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… being a citizen in a country that was VICIOUSLY DEMOLISHED and still being able to call out to Jesus Christ … silently through hand gestures, body language, soft praises through songs, private worship … how is that possible? how in the world is that possible? i don’t think it is … but in the Word, it is. we are told to “consider it a great joy whenever [we] experience various trials, knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces endurance.” (james 1, v. 2-3) therefore, “blessed is the man who endures trials, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that [God] has promised to those who love Him.” (james 1, v. 12)

this right here haiti was written especially for your heart to be mended and for you to find hope in the One who created hope. the One who created you. we’ve seen you endure a great test. we see your strength. we see your faith.

we see His faithfulness beaming into your open wounds. you will be healed soon. and We have not forgotten you.

i’m sorry haiti that you feel forgotten – but you are not.
since the 12th of january, you’ve been crushed into bits
and pieces of rubble and debris and broken ligaments of
misery and pain and frustration and anguish and hopelessness.

i’m sorry haiti that you feel disconnected from the planet.
but you’re keeping Us connected and you’re forcing us to
remember that We can never be neglected since we’ve been
adopted by a much Greater Being who oversees all over seas.

i’m just trying to remind you, haiti, that you are apart of this Family.
that you are sealed in a Spirit that promises to never leave you when
you are in distress, experiencing brokenness, and in a pool of regret.
this Spirit promises hope for you, promises comfort for you, promises a way to transform you.

haiti, we know Jesus didn’t just come for those who are not sick – He came
for the ones who need to be healed from the strife, sickness, and sorrow.
and don’t you think those are the feelings you have followed … ?
He has come for you … and He will not ever leave you alone … just pay attention.
keep your head and hands lifted.

haiti, We hear you! haiti, We see you! haiti, We love you!

He’s calling you … so please, come Here.

man fears me yet they love me. i get name-dropped in the Bible 400+ times, yet preachers act like they don’t know who i am. shame on them. i pervert. i damage. i persecute. i destroy. i kill. i’m the man. no, i’m “the man.” i’m the reason your life is in shambles right now. look at the world. i did that. the television you watch. the programs. that’s all me homey. the songs on the radio you listen to. that’s all me too. what you do by yourself. that’s me. what you think in your head. that is i. i’m everywhere. causing you to go nowhere. they don’t talk about me much, but it’s cool, that’s my doing.

i’m kind of a big deal. i destroyed your parents relationship. i am the blame for your insecurities. your childhood sucked because of me. the reason you have that disease, blame it on me. i am why you cry yourself to sleep. lonely? don’t worry, i’m there. you want to slit your wrist? that’s my doing. wanna get away? i’ll take you there. just look around. that’s me. i’m robbing you. i’m taking from you. i’m stealing from you. i energize you. i keep you going. i’m living inside of you. i’m your master.

i rule over those who do not turn away from their own dirty lives and surrender to the Man who lived the only pure life ever lived. i rule over those who do not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. i rule over those who do not believe that Jesus Christ, the one prophesied after i first did my thing (Gen 3:15), is the Son of God. i rule over those who do not believe that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. i rule over those who do not believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and became a sinner so that those who believe in Him will get credit for the life that He lived, and therefore have access to eternal life with divinity. i rule over those who do not believe that Christ resurrected, so that those who believe in Him may die to themselves and resurrect and have new life in Christ.

do you know who i am?
i don’t know how to put this but, i’m kind of a big deal.
people know me.

i’m sin.

Accomplishments

*30+ professions of faith.

*30+ baptisms

*Many new young adult members have joined and are attending our church services, fellowships, and bible studies and more are being added weekly.

*Introduced countless people in the Third Ward Area to the good news that Jesus saves from sin.

*Continued the The Real Word Bible Study – Romans, Ephesians, and parts of Acts were covered this year.

*Continued Good Hope Mission to Cuny Homes

*Building community by building accountability

*The Morning After outreach to Rice, University of Houston, and Texas Southern University.

*Improved our online community to 1000+ young adults from all over the greater Houston Area and the world via Facebook, Twitter, and .

*Started online radio show and blog which serves as a ministry opportunity for young adults.

