Current Events as I go into 2011

The flesh is a monster of evil intentions and I understand that it could and often has easily carried me away in lust.  I am seeking to walk in the strength God has afforded us, and have grown in this area much, but still there is work to be done.  God's work and I need this vessel a clean as possible for the task.  How often do I look at the lives of those who have passed on IN FAITH and wonder..."what the heck am I doing?"  I am slapped with the fact that I have so much to learn, in proverbs this revelation is noted to the wise.  That is the prayer I've prayed so many times and God has be faithful to help a brotha out despite my shortfalls.

I know there is more to this abundant life and I aim to work it out in faith.  In Hebrews 12 it says "Therefor seeing we also are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...." 

So I press on.  I am working on a fiction series and slowly easing back into my poetry to eventually move into spoken word, getting this blog together and getting a business off the ground.  Lots to do!  I hope you will pray for me as I discipline myself for the task ahead and I ask that you too seek the Lord for guidance toward the race that is set before you as well.  I believe there is a lot left of the table for us to do, and we are lacking the faith to do it.  We have forever, but we don't have forever work.

SUB - TRACTION

The wonderful thing about truth is this, there are an infinite number of ways to convey it.  I've often found myself in awe of the fact that not only can an inspired person effectively convey thought, but they can do it in a lot of appealing ways, like rhyming the words in a sentence.

     "From start to finish you can match truth within it. Yet my facial countenance is diminished to a 
       grimace like kids with plates full of spinach, because at any given instant...we tend to pause a  
       minute and balk on the God of preeminence."

The more vocabulary you know the easier it is to convey ideas, and the more variety of ways there are to communicate them.  This gives us the ability to share information customized to a specific person's mode of thought.  I was never big on learning vocabulary until recent years and I gained a new respect for those who participate in spelling bee's after watching "Akeelah and the Bee" simply because the true aspects of how they trained for such events were revealed.  Now I often find myself looking into the etymology of the words I use in my attempt to share truth.

So the word SUBTRACTION came to me in a thought of a concept from the Apostles teachings of LESS OF ME = MORE OF JESUS IN ME. Even to the point that Paul said "I will rather boast in about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ dwells in me."(2cor12:9) The word subtraction to most means to "take away" but I want to break the idea down farther.  At 1st thought taking away is not some thing we WANT. Even as children we aren't to accepting of having things taken from us. Yet in the above reference Paul found the desire to have some issue taken from his life. So subtraction can be a good thing, and a GOD thing. So the giver can bless us in the taking away of things...Hmmm.

SUB is a prefix occurring originally from Latin that is freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath,” “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly”, “secondary,” “subordinate.”  TRACTION meaning the act of drawing or pulling, the state of being drawn, attracting power or influence; attraction. If I may be given the liberty to restructure meaning as is historically given to those of literary and scholastic persuasion, I want to focus on the medical nuances of meaning for SUB and TRACTION. SUB prefix in medical terms has four distinct meanings, two being:

1. Below; under; beneath: 
2.  Subordinate; secondary:

 And TRACTION meaning the deliberate and prolonged pulling of a muscle, organ, or the like, as by weights, to correct dislocation, relieve pressure, etc.  Think neck braces, like this one from Meditrac.

 So what happens if I were to put the two together in Holy word matrimony?  SUBTRACTION meaning the act 0f being subordinate to a deliberate and prolonged pulling to correct and relieve that which is wrong with us. (meaning 1st used October 24th 2010) ...the young believer struggled with finding joy in the subtraction resulting from the misuse of power by his department manager.  
  
Job 5:16-18 (New American Standard Bible)
    ¹⁶"So the helpless has hope,
         And unrighteousness must shut its mouth.
    ¹⁷"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
         So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
    ¹⁸"For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
         He wounds, and His hands also heal.

