Mayday ft. Big K.R.I.T & Ashthon Jones by Lecrae
Real Talk – Stay Prayed Up
Matthew 26:36-46 NIV
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Disclaimer: I speak in the second person (you) because a lot of times I am speaking to myself. David used to speak to himself (Psalm 42:5) and found strength in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6). And I give myself “pep talks” similarly. Just a few words spoken out loud, like “Let’s go”. It helps get through the day.
In summary, I do not have a license to preach the gospel, but I could pursue one. I think an exam may be available with the state or I could be sponsored by a church if I continued to go seriously once again.
Why is it important to stay prayed up? Gospel swag? Perhaps a way to make worshiping Jesus cool?
Because there really is a spiritual threat in the atmosphere. It is what you may have been taught at some churches. You may not agree, and spiritually fall asleep, similar to what is mentioned in these verses. Only to be faced with the same problem (potentially) years later. Was the training you received in vain? How long did it take to bring yourself back up to par? Are you the dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14 that need the breath of God to come alive and reassemble, piece by piece, becoming an army for the Lord’s purpose once again?
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com
Repeat Right Now – Come Alive
Come Alive by Lauren Daigle
Real Talk – Jesus Wept
John 11:35 NIV
35 Jesus wept.
Disclaimer: I speak in the second person (you) because a lot of times I am speaking to myself. David used to speak to himself (Psalm 42:5) and found strength in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6). And I give myself “pep talks” similarly. Just a few words spoken out loud, like “Let’s go”. It helps get through the day.
In summary, I do not have a license to preach the gospel, but I could pursue one. I think an exam may be available with the state or I could be sponsored by a church if I continued to go seriously once again.
In John 11:1-44, Jesus wept when he arrived at Mary and Martha. They let Him know that he was late, and Lazarus had died. He began to weep because he cared so deeply. But if you think about it, He needed to be late, because God’s plan all along was for the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead.
Is it wrong for a man to cry? Is it a matter of having a high Emotional Quotient? Or the result of being emotionally abused? What makes a sensitive kid? Could a person be put under such duress that the result is tears? Could a narcissistic person weep for another?
I am a man and I cry often. I have no excuse. I try to apply reason to the cause (above 🙄). But really as a Christian, Jesus should be my only model as the ultimate sacrifice. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com
Grow Up, Charlie Brown
I typed up this short story at the Public Library during my first month in Boston; I may have jotted it down with a pen, on a piece of computer paper beforehand. But it is non-fiction—the life of the broken and homeless.
What goes on in my wild imagination at 2:30 AM? Last night, I was being escorted by Chinese bodyguards—mainy speaking Mandarin or Cantonese—except for four words, “grow up, Charlie Brown.”
When I subscribed to Apple TV, I watched Peanuts. The ones from the 1960’s. Charlie Brown played for and coached a Little League baseball team, but one thing was constant—he always lost. When the team sponsor told him that girls couldn’t play on the team, he had to find a compromise. Kid’s shows were different back then —appreciated problem-solving.
Perhaps it was a recounting of something spoken earlier that evening—naivete—trying to find a compromise with the finances of a Little League baseball team. Nevertheless, it was 2:30 AM and time to find my hotel room—the Chase ATM room—the weather was warmer there.
Perhaps it meant that not everyone’s life is that simple; not everyone’s life is as isolated as mine. Looking for real estate on a desert island or living on a prairie on the border of Texas (no one for miles) are things I romanticize about. Is this the sum of my life experiences?
Life’s lessons learned on the Little League baseball diamond.
Real Talk – Real Testimony
Exodus 33:7 KJV
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
I read about the Exodus from Egypt. After the plagues, Moses led the captive Israelites to the Red Sea where Pharaoh was chasing them. The Red Sea parted for them to pass through, but for 40 more years they wandered around in the desert looking for the promised land. Mainly because they quarreled amongst each other. Manna “bread from heaven” fell from the sky as sustenance from God.
Moses had stage fright. So God chose his brother Aaron to be High Priest. And they built a tent of meeting, which was essentially a traveling place to meet with God. I once saw a Christian counselor, Dr. Ulanda Davis, who referred to this blog as a tent of meeting; after seven years living as a devout nondenominational Christian. But then life caught up to me.
I changed the tagline of this blog to An Imperfect Blog because I realized that my posts stopped giving the glory to God. However, I would not agree that a short, detailed story, with a single link to leave it all behind and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is giving the glory to myself. At Lehigh Carbon Community College, I was told that details make a good story.
I also grew up with a chronicle appreciation for hip-hop, especially at Kemper. The idea for Real Talk’s original Featured Image artwork was mimicked from Fabolous’ and Lecrae’s 2004 albums, Real Talk. The latter a pioneer in Christian rap certainly, who if not single-handedly, changed my attitude. Much love to Lecrae, 116 & Reach Records.
When the eleven disciples became apostles after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit; Pentecost. Matthias was chosen to replace Judas (Acts 1:12-26). Simon Peter was named Cephas, which in Aramaic means rock, “and on this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18 NIV) Peter was chosen to preach the Gospel to the Jews, and Paul the Gentiles. So I ask myself, is it acceptable for me to bring the gospel to the streets and not the churches?
Real Talk is a series of personal testimonies. Reflecting on a life lived and applying knowledge learned about the Word of God. Whether to help oneself or others. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11 KJV)
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com
Repeat Right Now – I GO WHERE U GO (I GO WHERE U GO)
I GO WHERE U GO (I GO WHERE U GO) by CASS
The Power of God
Romans 1:16 KJV
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Real Talk – Made in America 🇺🇸
Matthew 17:20 NIV
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
What does it mean to be an American? I have always been patriotic, but have also had my moments of skepticism. And my notion of the meaning was weak.
I am a veteran; I served in the U.S. Army for three years. I was not a combat veteran; I served at a training duty station. But I imagine being deployed requires tremendous faith. Is faith the fabric of a soldier’s life?
Prior to, at the time of writing Real Talk – A Series of Unfortunate Events, and lately, my faith has been tested—”confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
How does our faith grow? “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV)
What does our faith produce? Knowing Christ, and the “power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10 NIV), the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 NIV), and self-confidence that is reinforced by Scripture (Philippians 4:13).
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com
Repeat Right Now – Thi’sl Speaks
Thi’sl Speaks by 1K Phew