*Continued C.H.A.O.S. fellowships that are outreaches to the community

*Vastly improved publicity of events particularly word of mouth

*Improved volunteer base of the ministry and church as bonds of disicpleship have begun to form.

*Served our community in many ways including:  serving the homeless population;  volunteering with the Angel Tree ministry;  cleaning our church; cooking for and praying with AIDS patients; volunteering with the Angel Tree Ministry.

*Started the City Council, which provides collegiate leadership to our young adult ministry.

*Provided theological and leadership training to college students as it became available.

*Partnered with young adult leaders on the University of Houston, Rice, and HCC campus to provide gospel-centered teachers focused on making disciples.

*Partnered with ministries and participated in revivals and campus programs that led to conversions.

Thanks Yous  (in no particular order)

Glory, Mac, Steve, Lee-lonn, Kori, Shalonda,  Jamil, CeCe, Tiffany, Troy, Bobby, E-Sol, Ronnie, Dennis, David Dawkins, Chloe Virgil Chad, E-Sol, Bobby, Allona, Robyn, Eric Michael, Joshua Gray, Mekedes, Jasmine, Candis, Zachary, Riz. Lorenzo, Timothy, Nicole, Ashlee, Destiny, Jessica B, , Charles, Robyn, Robert, Pastor Clemons, Sister Mayes, Bro. Chambers, Pastor Cofield.  I’m sure I forgot somebody, but God didn’t J.

Many of you allowed God to work powerfully thru you.  I love and appreciate God’s goodness as He has so wonderfully shown through you!

Improvements to be made

God has blessed us mightly.  Just like with salvation, he blessed us in spite of ourselves.  Some wise guy said, “the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement.“   In following Pastor Cofield’s pronouncement for us to go from “Good to Great,“ there are always ways in which we can use our time, talents, and treasures more effectively.

*We need to be more effective in our prayer life.

*More targeted discipleship between church and young adults.

This year we are doing events that allow us to bridge the generational gap and truly become intentional at discipling people and providing mentorship

*Train and equip more people to do what we do, so that God’s work may be multiplied.

*Hold each other accountable to do God’s work well and not half-step – He didn’t, He gave his very best, his Son!

*Hold each other accountable in our walk and yield to God’s desire for us to live lives worthy of our calling.

Focus for this Year

*This year we will focus on building the people that God is sending.  More one-on-one, more fellowship, and more helping people to understand their faith and share their faith.  (1 Peter 3:15)

*Less time and focus doing programs and more time spent discipling and hanging out.  It is this loosely structured time that makes all the difference in the world in shaping people for their purpose.

*Strengthen our ties to the TSU community.

*Integrating young adults in all ministries of our church particularly our youth and children.

*Continue to develop online radio presence and blog which we feel will get the Good News out about Jesus by any means necessary.

Let’s Partner with God

Again, we have had a great year, not because of all the stuff we have done, but we have all seen visible impact in people’s lives as a result of God working in the midst of us.

Remember our mission as a ministry:

“To reach young adults primarily in the Third Ward Area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to equip those young adults who have accepted Him as Lord with the wisdom that comes through the Word of God.”

God tells us specifically in his word that we ask anything in his name, that means anything that he has ordained for us to do and would bring him glory, he will do honor our request and partner with us.  John 14:14.  Let’s partner with God and get it done.  I love you and I will continue to pray for you.  Pray for me too.

...I guess you didn't love me "god".

Honestly…as transparent as possible…I was in search of love. love was a god to me, and I worshiped it. I glorified it, presented my body to it, and sacrificed for it. I put it into a position in which it was placed preeminently into a place of worship. I had high hopes of love loving me back…but it always seemed to fail me. No matter how much love I showed…love would just fall short of the standard. Then love broke my heart…or rather I failed love by making it into a god. Anytime that you place something into a preeminent position above the one real God…you are worshiping an idol. When my idol broke I was left without a god to worship…thus existence was meaningless. Until I realized that I was loved overwhelmingly by the ultimate God of the universe.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3

