The Lord Has Come: 5 Reasons to Rejoice

Photo Credit: salempeters.com

Every Christmas we are bombarded with images of Santa Clause, reindeer and the chaos of Christmas shopping. Although Christmas is rich in meaning, it has been significantly diluted to focus our attention elsewhere. The essence of this holiday is to celebrate not only the birth of the Son of God, but the presence of our Lord. While the world is announcing that Santa Clause is coming, we are announcing that the Lord has come and we have reason to rejoice. (Click to Tweet)

Homosexuals, Drunks & Terrorists

(PHOTO: "I AM SECOND")

My intention of this post was to show my frustration at how those that scream, "Be tolerant" are intolerant to the ones they scream, but my focus has been shifted. 

Now, I want to reassure, clarify and comfort those to which were hurt by the comments of Phil Robertson. Take note, I am not apologizing for what he said, only clarifying. 

Deliver Me

This is serious. 

For the past week, I have seemingly been in a decline in my relationship with God. This might be a short time compared to some, but imagine holding your breath for a week or not eating for a week. This has been my reality.

You see, sin is an interesting thing. We can be drawn to it, pleasured by it and enslaved through it. Sin is a sickening thing. 

Sin is not simply a verb that is performed contrary to God, but sin is the essence of our flesh, which brings the fruit of sinful actions. If I could borrow from Isaac Newton, "Errors are not in the art but in the artificers". That is to say, sin, as an action, is not the problem, but we, the sinner. Our sinful acts are set in motion. What I do is fruit of who I am, but praise be to God that who I am is being changed by the Great I Am. 

Praying Unto His Glory- Jeremiah 24:7

It has been a whole month since I last posted "Perfect Prayer". Last month I was concentrating on the 3-part series, The Glorious Gospel in the Beauty of the Church you can check it out here.  

If you haven't been keeping up with this current series, Praying Unto His Glory is a collection of verses that I believe pay the highest compliment to God, while serving to assure us that a perfect prayer has been prayed. 



The Perfect Prayer this week is Jeremiah 24:7.

And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 

Begging For More Than Money

Photo credit: Stephan Geyer 

At the stoplight stands a man with a sign that reads, "I need money. Hard times. God Bless". 

We have all seen this scenario many times and have probably ignored that person. At least for me, I usually make no eye contact, keeping my focus straight ahead. 

But God soon started dealing with me about my actions.

He began to reveal to me that what people needed more than money, was love. This does not go just for the beggar on the street, this goes for all of humanity. Regardless of race, sexual-preference, political position or favorite musical genre, we as humans must be reinforced with the love and power of God. It is unkind, high-minded and inconsiderate to ignore someone who is in need.

Part III- The Reconciliation of the Church

For Part 1 and Part 2 of this series

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“The power of God unto salvation” is the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no mistaking that the capability to call someone out of darkness, into a light of marvelous-ness, is only by the grand power of God. It is not by chance that nothing becomes something. Who can make the mountains quake? And who can make the earth tremble at their presence? A response to which I hear a grand choir of silence. There is none. If there is one thing that we should understand about God, it is that He accomplishes the impossible. The Gospel reconciles impossible man to a possible God. It transforms the wretchedness of our being into the radiance and glory of Christ, His Church and His Bride.

Over the last several weeks I have received many comments concerning church membership, church attendance and abandoning the church. The majority of the comments stem from a broken relationship between the Church and the individual. I have heard it said "the Church is like a hospital full of sick people wanting to be healed" and this is true in every sense.

3 Ways We Miss Thanksgiving

Certain seasons of the year attract certain reflections within. And with it being November, I am reflecting on the meaning of Thanksgiving. I am not referring solely to the Pilgrims, but what the disposition of our heart should be.

There is only one type of person that gives thanks. It is the person that is indebted to another because of what one has done. For the child who was saved from disaster, to that person, the child would give thanks. For the man that was given a promotion, to that promoter, that man would give thanks. For the beggar on the street to whom money was given, to that person, that beggar would give thanks. We give thanks because we have received and have received something of value, but unfortunately there are times when thanks is not given.

When God Becomes Blind

Photo Credit: loop_oh via photopin cc

In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord,

The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none;

And the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found:

For I will pardon them whom I reserve.

- Jeremiah 50:20

I ran across this verse last night and it completely floored me. I became awestruck at the awesome grace of God and though I had only seen a glimpse, I wanted the more!

If you have ever read the Old Testament, you would know that the people of God, the Israelites, were rebellious. It is the sin of our flesh that is in direct rebellion against the God that loves us. This is the miracle of the grace, the Gospel and the love of God.

The Glorious Gospel in the Beauty of the Church, Part II: The Hurting Church

For Part I of this series

When you were growing up, did you ever want be a part of a group? Maybe you remember the reason you joined? Maybe for popularity or the community it offered? Or maybe you were like me and joined because of a crush.

