Love Made a Way

"...Love never fails....But the greatest of these is love...." (1 Corinthians 13:8, 13)

Throughout the years, Love always lifted those who simply needed a helping hand or someone to validate their God-given worth.

Through skill and giftedness, Love literally provided others with unique windows of opportunity, leaving a lasting impression on architectural landmarks in the city of Dallas, Texas.

Just last week when a young mother towing a car full of children was stranded on a Dallas road, tragedy lurked moments away, threatening to take her life and possibly those in her vehicle.  But Love made a way...

Michael Anthony Love, one of my husband's fraternity brothers and childhood friends, lived unselfishly and died courageously, giving of himself and ultimately giving his life to help someone else.  

He truly lived up to his name. Just look at the various meanings associated with his name:

• Michael--a rhetorical question, "Who is like God?"             
• Anthony--worthy of praise, priceless one
• Love--unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2): brotherly concern for others

"He covered me with his body," the young woman recalled in a news report about the tragic turn of events.  "If he hadn't covered me with his body, the car would've hit me."  The car that was headed to wipe out that young mother and possibly all the children in her car, hit Michael Anthony Love instead.

Love took the blow because that's what Love does, that's what Love is....

"Love suffers long and is kind...." (1 Corinthians 13:4).

How often has God sent Love our way, changing the very course of our lives, and yet we insist on returning to our regularly scheduled programs already in progress?  When God sends His Love our way, our schedule is interrupted and we can never be the same.

Take a moment to read the news story about the tragic yet heroic death of Michael Anthony Love.  As you read it, reflect on how different your life would have been had the Lord not covered you with His body and blood.  

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/22046636/police-still-searching-for-hit-and-run-driver-who-killed-good-samaritan#.UXXNs-vU6Ac.email#ixzz2RRFvxwfC

No one is promised tomorrow, so take time to thank God that at least for today you are still on this side of glory because Love Made a Way....

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Freed 'em First / Freedom First

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 marked the 151st anniversary of the District of Columbia Emancipation Compensation Proclamation, an act that freed the slaves in the District of Columbia in 1862, at least nine months before the nationwide Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1,1863.

DC slaveowners were paid approximately $300 per slave, about $1 million in total, as compensation for releasing their slaves, making the slaves in the District of Columbia the first African-Americans to be freed.

It is certainly fitting that the nation's capital led the way in dismantling the abhorrent institution that continues to scar our nation today.  I was thankful to learn that in recent years, DC reinstituted a celebration of the historic Proclamation, complete with a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue just as it was done in the 1860s.

I was also honored to participate in a prayer breakfast where I had an opportunity to hear from Civil Rights legends such as Dick Gregory and the Rev. Al Sharpton reflect on the impact of the Proclamation. If you think you know Rev. Sharpton based on the sound bites you hear from him in the media, you simply must hear him preach an entire message.  When you hear his messages in their full context, you will hear the voice of a proud, intelligent, well-informed, insightful, witty, courageous clarion for justice, which is a far different picture than what you may conclude if you only hear his comments in bits and pieces.  His messages don't translate well in sound bites and must be taken in their entirety to be fully understood and appreciated.

During his keynote address, he reminded us not to be ashamed and not to hold back in sharing the story of the strength and triumphs of African-Americans with younger generations to give them a healthy sense of pride and to spur them on to continue our legacy of excellence. We were also cautioned not to let Hollywood movies become our history teacher, leaving young people with the impression that the advancements African-Americans have achieved have come only through the benevolence of benefactors instead of through the blood sweat and tears of a lot of people--black and white--who stood up to injustice, even to the point of death.

Rev. Sharpton shared a story about a man who emphatically told him that civil rights didn't open any doors for him because the man's own intellect and ivy league degrees built his success.  Rev. Sharpton explained that the man's intellect and degrees may have, indeed, built his wonderful resume, but Civil Rights made sure that someone actually read his wonderful resume. No one's success is built exclusively on their own merits--someone else has to value that success whether it's a potential customer or prospective employer or others.  That gentleman certainly wasn't the first qualified black man, there were many who came long before him and many may have been far more qualified than him. Being qualified only gets you to the door, justice and the grace of God get you through the door.

We don't want to dwell in the past, for we have made tremendous strides since the days of slavery, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement--strides that simply would not have occurred without individual, collective, and even governmental efforts.  But, we also don't want to gloss over our nation's history as we move forward.  Moving forward is the only way we will live and thrive, but doing so in fast-forward mode, skipping past the heroic contributions of those who paved the way for us to move forward is reckless at best, and dangerous at worst.

Successive generations must always be made aware that freedom comes with a price.  In other words, freedom ain't free--bad grammar, but solid truth.  People risked their lives, reputations and all that they owned in order that I might be free to express my opinions through this blog and other mediums.  How tragic it would be for me to waste their generous gifts by using my gift of writing to compose things that get people off track spiritually, emotionally, sexually, financially or otherwise.

Whatever I do, I must keep freedom first--freedom for those bound by the spiritual and emotional shackles that continue to enslave us  I must keep freedom first by encouraging people to use their religious, social and economic  freedoms to fully pursue a relationship with God through Jesus Christ....for whom the Son sets free is free, indeed....

The various Proclamations helped to free the slaves physically and economically, but long before their shackles had been loosed, the slaves understood that they were people of dignity and worth because the blood of Jesus Christ freed 'em first!

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

I Believe in Miracles

Some of us love magic tricks.  As children, we were entertained and amazed by magicians who appeared to have special powers.  As we grew older, some of us figured out that the magic tricks were actually heavy on tricks and light on magic. Others of us never wanted to stop believing and just transferred our childhood awe and wonder of magic to modern-day illusionists like David Copperfield and David Blaine.