It’s not that I first loved God because my definition of love was hate for God and love for a god. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (wrath satisfying sacrifice) for our sins (I John 4 read it!). Yes God is love but God must hate because God is love (“I hate abortion because I love children”-Paul “Hammer” Washer). True love must hate and God hates sin (and loves us) so much that in order to defeat it He had to stay true to His character. God wants nothing to do with sin because He is so Holy and Perfect that tainted sin has no place by Him. God is the absolute Truth so therefore He cannot lie and He has to punish sin. God’s wrath is hell. The wrath of God is an eternal separation from His Holiness. One sin is enough to be put there forever, because remember God has nothing to do with sin so in His justice He must righteously punish it. Thank God for sending Jesus to absorb all of His righteous wrath. God showed both his love and mercy for us by destroying His only Son on the cross. Jesus became sin supernaturally on the cross and God poured out all of His wrath on Jesus. That is true love. God saw us not even loving ourselves and He decided to show us love in spite of ourselves. God sold everything to buy worthless tainted dirt and make that dirt worth everything in Christ. All you have to do is repent (let go and turn away from your idols) and believe in the finished work on the cross. His love never fails…so I guess I can say thank you god for not loving me back because I would have never met the lover of my life, the Lord Jesus Christ…oh how He loves us! (listened to this song for hours on repeat for days).

[Here is a #twitterrant about love...

• Its not about the amount of love but the object in which you are loving. love is absolute. it is the Truth. either it is or it isnt. I Cor 13

• Love isnt Love until youve given it away. It would be one thing for God to say I love you its another for Him to die for you..proving it.

• God doesnt operate off of a merit & demerit system.His love for you does not grow over time,rather your love for Him grows.

• I John 3:16 There is no way to earn the love of God...and once you truly experience it...there is no suitable substitute. ...I love you because Christ first loved me.

• His love for us is not based off our moral performance but our inability to perform.

• "Love baby Love.thats the secret.if lots more of us loved each other we'd solve lots more problems this world would be better"L.Armstrong

• If i could only show the love I have for people...its like I hold back for the sake of being politically correct...something to pray about

• when people say "does God truly love me?"...i think to myself, and verbalize, that He died for you..He died...He died.

• the world says "me die for you?" Jesus says "I'll die for you, as a matter of fact you killed me...now die to self for me"

• the greatest act of love ever recorded is to die for someone who doesnt even deserve it, who actually doesnt want to be loved.Romans 5:8

• the word love is so taken for granted...the word love for God is defined as the most excruciating death ever...and God is Love.]

I used to think that if I prayed, read the bible a certain number of times a week, and went to church on Sunday that I was okay with God.  Heck, I believed if I went to church on Wednesday, God would give me bonus points!!!  Every week I got into a routine that just seemed to be like clockwork.  When I kept that schedule I felt great and righteous, but the weeks I didn’t keep the schedule, I did not feel so good about myself.  In some ways I felt like I was letting God down.  Man, don’t let the occasional “big” sin happen, I was crushed for a few weeks.

However, I had an epiphany of sorts.  I figured out that what I was doing wasn’t working.  I was working under a tremendous amount of guilt because I couldn’t always keep to the things that I set out.  Though I am a Christian, I subconsciously thought that if I did all these things that God would be pleased and that I was on my way to becoming a better person.  I had become religious and thought my being right consisted of the things I did for God.  In the process, I became a slave of my guilt and I became frustrated in my walk.

What I just described to you is a picture of Religion.  We keep a spiritual to-do list, and when we can’t check off everything, we feel frustrated and guilty.  The free gift that God gave us in Jesus doesn’t feel so free anymore.  In fact, the walk as a Christian feels enslaving, draining, and depressing.  Is this what God intended?  What do you think?

Because my computer has a virus!

A few weeks ago I was determined to watch a video at any means necessary – even if it meant illegally downloading it. The first season of Glee was good, ya’ll!

(Bear with me, there is a point to this!)

So, in the process of trying to illegally download this information, I realized that I was downloading something that I did not want. When I tried to stop…well, it was already too late. There was something, possibly a virus trying to gain access to my computer. Thankfully, Norton Security popped up and alerted me that a virus had been downloaded, but it presented a *Fix option. Wonderful! I hit fix, restarted the computer when asked and went about my business. Everything was fine. Or so I thought….