Photo credit: Brandon Christopher Warren / Foter.com

I believe each person innately has a desire for community. A desire to be loved, appreciated and gathered together. It is how we were wired. I could even make comment on the uprising of atheistic churches seen in the Unites States and other countries. During the infant stages of humankind, God communicated with man. When Adam sinned against God, by disobedience, he hid himself because of the shame. I believe we still hide from the Creator, running to everything else except God.

The Glorious Gospel in the Beauty of the Church

A couple of weeks ago I had a friend who was struggling with people within the church and questioning if it was even needed. I told this person I would write about it. Last week I held a poll in which I asked, "Is a Christian Required to Attend Church"? I was very grateful for the many responses and messages I received. This post is only Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. I hope it edifies you and brings glory unto Him.

Poll: Is a Christian Required to Attend Church?

I'm beginning a series next month on the Church and will be surveying the community for a bit of data. Please vote and explain your answer, if possible. Thank you. 

Is a Christian required to attend a church?

My 30-Second "Preach Off"

Again, as I said in my post, "Mockery of Christianity", "Christianity has been ridiculed, but God will not be mocked. We need to be ever so watchful of WHAT is going on socially because it is largely responsible for HOW we will be able to engage society with the Gospel". 

Today I watched a snippet of the Preachers of L.A. being put on stage to display who had the "best preaching skills". At first watch, I had a very uneasy feeling, mostly because it looked like they were being

Perfect Prayers 11.3.13

Hello friends.

It has been quite some time since I last gave a perfect prayer, but it is my pleasure and unto His glory that I submit to you once again the prayer for this week. This week we will look at Jeremiah 10:23-24, which admits the fault of man while submitting to the power of the Lord. 

Let us pray. 

Jeremiah 10:23-24

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

Enhancing His Kingdom,

E.D. Jackson Jr. 

Tonight, I Don't Want to Trust God

Trust requires a relinquishing of all that entangles the hands of surrender to raise. When trust transcends the chaotic stresses of life, one is able to experience peace while resting in the joy of the Lord. The receiver of the trust we give operates in full dominion of the outcome of our surrender.

Paradise Lost

This is a poem I wrote in January of 2012, after reading the 17th-century English poet, John Milton's Paradise Lost:

Transplant Rejection Part II

Read Part I

So it is understood that transplant rejection is not exclusive to the medical field, but it is also reflected in the health of our spirit. Once the truth of God invades our surroundings, the first instinct of our flesh is to reject that which is foreign. As an intruder to a home, those within the home will defend it with all of their strength. Here lies the heartbreaking truth. Those within the home are hostages and the One desiring to enter, is not an intruder, but the Redeemer. “We must not simply entertain truth as a guest, but as the Master of the house” (Alistair Begg “The Truth of God”).

The Journey Deeper: Love, Faith and Faithfulness

Check this great article out by +Shanique Edwards on faithfulness. 

Quote below:

It is this faithfulness of God that anchors us in our faith. We know that even as our faith falters, even as it trips and falls, overwhelmed by waves of doubt,

Christianity vs Religion: The Accidental Attack

Greetings Friends.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my good friends gave me a call to ask about the relationship between Christianity and Religion and it really got me thinking. In the midst of the conversation, he asked me a question that really threw me off. He asked, "What is religion" and I paused for a rather awkward minute and said "Religion is the way by which man encounters God".

Perfect Prayer Rewind

Dear Heavenly Father, set a watch before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with those that work iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties. Turn me again, Oh God and cause Thy face to shine upon me, for then shall I be saved. May You be with me as You were with my fathers. May You never leave or forsake us.

Social Rewind 10.18.13

Here is a rewind from our Facebook, Twitter & Google+ accounts this week:

Transplant Rejection: When Foreign Objects Enter Alien Space

As we witness the phenomenal discoveries of the 21st century, one should not overlook the breakthrough of modern medicine and technology. Fifty-years ago people with certain diseases had no hope of healing, whereas today, those threats are largely decreased and even eliminated. One of the major breakthroughs today is a procedure involving the removal of one (bad) organ and the replacement of a good organ.

Daughter Talk

My little 3 year old daughter

Perfect Prayers- Psalms 141:3, 4

Hello friends.

It is my pleasure and unto His glory that I submit to you once again the prayer for this week. I have found that God has truly worked out His Word in my life since I've prayed perfectly. This week we will look at Psalms 141:3, 4. This is similar to 1 Kings 8:57, where we see the word "incline". Where we are asking God to give us the tendency to do something. We can only do it, with Him.

Quotes from Pop-Pop

"Jesus is our reason not to have excuses. Do not have an excuse for not doing; have a reason to do; that reason being Jesus Christ" -Rev. T.L. Williams Sr.

