A Response to Ferguson Shooting- The State of Our Nation

The State of Our Nation:

A Response to the Ferguson Shooting

What Happens When a Nation Forgets God?

When a nation forgets God…we take prayer out of school

When a nation forgets God…we have shootings, gang fights, murder

and even rape on our school grounds.

When a nation forgets God…we put people in office to support our

agendas for sin rather than someone who has Godly character.

When a nation forgets God…we will let a certain group of people define

what the sanctity of marriage is rather than stand on the word of

God and declare the truth that marriage is only between a man and a

woman whom God created from birth.

When a nation forgets God…men and women are accused of crimes

they did not commit and forced to serve over 39 years in prison…

some have even died pleading their innocence. If DNA has been in existence

for so many years why is it now still taking so long to prove

their innocence?

When a nation forgets God…we call right wrong and wrong right…

When a nation forgets God we discredit the eyewitness of many to

support the statements of one or two.

When a nation forgets God…prosecutors will defend those they are

trying to indict and indict those they are supposed to defend.

When a nation forgets God, it becomes your word against mine, the

“Stand Your Ground” Law becomes more liberal and the only voice

that can speak is the bias voice who justified the killing in fear of his or

her life, while the other voice has been silenced because it was murdered

and left to rot in the streets like an animal that has no soul.

Who stands up for the voice that has been forever silenced?

 

When a nation forgets God, we are still fighting for the same rights

that our forefathers and mothers were beaten and died for in order to

declare that we were all created equal.

When a nation forgets God…we segregate and draw new city boundaries

to ensure children who don’t have the same social status as the

affluent are placed in low income communities where the classroom

ratios of teachers to students are likely 1 to 28 These very students

are made to share books that should have been updated and/or replaced

over 10 years ago.

When a nation forgets God…we have schools that are 98% black with

teachers that are 98% black and we all fight against and undermine

each other to destroy the credibility of each other in order to keep the

lies of administrative bullying on the down low.

When a nation forgets God…we would rather support the very economic

system that is hindering us on “BLACK” Friday…rather that

fight for a cause on any Friday.

When a nation forgets God…one ethnic group can call illicit

sex…”sugaring” but to the other ethnic group it’s called prostitution.

When a nation forgets God…women are still fighting for equal pay for

doing the same job as their male counterparts and no-one seems to

care.

When a nation forgets God…A grand jury becomes the trial jury; Another

young black child is demonized and no-one in a position of authority

will stand up and say, “Enough is Enough.”

When a nation forgets God…a small community can cause such havoc

that they succumb to the very stereotype that others say about

them which is; “they’re nothing but, thugs, criminals, gang bangers,

murderers and thieves”… then instead of the community proving those

who stereotype them wrong, they happily live up to the stereotypes

without even realizing what they are doing.

 

When a nation forgets God…a small community of people will destroy

their own communities, take their own lives and invoke anger across

an entire nation and still cry “no justice no peace.”

When a nation forgets God…we deal unjustly against ourselves, call

ourselves names that are so vulgar it’s embarrassing and shoot each

other down…yet we cry “justice.”

When a nation forgets God…the value of life to one is gauged by the

color of ones skin…yet the quality of life is extended to those of a

lighter pigmentation. Whose mentality is “why not take their lives…no

body cares about them anyway?”

When a nation forgets God…another unarmed black boy is gunned

down and a culture of people are politely asked to keep the peace and

don’t fight back.

When a nation forgets God…church attendance is at an all time low…

and sin is at an all time high.

The fact of the matter is we have become a nation who has forgotten

God. What we consider the “law” has been diminished to the song “It’s

you’re thing, do whatever you want to do”

We are society who is living in fear. Fear that is spread from the

school house to the White house. Parents are afraid to send their children

to school, black men are afraid to walk down the street, good policemen

are afraid to protect their own communities, our lawmakers

are afraid to stand up for the truth.

