God – The Center City Christian

Revelation 21 KJV

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Real Talk – For All Have Sinned

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I changed the tagline of this blog to An Imperfect Blog because I realized that some of my recent posts were not Giving the Glory to God.

I am human. It took me seven years to read the New Testament in my Life Application Study Bible. I started when I first joined New Wine Fellowship in 2013, and I stopped around the time I left in 2020. I had a few more books to read in therapy, with Dr. Davis, and so I did. Completing Revelation in about 2021.

I am simply a person who applies what I read to my daily life and try to live by it (I was much better at it then) and now I write about it. That’s why the commitment to walk with the Lord is so difficult. It’s easy to fall off.

But Jesus is not the problem. He promises to be “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). The problem is actually us. And the guilt and shame we feel is actually the work of the enemy (Satan). He is the accuser (Revelation 12:10). Religion or its sidekick, legalism, could leave us sidelined from the slightest sin.

God loves all creation. He “sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) But God detests sin. Hence, the reason for Jesus our Mediator. My pastor gave me advice as an evangelist. Preaching God’s love will not work with everyone. Some will not take that seriously. God’s love and God’s judgement must be preached evenly in order to communicate the seriousness of sin.

But that is why grace is such a wonderful concept. It’s the Good News! Repentance is all that is needed. Transgressions are blotted out (Psalm. 51:1). If you hang out in really biblical circles, it is said that the consequences of each sin still remain. But forgiveness is guaranteed; through the ultimate debt paid on the cross by Jesus Christ.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3-12

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Hall of Faith

Hebrews 11

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

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?

Real Talk – Jesus Wept

John 11:35 NIV

35 Jesus wept.

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).

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)

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.

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