The is a reason why there is a saying "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger."  More accurately, if you are not killed in your trials, there is a lot to learn. You can grown stronger, but also be consumed.  We need to look at the traction in our lives and see what God is doing in our lives because many times there are limitations placed on us for good reasons.  It depends on many speculative things, but you should know that if you are a believer, then you are always in a good place.  Because All things work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose.  Knowing this, the believer should be joyous in SUBTRACTION.  Well, another way to look at subtraction.

 

PROMISARY NOTE (version 1.0)

This is a sort of "check you prayers" message. I don't know what it is about us, but we can't seem to go on without putting some stock in the movement of some other worldly power.  While you can easily look at some religious ideas with at least a hint of skepticism, even the most devout atheist has some religious undertones in their "faith."  They call it science fact, but if your sun the math for the probability of random causation of life, you will see it takes a lot of faith to ride that train of thought.

So much can be said in-between these two paragraphs, and perhaps there will be more time in the future Lord willing, but I just want to continue with this thought, that the God revealed in the bible is the only being of any power invisible to the naked eye we should spend any time thinking about, talking to, or trusting in.  With that being said, there is a segment of people in the world who turn to God for various reasons, in various situations and have various ideas of how it's all supposed to go down.

The idea I want to present to you is fairly simple, so I hope that my analogy sits well with your stomach.  Think of prayer like a check you would take to a bank.  When you present at check at a financial institution there are two very important bits of information that you must have to make it valid.  1) The name of the person or entity responsible for honoring the amount of the check, 2) A qualified signature that warrants the release of funds.  Whether personal checks or payroll checks, there is always the need of identifying the proper payee, and the signatures that give the green light for the paying of the amount.  To fully understand the seriousness, just see how a bank or check cashing establishment may easily tell you how you may have to wait additional days to receive "your" funds. (side note: how many people have "lost their religion" over such a statement.)

Prayer Promises

 ²³"In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.  ²⁴"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

These words were given to the disciples of the greatest man who ever walked the face of the earth.  So imagine that the person that has completely transformed your thinking and way of life was telling you that despite all the progress you have made, you will soon find yourself weeping because soon he would no longer be around.  It was not a statement taken well and so we see these words of assurance. Ask THE GIVER in MY NAME, and the GIVER will give it to YOU.

When we send our chec...prayers up into the clouds, we need to remember two important things: 1)Who is honoring the request, and 2) The name of the qualified name in which the request will be honored.

We are called to pray always and never to stop doing it, but we need to understand the proper protocol in order to get our prayers answered, so go ahead and PRAY ON PRAYA! YOU KNOW THE SIGNATURE! (word to John Wells)

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE #1 [1 john 5:20,21] PT1

I know you've seen them around.  The slightly overweight bald guy in Asian monk clothes. Sometimes he's sitting in front of the line at your dry cleaners with incense, or standing to greet you at that nice Vietnamese restaurant with a smile and a stack of cash in his hand.

Just the other day my mom commented that she no longer wanted to go to a local restaurant, the "Kountry kitchen" because now she gets assaulted with the graven images.  Now I know they are powerless statues, and there is no truth found in them that is not borrowed.  Yet I have often found myself looking at the fruit offerings and wondering if I will see a bite from their deity, or a slick mouse.

Some have the nerve to laugh at the sight, after all its just a statue correct.  However many of us have idols ourselves, they just aren't as clearly seen. As kids, We've had action figures and barbie dolls in our homes for a long time, I remember playing with G. I. Joes, He-man (the original), Centurions (remember them), and other various "engraved" images of heroes and villains. We imagined being the good guys, and defeating the bad guys in our own little worlds.  Were we guilty of idolatry then? While many flaws plagued us in our youth, perhaps we did in a way, but what about now?  Have we done away with childish figures who have supernatural powers? Some collect figures of heroes and heroines from comic books and video game these days, grown men I might add.  Is this like the statues once made in Asia during the Apostle Paul's travels (Acts 19:22-41)

For many, money, power, and respect are the most important ideals in their lives.  They live for them, and they will die in efforts to obtain them, or attain dominance by them.  Sort of like when people pray to various gods for favor in their endeavors.  Now I could easily widen the focus, as these days we can be sort of worshipful about things, like food for instance.  E-dub-a-licious treats, for example, are something like divine.