Magic is certainly entertaining, but after the magic show has come to an end, we are left with nothing more than fading memories of grand illusions and puzzling predicaments.  It's great to be entertained, but when life has you pressed up against a wall and there is nowhere to turn, the best a magic trick can do is take your mind off of your troubles for a moment.  When you need to be delivered, you need more than magic, you need a miracle.

Look at what happened in Acts 8:9-13 with the story of a sorcerer named Simon:

"But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God."And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done." Simon the sorcerer declared himself to be someone great and then appeared to back it up with amazing feats of magic.  The text says he astonished them for a long time.  Some of us have been believing in the wrong people and the wrong things for a long time.  We have been bewitched and bewildered and we don't even know it.... Thank God that despite the deceptive tricks of the enemy, if we truly desire truth in our hearts, we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. The Samarians had been hoodwinked and were essentially worshiping Simon, but when they listened to Philip preach the Good News and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, which was an outward sign of an inward miraculous change in their lives.  Their acceptance of Jesus Christ initiated the miraculous transformation that resulted in their salvation.  They moved beyond entertainment and into inner attainment. Some of us prefer to be entertained by whatever the latest music artist, actor or magician is offering.  We will faithfully buy their CDs, DVDs and whatever else is being sold in their name.  We will try to dress like them, get the same types of tattoos and piercings like them, even walk and talk like them in an attempt to find joy, meaning, and a sense of self. Yet, we don't realize that those trinkets and traits are as empty as a magician's hat when it comes to satisfying our souls.  Why do we readily believe a magician's trick, but refuse to believe the miracles of God? I love being amused and entertained, it's one of the simple joys in life.  But, I refuse to place more faith in entertainers than in God.  Some of us may not have intended to do that, but that's what has happened.  We dutifully obey a singer who says, "wave your hands in the air, and wave them like you just don't care...." but refuse to lift our hands in worship at church. We dream more about visiting Disneyland than we do about a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I have nothing against Mickey Mouse and I think Disneyland is a great place to visit.  But if I had to choose between the Magic Kingdom and the Kingdom of God, I would have to say, "Sorry Mickey, but the Magic Kingdom doesn't hold a candle to the miracles of THE Kingdom!" Enjoy all the magic that life has to offer, but be sure to embrace all the miracles awaiting you at God's altar. BNcouraged! Rev. Karen

Higher Learning?

Sometimes it seems that higher learning is sinking lower and lower.  To my dismay, I recently learned that my alma mater, the University of Southern California, recently hosted a forum with pornography stars and producers.  I can't even remember what the point of the forum was supposed to be, but it's really not important because, in my opinion, regardless of the alleged intent, the event was pointless.

If, in fact, there was a point to the event, it must have been to surreptitiously promote and legitimize something that appeals to the most base level of human emotions.  Pornography has one aim and one aim only--and trust me it's not higher learning.

Colleges and Universities are supposed to be places where young bright minds are strengthened, not distracted by the sometimes dangerous fantasies that pornography can promote.  I mean, let's be realistic.  After watching pornography or witnessing live sex acts (yes, that actually took place at another university) what are all these stimulated single 20-somethings supposed to do with all their charged-up hormones--head to the library for a long night of quiet, introspective study?  Probably not.  If we were talking about hosting the same session at a marriage retreat, that might be a different story--but we're not.

I can't say that I am surprised that there are individuals out there who get a cheap thrill off of using their positions of influence to stir up and exploit young impressionable minds.  After all, the exploitation of young impressionable minds is what fuels the pornography industry.  Most people's first exposure to porn is at a young age, sometimes extremely young. Those early images become etched into the mind and can develop into lifelong obsessions and impressions that can only be fulfilled on screen. 

Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe [to him] through whom they do come!" It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Luke 17:1-2

No, I'm not surprised that porn aficionados want to infect bright-eyed young people with their lusty old habits, I am, however, deeply disappointed that those in leadership at USC and other educational institutions have shamelessly abdicated their responsibility to strengthen the intellect and character of the world's future leaders in favor of  supporting an exploitative shock tactic thinly disguised as education.  It is absolutely incredible how those who support these activities manage to do so with a straight face.  It calls to mind images of adults getting their children high or drunk in the name of "educating" them about life.  Some "life" education will inevitably be caught, but should those "lessons" be sanctioned or taught?

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to destruction...." Proverbs 14:12

We can intellectualize and philosophize all we want about the "merits" of promoting pornography in the name of education, but do we really want to have a hand in sowing a seed in a young man or woman that later becomes a wedge between that individual and their spouse who simply cannot measure up to years of fantasies and fixations?  Do we really want to be party to a process that starts out with a 20-year-old in a provocative class and ends up with a mugshot of that student at age 40 being picked up for soliciting? Is it really being our brother's keeper when we support an industry that helps fuel the appetite for sex trafficking and the exploitation of under aged children?

As a minister, I have seen the best and worst of humanity and have dedicated my life to walking with people through the good and the bad.  I don't speak against these pornographic charades from some prudish perch, I speak against them because I am faced with the realities that are so easily ignored by those who make decisions based on what will benefit themselves, with no thought of the lasting impact on those whom they influence.

God gives us all a certain measure of influence and will hold us all accountable for how we use or abuse it. I pray that those in academia will remember that their positions and titles won't save them when they come face to face with God and have to answer for helping to lead our young people astray through a grossly misguided lowbrow attempt at higher learning.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen