding more and more.

   Simply put I am a man looking at the rainbow, and not at the mud.

      And that statement brings about the next question...what are you looking at?

Job title : Revolutionary

Approximately a year ago, our lead pastor, whom I have come to love like a brother, came to me and said that the church was looking for a worship leader full time, and that he had prayed over this, and that I was to be the one. At that time the economy was tanking and... well, the sacrifices we have all made are obvious. The church could not bring me on until everything evened out, all in God's good and perfect timing. A little over a month ago, Pastor Artie called me to the side one Sunday morning and told me to pack my bags, the time is right, let's give it one month...come on, let's go. After giving my employer the notice (4 weeks, cause I love those guys too), I officially became the worship leader at Cornerstone Community Church in Orangeburg, SC.
    Now, we have another worship leader in my very good friend Tracy D...love her too. There are also other vocalists that "lead" worship on individual songs...Faye, Judy, there are more... we are a family that praises together you might say. I tell you this so that I would not be given any undue credit...except for the fact that God has anointed me to do a particular thing. That thing is worship Him. After reading and learning and talking and learning, and praying and learning it all comes around to this one thing...for me, it's all about God, and His mercy and grace, afforded to me when I was still an enemy of God. Whatever life has in store for me... come what storms, or joy, I WILL WORSHIP HIM.I could talk about the guitar, my experiences that God has allowed me to go thru without getting myself shot, but it isn't about any of those things. It is about a God that loved me, enough to shed His son's blood on a cross. It is about the Son's desperate, passionate gladness to do His Father's bidding, and by doing so, showing His love for a lost and lonely world, of which in my eyes I was once among the worst of His detractors. I cannot help but become emotional, as I think of His great love for me. And so I worship. My Father, creator, redeemer, lover of my soul, my banner, my strength, my shield, my reward. My protector... I can't speak for anyone but me and my house. So I will.... we will serve the Lord God. I will serve Him.
As for a title... I don't know, I don't really care, "worship leader", "lead worshiper", "band director" whatever... my job is to worship God...and so is yours.
...and IF a title is required...let it be "revolutionary" because I want to worship God in a new, and revolutionary way....that's one of the reasons our praise team is called "Revolutions".... Peace out, and love the Lord ya'll, love the Lord.