But on a serious note, just as we used to live out alternate realities with your toys, some are trying to live out dreams on the backs of idols.  To put it simply, an idol is something (anything) that you place supreme value on.  You live for it, you die for it, it is all you talk about, all you think about, and the very thing you passionately share with others.  Too often we put idols at the center of our lives and don't even realize it.  These words are to get you to look into your own soul and see what sits at the center of your affection.  Idolatry is so prevalent that people make light of it, even making entertainment of it.  Shows like AMERICAN IDOL are just examples of how we idolize people, but such worship of the unworthy is deeply rooted in our society.  More to come later....

Connect F.O.U.R
Finances_Occupation_Understanding_Relationships 

SWITCH ON JESUS

I really enjoy music, from old classical Bach to Motown, from Journey to ROOTS, From Duran Duran to Wu Tang, from Miles Davis to Brooklyn Tabernacle, from to Jill Scott...I love the various melodies of music.  To the point that when I used to say that I only listened to a song for the beats (melodies), I wasn't lying.  I literally collected instrumentals of many popular non-christian songs up until about 2006.  Part of this loving appreciation for music is because I used to play an instrument in middle school as was pretty good at it too.  All City and All regional back in 1990.

Well I have these interesting ideas that pop into my head when I listen to certain older songs.  Not too many newer songs with the exception of "LOVE" by Musiq.  If you where to study the music from the 70's on through the 2000's.  You can actually see the distancing of people from God over the years.  Don't get it twisted (as Pastor Cannings says) the music industry has been far from glorifying God, but you can see a difference.  For one, there is no shadow of a doubt that many of today's songwriters have completely strayed from sound principles of righteous living and don't seem to give a spark of a clue as to their knowledge of what real love looks like.

I apologize if I am rambling on, I have more thoughtful insights to share about music, but let me get to the point I want to make.  I SOMETIMES FIND MYSELF LISTENING TO A SONG AND I CAN SEE HOW EASY IT WOULD BE TO MAKE IT INTO A GOSPEL SONG YOU COULD SING TO/ABOUT GOD IN A CHURCH.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to translate God's love for you in even the most obscure places, or from the most unlikely things.  Case in point, I had a mind to write about something different but as I was half listening to a show about the De Barge family I heard a song that I really enjoyed as a child.  "They'll never be" by SWITCH. (I recently found out why they sound like De Barge to me, another group I used to love) The Lyrics to the chorus written by Bobby De Barge go...

They'll never be a better love, love, love, love
La la la la la la
They'll never be, be, be
La la la la la la la la
Ooo wo wo la la la la la
Oo wo wo la la la la la la
They'll never be a better love, love, love, love

I would get the ring tone just for those words alone. What can compare to the love of God? The songs goes on to say in the 2nd verse:

Please come over here and let me whisper in your ear
I'll say something good to you, you
Always wanted to hear
So real I know you won't regret it
So good I know you won't forget it

If we would just listen to God Whisper something in our ears...

Psalm 91:14-15 (New Living Translation)

 ¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
      I will protect those who trust in my name.
 ¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
      I will be with them in trouble.
      I will rescue and honor them.

I know some couples who have wonderful marriages, but unfortunately we cannot quite measure to God's love. 

Psalm 100:5 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵ For the Lord is good.
      His unfailing love continues forever,
      and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
(Even to the De Barge, and drake generation.)

THERE TRULY WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER LOVE ON THIS EARTH LIKE THE LOVE OF GOD, BUT WE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS LOVE!  SWITCH EVEN MADE A SONG ABOUT THANKING GOD FOR A TASTE OF THIS LOVE TOO. 


I PREFER LOVE SONGS LIKE "WE CAN BE MORE" BY SHO BARAKA , BUT THE NEXT TIME YOU "HAPPEN" TO LISTEN TO A SECULAR "LOVE" SONG, SEE HOW MANY DEGREES OF SEPARATION IT IS FROM BEING TRUE LOVE.