Praying- Psalms 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. 

Social Rewind 10.5.13

Here are some recaps from our Facebook, Twitter & Google+ accounts this week:

Ps 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen me according unto thy word. (In our struggle, the Word is our strength, reach for it.)
— E. D. Jackson Jr. (@UntoHisGlory) September 28, 2013

Praying Unto His Glory- Psalms 80:3

Greetings friends.

It is a joy to communicate with you again. On last week we looked at 1 Kings 8:57, which was a prayer that sought of God to help us keep His commands. This week we pray Psalms 80:3, which similarly deposits out of the same heart. 

Let us pray.

Psalms 80:3

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Enhancing His Kingdom,

E.D. Jackson Jr.

Social Rewind- 9.26.13

Here are some recaps from our Facebook, Twitter & Google+ accounts this week:

For without God there would be no creation, therefore leading to the absence of humanity and all that we distinguish...
— E. D. Jackson Jr. (@UntoHisGlory) September 18, 2013

Praying Unto His Glory (1 Kings 8:57)

As a Children's Pastor, I have heard many children pray and as one that has sat in many Bible Studies and visited many churches, I have heard many children pray. 

What do I mean by this? Most children are not equipped with the understanding to pray perfectly, so they pray out of their own understanding, which is limited. We are very

A Mockery of Christianity

*DISCLAIMER*

This is not an attack on any one individual on any show, for we all need the Grace of God, but this is an attack on mainstream media and how they are exploiting the "special" ones in order to mock the Gospel. 

mock·er·y

ˈmäk(ə)rē/

noun

1.

derision; ridicule.

Hello Friends. The issue that I will attempt to expound on has been heavy on my heart for quite some time and it has plagued our television for years. In an attempt to diminish the lines of Christendom, destroy the sacredness of Holy Scripture, while perverting and making common the Gospel of Jesus Christ, mainstream media is accomplishing exactly that. 

It seems that every time I look up, there is a subtle attack on the Bible, not just Christianity, but the Bible. You see, the Bible encompasses Sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone and from that authority found in scripture, rest the convictions of Christianity. It is not necessarily an attack on Christians, but an attack on the foundation by which Christians stand.

These onslaughts come in various forms, but I will only cover (3) three:

1. As I watch the news, listen to the music and turn from various TV shows, the lines of Christendom are becoming blurred with other religious sects. How? Take a show like Amish Mafia. I have no qualms with those that live the life of an Amish, but Mafia? Really? The dialogue and activities that are revealed on this show brings the viewer to believe, "they really are all the same". It blurs the line of distinction between Biblical Christianity and that of crazed believers. Shows like "Best Funeral Ever" and "Sister Wives" seems to flirt with Biblical truths; either by documenting outrageous funerals where "wailers" are paid to cry or by explaining to viewers it is possible to celebrate a 10-year anniversary with your husband and a 2-year anniversary with your boyfriend.
2. I have also seen the sacredness of Scripture displayed in front of a firing squad, through the attacks of blatant rebellion against the Word of God. Shows like "Snake Salvation" and "The Sisterhood" are full of misinterpreted scripture, fallacious advice and insane arguments, in spite of Proverbs 29:22. After watching a preview of Sisterhood on YouTube, I was literally, pardon my language, flabbergasted at one of the wives explaining how she tells some of her members it was acceptable to use sex toys and sexually please themselves in order to stay pure before marriage. Let me just say, straying from the focal point of one lust to only be fulfilled by another is still fulfilling that same lust. SomeTHING else just fulfilled it. 
3. And this is the big one. I believe the Gospel is becoming too familiar in this world. We have been bitten with the bug of familiarity. The Gospel has become a "Jesus is my homeboy" t-shirt, carrying no "power unto salvation" as it does in Romans 1:16. As we encounter skeptics and others outside the Faith, once we say "I am a Christian, I want to share the Gospel", all of the images that have been repeated over the airwaves, flood their minds. "Oh, you're one of 'them'", type stares comes across their face, as they picture you having convulsions or falling out on tongues. 

Mockery means to ridicule. Christianity has been ridiculed, but God will not be mocked. We need to be ever so watchful of WHAT is going on socially because it is largely responsible for HOW we will be able to engage society with the Gospel. 

Enhancing His Kingdom,

E.D. Jackson Jr. 

Our Heart/ Our Hands

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs". Psalms 69:30, 31

The praise from our heart is far greater than the sacrifice of our hands. 

In the Beginning...Unto His Glory

God Created. 

These two words are powerful, for without God there would be no creation, therefore leading to the absence of humanity and all that we distinguish. You see friends, creation is all around us. It is found in the water that sustains us, the monuments that we photograph, the planets we discover and in our reflection in the mirror