We have become a nation that has forgotten God. Because of this we

have lost our ultimate defense and justice is no longer one word. It

has been divided to “just us”. The sanctity of marriage is being destroyed,

school systems are destroying the lives of our children by falsifying

documents, cheating on test and pushing the best teachers out

of the classroom who are not willing to be quiet about the injustice that

taking place in our classrooms.

 

We can justify killing people because they wear hoodies, play their

music too loud or they look like demons…yet we can excuse others

who murder their children with the smell of death in their trunk and

they walk away free of any charges.

So what happens when a nation forgets God…we resort to rallies in

the valley…not prayer…we cry for justice, but refuse to look towards a

just God. We push to please society in order to win a vote rather than

win a soul.

We have said that there is not place for God in our schools, in our

courtrooms and some may even believe that God doesn’t even belong

in church.

Are we wrong for protesting for justice absolutely not; Are we wrong

to demand justice in a society where all men are to be treated equal?

absolutely not;

But how far can we go without God? Without keeping God as the forefront

for truth and righteousness? There will be no conviction on the

hearts of men who have turned and has essentially Forgotten God.

We choose not to pray…because the results of prayer may take

longer to see than the violence and retaliation we inject on others immediately.

Is prayer the only thing we should do? Absolutely not; we

should pray and protest; but all of our trust should be in God…not the

justice system.

So much more can be said about all that has transpired, not just this

week, but what has been happening during and since the civil rights

movement. I believe this is what happens when a Nation Forgets God.

Unless we as nation (a nation of all colors) turn back to

II Chronicles 7:14 which says,

“If my people who are called My name will humble themselves,

and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then

I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their

land”

Our land is our nation…and unless we get back to fearing God rather

than fearing each other we will never become:

“One Nation Under God. Indivisible, With Liberty. and Just for All.”

This is my view on the State of Our Nation by Kelly Jennings

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Lately, I've received alot of questions from those who have moved on from broken relationships, businesses, jobs and even unhealthy family relationships.  They've asked what do when you thought you left in an amicable way...but you later find out that those very people are  talking negatively about you?    

My response to these questions are:  

When people find a reason to still talk about you after you are long gone...you've actually affected their lives more than they realize. 

People who still find a reason to talk about you after you are long gone, realize there is something about you worth talking about.  Jealousy is as cruel as the grave, what goes around comes around. 

 If you're concerned about wheter you've impacted anyone's life...be thankful that those who claimed to hate you are still talking about you.  You've impacted thier lives more than you know it. 

Those who are still talking about you are hating that you were brave enough to not tolerate their disrespect, and foul treatment that only shallow people know how to give.  

Many hated Jesus...but look how many are still talking about Him.
 
Don't respond to lies...the truth will always prevail. God knows how to fight your battle for you.  Your only responsiblity is to pray for those who despitefully use you and say all manner of evil against you.  Matthew 5:44 (KJV).

A Willingness to Fight!!!!

Don't Sign Up for the Battle Unless You're Ready to Fight 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

From My Heart:  

Over the past six months I've been under tremendous pressure.  Not pressure to love and be patient, etc. but pressure to fight against the attacks of the ememy who has been trying to get me to succumb to the things that tried to sway me away from what God's expects of me.  I battled with choosing to be liked by the world or stand and fight against the lies and spiritual injustice that God's people have buckled under.  I've seen Christian who bowed down to other God's for fear of loosing friendships, jobs and reputations.  However, just when I felt like throwing in the towel, I could hear a small voice say I didn't send you to be liked, I sent you to fight.  It was in those moments I realized all the more of the spiritual battle we are in.  