BE BLESSED
eHailey

NET WORK TO NET WORTH PT 1

It has been said that you are the sum of your closest five friends.  Long before that...."birds of a feather flock together."  From Finances(how to use), to Occupation(think more Vocation), to Understanding(wisdom with knowledge), to Relationships(the treatment of others); it seems the people we have the strongest camaraderie with, tell a tale of our Character.  How many have done "dirt all by their lonely" in the treach-erous shadows?  How few have done what seems great all alone?  Even the loner has a distant mentor who's footsteps, philosophy, or mannerisms have molded their "swagger." (Forgive the use of such a word) Not all are leaders, most are followers and we tend to follow those closest to us.

The bible says that bad company corrupts good morals.  You ever think of why that is?  If two are in company with one another, it would be safe to say that both are either equals or un-equals.  Same with larger groups.  So why doesn't the saying go...good company builds good morals?  SELAH.

Simply put, who is good but God? Yet Iron does Sharpen Iron and community is a big part of life and is essential for growth in many ways.

Often we seek the acceptance of people rather than God (PEER PRESSURE), rather than the acceptance of the Almighty (SUPERIOR PRESSURE). THIS IS THE TRUE DIFFERENCE OF MAN'S RELIGION AND TRUE RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY.
 

I begin on the day I began (albeit a few hours later...I was born around 12 noon) hoping to connect various people in a community for growth that will spread to their families and friends. FEEL FREE TO SHARE!

Connect F.O.U.R
Finances_Occupation_Understanding_Relationships

Religion Is Not Sexy?

THERE IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE CHRISTIANITY TODAY SITE

 

Faith Unbound

Why spirituality is sexy but religion is not.

Mollie Ziegler Hemingway |


"....nonreligious people are more likely to say they are spiritual..."

 (This is something we see all the time on social networking sites, but never really dig into the matter.)

 LOOK THROUGH YOUR FRIEND'S LIST AND CHECK IT OUT...

The article goes on to say; "Part of the phrase's popularity can be attributed to its sex appeal. No, really. A social psychologist at Britain's Southampton University looked at 57 studies covering 15,000 experiment subjects, and reported in Personality and Social Psychology Review that North Americans find "intrinsically religious" people desirable—but that the desirability decreases if people portray themselves as extrinsically religious."

SERIOUSLY? IF WE REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT RELIGION IS, WE WOULD REALIZE OUR NEED FOR IT. (I WILL NOT GET INTO THE "ORGANIZED RELIGION DEBATE" NOW) IF PEOPLE TRULY UNDERSTOOD SPIRITUALITY, THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE LIFESTYLE TO BACK UP THE LABEL.

I SAY BRING "SEXY" (DESIRABLE) RELIGION BACK! 

James 1:27 (New American Standard Bible)
 ²⁷Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
 

JUST A THOUGHT TO MEDITATE ON AND LIVE BY...PLEASE SHARE COMMENTS AND INSIGHT, SO MUCH MORE CAN BE SAID.

<{[Connect f.o.U.R.]}>

Connect F.O.U.R.on twitter!

ConnectFOURlife @ twitter

bear with me as I work on using twitter.....the more spontaneous arm of Connect F.O.U.R. I've you've ever gotten a random text from me, then you will understand the plan.  Please share with family and friends!

What is Connect F.O.U.R.

Connect F.O.U.R. is a way for me to be of service to many in the area of teaching and sharing information that I have been blessed to be shown by God in the areas of Finances, Occupation, Understanding, and Relationships.  Hence the F.O.U.R. in the name.  This will be my unique way of spreading the TRUTH and WISDOM that can only come for above in the hopes of equipping believers and whoever cares to listen and learn how to be GOOD STEWARDS of all we are given on this earth.

I am always looking for others to contribute and share the great things they have learned as well as I pray that I will be of benefit to someone out there somewhere.  Be Blessed


 Erik Adrien Hailey AKA NuLife