Slowly, but surely, I increasingly noticed little quirks, if you will, in my computers operation. And every so often Norton Security would pop back up and let me know a virus has been detected and the *Fix option was recommended. I would click and move on my merry way…only less merry – because the quirks were getting worse. They were/are begining to interfere with more and more essential operating functions.

(Please, give me just a few more paragraphs – I’m telling you there’s a point!)

The function of my computer finally got so poor and so debilitating that I had no other choice but to take it to my father. He’s the Mr. Fix It of computers – and from the very moment I knew I had problems I knew he could fix it – or at least know what to do. The only thing that had kept me from going to him before was just a little bit of pride – but at this point, pride wasn’t worth saving, not with the necessary function of the computer he had given me on the line.

His diagnosis: I had a serious virus, that had been present for some time now. (Meaning: when I was pressing *Fix – nothing was happening, the virus remained!) And the virus had been remotely accessing my hardrive and stealing things that I need in order to maintain proper function. At some point I had changed my settings to allow a access to my computer to an unwanted culprit. I had alloweda virus into my system.

His proposed solution: In order to salvage my computer I must completely unload and reload all of my entire operating system/software (something along the lines of having to completely start over.) And, it may just in fact be best to switch operating systems entirely.

(Here comes the POINT: this is it!)

As Christians: We must completely switch operating systems!

Human nature comes attached with the virus downloaded onto our system when Adam (yes, prompted by the decieved Eve) sought information illegally (namely the Knowledge of Good and Evil): sin. Now, for some of us, we may not think twice about the virus. It may not seem to effect you for some time. But eventually it’s effects will become clear. It may show up as dysfunction in your relationships, a disconnect between you and joy, security, love, confidence, balance, peace, and purpose. And when it shows itself you will have two options. You can, as your conscience brings up the source of dysfunction or disconnect, decide to hit the self-help-I-can-fix-it-on-my-own button, or you can take it back to the one who knows best – the one who designed your system: the Father.

Take the second option. Try the Father. Sure, you’ll have to be baptized into Christ’s life death and ressurection and live a lifestyle denouncing your old mode of operating. But when you’ve got the Holy Spirit fighting off the old virus for you, you’re free to operate as you should, connect with God and others as you should, function as you should – with peace, in love, full of joy, with the most worthwhile of purposes: teaching others about the new System: Window to Heaven: Jesus Christ. There’s nothing like it.

All you need do is turn to the Father (God), aknowledge your current mode of operating is working, and accept the plan that He has set up for you: namely the redemptive work of Jesus (God, the Son) on the Cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, then died a death in which He took the punishment for all of our unperfect lives, and then rose back from the dead to live for the rest of eternity. If you believe that is true, then the next thing to do is to be baptized – sympolizing that you accept what Jesus has done for you – namely, take the punishment for your sins, live a perfect life for you to be given credit for, and then get up to live forever so that we might live forever with Him, too. And from there on out, trust in your new Operator, the Holy Spirit (i.e. God, the Spirit), and read your new manual (i.e. the Bible.)

Love you,

Please pray for my computer…

i am a sinner.
yes, that’s me.

You caught me.
red handed.
filthy feet.
eyes closed.
heart with a hole.

i am a sinner.
yes, that is me.
i am guilty.

You found me.
clothed in raggedy rags.
housed in an abandoned drug house.
my underdeveloped body sold for sex.
and i’ve got children i neglect.

i am a sinner.
yes, that is me.
i am still guilty.

You created me.
You made me very good.
You made me in the likeness of You.
You breathed life into me.
You called me friend.

am i still a sinner?
yes, that is me.

turning away from those
red hands, filthy feet,
blinded eyes and my holey heart.

stripping off the raggedy rags.
escaping the house bricked with methamphetamine.
securing the body You call Your temple.
watching and nurturing the fruit i bore.

all because of Your grace.
i am now identified as a saint.

thank You, Jesus … for this great exchange.