There are times you will have to choose between being politically correct, liked by man or pleasing in the eyesight of God. When we choose to be pleasing to God, it may mean speaking out against the lies, unfairness, mindsets and spiritual wickedness in high places. While some are comfortable with "not rocking the boat", God has given others boldness to declare and decree what thus says the Lord.  These are times when the pressure to fight the fear of walking alone, standing out like a sore thumb and  being different plaques the mind of the one whom God has chosen to go to war on behalf of others. Then anger rises, because the very ones you are fight for and the ones who are fighting against you.  Sounds like what Jesus eontended with as He chose to bear our cross on our behalf.    

So in retrospect, consider this...When God called you...did you really count the cost?   Have you considered the battles you would have to fight?...maybe not with others but within yourself. I realized that God was calling me to a higher place in him and it was going to require accepting the feeling of isolation, hatred coming from other "so called Christians" and retaliation from some whom you were called to speak out against.  Sounds alot like the call of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah and many more. Just know...the battle is not yours it is the Lord's.  All He needs you to do is ensure your armour is fully prepared and you are equipped for whatever comes your way.  Just like many soldiers, you really don't know how bad the situation is until you are in the middle of the battle field.  Going back is not an option...pressing forward means that you will eventually reach the end of the battle ground and you will see the break of day...Keep pressing forward!!!!

Kelly -  Matters of the Heart

One Night With the King --- Becoming An Inner Court Worshipper

               One Night With the King ---The Choice to to Move Into the Inner-Court of Worship


There's a significant difference of being an outer -court praiser and an inner- court worshipper.  Over the many years of serving in ministry, I've seen both.  However, it was not until I began to seek the truth about the heart of a true worshipper,  did I realize  John 4:23 "It's coming a time when the true worshippers shall worship me in spirit and in truth".

The Heart of a Worshipper

A true worshipper is one who does not care about his or her image,  man made rules or regulations, or the opinion of others concerning them.  There comes a time where a true worshipper will break all the rules to come before the presence of the King and pour his or her soul out to the only one who can do anything about their situation.

In so many cases,  we as believers settle for the bodily exercise of praising, which is merely, dancing, shouting, sweating etc…Please don't misunderstand, all of this is wonderful in it's proper perspective.  I for one have had my fair share of a sure enough "Holy Ghost" dance and shout and I love it.   However, I realized early, as a young single Christian, that I needed more than a shout to keep me delivered from some of the bad habits I developed before becoming a Christian.  One of which was my addiction to men.  Nevertheless,  after many failures in this area in my Christian walk, I finally went to God with tears rolling down my face and I cried out "Lord, deliver me from myself…I don't want to keep failing in this area".  It was then, I clearly heard God say to me,  "it's not until you move from the outer court and come into my inner court will you find your strength to resist".

You see, I had resorted to just the dancing and shouting as my form of worship towards God.  I praised God for what He had done for me.  I was an "Outer-Court Worshipper".  But I never really worshipped God for who He was to me…becoming an "Inner-Court Worshipper" or what we we may be more familiar with..."A True Worshipper".   So I began to study to learn who God was and not what He could do for me.   I realized in the Bible that He had given me power through the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life.  I realized that God was a forgiver, a deliverer, a keeper,  a strong tower where the righteous run into and are saved.  God was a peace maker, a joy giver and so much more.  All of which I needed, but never spent the quality time in His presence to receive.

I was spiritually dying. However, my constant failures, kept me feeling that I was never worthy enough to come before the King and remain in His presence long enough to be endowed with His power to keep me.  Because when  I walked out those church doors I needed power to live the life I shouted about. But I didn't know what I was missing.  I faithfully attended church, bible study, anything my pastor asked me to do, I was there.   But when I was alone, after the church doors were shut...I needed more than the shout, the cutting the steps, the release of the pressure.  I needed the heart of a worshipper that would love God while under pressure and not cave into the cry of my flesh…I needed to become an "Inner-Court Worshipper".

This reminds me of the Story of Esther...

The Book of Esther in the Bible is a fascinating book.  In it, describes a young damsel who was adopted by a relative (Mordecai) after suffering a devastating loss of her parents.  She was eventually "pawned" off to the most powerful person in the region,  The King of Susa.  Esther Chapter 1 describes the process of which she was selected to become the King's wife.  Back then, it was not proper to present oneself before the king if you were not beckoned to do so. If anyone approached the king without his approval, it would likely lead to death, even if you were his wife.  

One day, Esther was made aware by Mordecai that someone within her new husband's kingdom had plotted her people's demise.  Un-beknown to the King he was tricked into signing a decree to have all of Esther's family and her entire nation of people, killed. What an awful dilenma Esther had to face.  She was left with a choice…Do I go before the king without first being beckoned and risk my life or wait and hope that my and my people's life would be spared?  Esther realized that either choice was a life or death situation. So she made a wise decision to adorn herself and enter into the "outer-court" of the King's Palace in hopes that He would beckon her to come closer.  

Her calculated decision and timing proved to be correct.  For when the King saw Esther, the one whom He loved the most. The one of whom He was waiting anxiously to see.  The One of whom he selected to be his new wife.  When He saw her in his "outer-court", he stretched out his hand to her and said, "My beautiful wife…come closer tell me what it is I can do for you".  
 
You see, while Esther feared for her life…she was not aware that she was already considered the apple of her husband's eye.  He was waiting anxiously for her to come out of the outer-court and into his inner court so he could be closer to her. Her frailties, imperfections and even her bad habits were not important to the king.  He still desired her…just the way she was.  This one act of faith, delivered her and her people and destroyed the one who tried to kill them.  

This is a beautiful story and a wonderful example of the heart of a true worshipper.  Because it's not until your situation becomes desperate enough will you devise a reason to go before the King of Kings and move out of the outer-court and thrust yourself into the inner- court.  The outer-court may give you relief, but the inner-court will give your deliverance.  

Esther's final thought before she went before the king was "live or die…I'm going to see the King".  She became tired of seeing him standing in the window across the courtyard.  She became tired of the fear of coming before his presence to lay out her most intimate issues before him. She realized her situation was desperate enough to risk all she had in order to move into the Inner-Court to capture the King's attention.  Essentially, to capture his ear to listen to the cry of her heart.

Today, I ask you…how desperate is your situation?  Is your situation desperate enough to remove yourself from the outer-court.  The place where your friends are telling you "it's no use", "you can't stop doing what you are doing" "everybody has bad habits…we just have to learn to live with them" "your weak and can't resist". "hurting is a part of life…you just have to learn to deal with it" It's too hard to pray…it doesn't work anyway"  Whatever voices or lies you are hearing today…Are you tired of remaining in the outer-court, trying to measure up to God?

If this describes you, then it's time to break out like Esther.  Refuse to resort to just simple tears, shouting and dancing.  Move into the "inner-court" and truly worship God.  Allow yourself time in God's presence this weekend to let Him minister to you.  Allow Him time to listen to your cry.   Let Him caress you.  Then...let him heal you, deliver you and assure you that you are His child and you have a right to be in His presence.   Furthermore, you have a right to remain in the "Inner-Court of Worship".   Remember John 4:23,  has the time come for you to no longer settle for the single praise…but become a true worshipper?; One who will serve God no matter what.  Through the good times, the bad times and certainly when you are under pressure and faced with a life or death decision. To get into the inner-court may require a true cry out of repentance…but It will prove to be the best choice you've ever made in your life. 

Thank you for following me at Matters of the Heart...
kellyjenningsmoth7.blogspot.com

Kelly J- Matters of the Heart 
Empowering Word Friday 

   

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Who's Bürden Are You Carrying?

                               Carry Someone Today…One day They May Need to Carry YOU!

We live in a society where it's a "dog eat dog" world.  Everyone is out for themselves.  We are not as much our brother's keeper as much as we are "Brotha, what can you do for me?" The biblical principle of "Give and it shall be given back to you…pressed down, shaken together, and running over" is an awesome empowering word of giving…not just in tithes and offering, but of ourselves.  Unfortunately, many don't exercise and unlock the keys to their blessings, because they are always looking for a hand out, rather than giving a hand to help someone else up.  I guess we can define that as "selfish".