You are everything. period. it’s me, Your bond-servant. thanks for the free gift. thanks for everything. thanks for being three in one. that’s pretty beasty. i love You and all, but i’ve been feeling extremely guilty as of late. well, just to sum it up, i thought, since i am now a Christian, that i would be perfect, like You. i’ve learned that not to be true. i thought that the purpose of Christianity was to be perfect. i’ve found that not to be true. i love You with all of the grace that You have bestowed upon me, but yet i still sin. everyday. somehow. someway. let me not be too general, i’ll just confess some things in specific. i still have lustful thoughts. yes, i’m committing adultery every day. it’s so tough seeing your beautiful creations basking in the sun with hardly no clothes on. i mean, i don’t even have to undress them with my eyes anymore, they’ve already done that for me, but you’re still improving me, through grace. thank You. i am also shy, and that is a serious pride issue. i am giving this to You as well. i’ve been praying, and i slowly realize the work that You are doing with my pride. it is slowly deteriorating, and i thank You for that. i just ask that You do not remember these sins. i mean, for the wages of sin is death, right? and i don’t wanna die, instead, i want to turn away from these sins, you know, repent? that’s what we Christians call it right? i don’t want to just proclaim that i don’t want to stop doing these things, cause i’ll admit, it keeps my flesh happy, so i’ll just be honest, and surrender it all to You. here. i’ve included a list of things and representations of some things that i would like for You to take away from me. in this dirty, filthy envelope is my pride, my insecurities, my fear of man, my worldly desires, and guilt, amongst other things. please don’t hold me accountable for all of the things that i have done. thanks!

in love,
Your bond-servant.

i stamped it “in Jesus name.”

it had been weeks, and He never replied to me. then one day, i woke up, looked at the empty cross on my chest, went to check my mail, and received the letter back in the exact same dirty envelope i put the letter in, with the exact same stamp. i opened the envelope of dirt, and a little blood began to leak from the letter. i checked my letter, and all that remained from what i wrote was “dear Jesus,” as if the body of the letter had been completely washed away. i presume it was by the blood. i then put the letter back in the envelope, because the blood seemed to be overflowing, covering all, and before i knew it, the envelope was beginning to appear as clean as ever, pure white, and sealed, and the front of the envelope suddenly read …

“DELIVERED.”

my name: signed in the Lamb’s book of life.
my salvation: sealed, to never be blotted out of the Lamb’s book of life.
my soul: delivered from the lake of fire, because my name was written in the Lamb’s book of life before i knew it.

and i didn’t do a thing but repent and believe in He who did all the work …

Jesus the Christ.

Scene:

Central Lousisana, mid-July. The air is sticky laden with moisture. The temperature is somewhere upward of 90 degrees. The sun is beaming, causing the hot air to swell in the back of my gradfather’s old church van!

Nine of my of us, including my grandfather, piled into this carriage to head out deeper into the forests of Cenla to attend a revival. As usual on these events we couldn’t wait to find our nice quiet spots on the bus where we could each spread out and pray that the breeze would be strong enough to tame the wild heat on this ride. This was the worst part of the trip though. Until we started moving, we were victims to the heat – unable to think about anything but when relief would come. And here is where my grandfather would always say something that I could never forget, always with a slight sense of mirth!

“You think this is hot, baby, don’t go to hell!”

I can think on this statement now and laugh, as I believe my grandfather intended us to take it with the same kind of mirth that he said it in.

But when I was a child – I was SCURRED!

Anyway, here’s a sermon and some scriptures that helped me overcome the fear and embrace God’s love in faith! Which is what He wants all of us to do!

Galatians 3:26-4:7 Sons of God – Mars Hill Church

Galatians 3-4:7 – all who are baptized into Christ are now the sons of God, not bound by some Law in order to gain salvation. In fact, we are supposed to live by faith – wholly trusting that Jesus did more than enough on the Christ to secure our place with the Father as adopted sons and daughters.

John 10:22-30 – No one and nothing can separate us from the Father once placed in the care of Jesus.

1 John 14:16-18 – We are to be confident in the love God has for us, and not be fearful, because fear is only for those who face punishment.

And…

Romans 6:3-11 – We have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. As Christ died once and now lives for eternity – so have we and only have an eternity of life with the Father to look forward to.

Let these scriptures comfort you.