Romans 15:1-7 states we are to bear one another's burdens.  But what does that really mean?  Are we to become an enabler for other's weaknesses or cripple their ability to do for themselves?  Certainly not.   However, there are times those around us are weak and need a little help (maybe a little pushing out of the nest).

You may say to yourself; "I'm in no position to help anyone else; I myself, could use a helping hand". I've met so many people in life who have the "Woe is me" mentality.  But always remember, there's always someone worst off than you. Your worst state could be the best state someone else is praying for.  You may also say, "I don't know what to say or how to help them".  Could it be that God is just wanting you to pray for them, give them a kind smile, feed them, give them a word of encouragement serve in some minimal capacity as a volunteer or even guide them to the resources that can best help them?

Our whole purpose on this Earth is to do the will of our Father who sent us. He will give us burdens that He wants us to personally carry.

All to often, we admire other's servanthood.  They are always busy helping others until the point of exhaustion. When we see them going about their day, constantly busy trying to figure out how to help this or that person; we sit in awe and say, "I wish I could be like them" or I wish I had the energy to do what they do".  Could it be they are carrying the burden that once was your's?  Could it be this was the burden God placed on your heart…but you felt you were not qualified for the task or too weak to perform the thing asked of you?  Could it be that God has passed your burden onto to someone else, because you were not willing or afraid to carry the burden place on your heart?   The difference between those who carry other's burdens and you is "they made themselves available".  All God is looking for is a willing vessel.  He's not looking for a perfect person (no such person exists); He's looking for a willing person.

Someone who will look beyond their problems and see the needs of others.  You may carry a burden for the loss, the sick, the elderly, the abused, the addicted, the hurting and broken (and so many more).  The question is:  what are you doing with your burden? Regardless of how weak and frail you feel...you are strong enough for someone else. You have something to bring to the table even if it's a simple "I love you".    

Maybe you're not in a position to physically,  financially or emotionally help someone else.  But you have talents, gifts, skills and abilities that are lying dormant in you.  These were given to you, not just for yourself and your family members but they were given to you by God to help bear the infirmities of the weak. There are times we are unknowingly selfish. We only think about "my four and no more." We let other's down on our promises, because we become consumed with "ourselves" more than we should.  Can I enlighten you to something very profound?…someone outside of "your world" needs you and they are depending on you to break through on their behalf.You have what it takes…to carry someone else's burden.

So if you have not done so this week; (Look outside of your family).  Take up your cross and follow God to the person you are suppose to help.  Speak a kind word, apologize, forgive, most of all show the Love of God.  If you have to, place them on your shoulder and carry them through the storm long enough until they are able to stand on their own two feet.  But don't enable or cripple them so that the are overly dependent upon you.

The song that comes to heart for me this week is "Finish Strong..by Jonathan Nelson".   If you've missed it all week; you still have time…I challenge you to go back and get it right…and Finish Strong.  Then be strong for someone else.

Have an awesome Empowered Week -- Enjoy your worship experience with God and "Finish Strong".
Take your mind off your problem...Choose to be a CARRIER of someone else's burden today

Kelly Jennings
Matters of the Heart
Friday's Empowering Moment

Follow me on my blog at kellyjenningsmoth7@blogspot.com
Who's Bürden Are You Carrying?

Happy Love Day….

If you have no-one to love today…Remember God's Love is always available. 

His love just keeps on giving

The Grace of His AGAPE LOVE.

I LOVE YOU….

What Are You Conforming To?

Are you a conformist?…or a break out dare to be different, 

radical, truth standing individual?. Well…I guess it all depends 

on what truth you are standing on.  Dare to be different…live 

for the true and living God through Jesus Christ.