Holding Fast to the Resolution...

Well it's that time of year again, "The New Year's Resolution?"

 We all go through this every year. We try and "hold fast" to the changes that we think can or will effect us for the rest of our lives. Whether it's losing weight, trying to be a better person or whatever it is, we so much want to stick to the "CHANGE."

 But I often ask myself, "why don't I hold fast to the change that I want so much to make?" Is it laziness, timing, job or families. What is it that makes us just give up?

The definition of resolution is "the act or process of resolving." Resolution is an "act." How many times do we act on the things of this world that will satify our flesh, our checking accounts and or our families. Some great "heroic acts" have been made throughout history that has changed the course of our world. But we have also had some "terrorist acts" that have changed the course of the people of this world. The one thing that is common in both of these events is this, the people "held fast" to the idea or the cause. Throughout the course of history, "holding fast" has been cemented into our minds that if we want something so bad, that we stick with it.

 The same should go when practicing our faith. Even if you don't lose all the weight that you want, you shouldn't waver from the idea or your CONFESSION!!!

 I like the verse in Hebrews 10:23 where it says "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."  Why would he say something like this? Because he knew that people have always been tossed by the ways of this world when it comes to there faith. I am no stranger to being a "backslider" or allowing myself to be "shifted in my faith" over the years. Like many of us, I have always confessed that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. But I have allowed circumstances or even my job defer me from sharing the Gospel. I have not "held fast" to my "act of faith." My "act of faith" is not sharing the Word of God like I am supposed too. I am not fulfilling my "New Year's Resolution."

 Now this year, I make the same resolution. That I obviously want to grow and prosper in the things of God. But there are also some personal changes that I want to make in my life and walk with God. One of them is to "be still and be quiet." I have for far too long allowed people to tell me what I need to hear. It is time for God to tell me what I need to hear. Another one is to "be slow to anger." Obviously with my job, I have customers that will always complain and try to rub you wrong when it comes to their drink. I learned a long time ago from a friend this verse, Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Many times I have to say this in my head while they are complaining. I hate being angry and allowing people to get the best of my anger. That is not who I am created to be. That is not the "new creation" that Jesus called me to be. We are to walk in love to each and every person that comes across our path. That is part of "holding fast to our faith." Treating people the way God treats us. That is one of the weapons that the enemy uses against people all of the time. By planting thoughts in our heads about something or someone. Working in the retail and food industry, there is someone that will always be unhappy or make a complaint. ALWAYS!!! They will try and plant bad thoughts into our heads about something, whether its their coffee or something that is going on in their life. The enemy will use them as a weapon. Believe it or not!!!

 In Matthew 16:20-25, Jesus starts talking about the prediction of His death and ressurection. Peter starts yelling "never Lord, this shall not happen to you." I like what Jesus says in response, "Satan, get behind me. You are a stumbling block to me, you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but that of men."

 Satan will use the people that you are closest to or even those we see everyday to become "stumbling blocks." That is when we "hold fast" to our confession and our faith. Our faith teaches us that we have defeated the enemy already. We have to walk in that victory over him.

1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 But take comfort in this, 1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

 You have already overcome your resolutions and everything that has come against you through faith in Christ Jesus. "Hold fast" to your confession and the "faith" that powers you to do those great things for the Kingdom of God.

 So when you set your sights on your "New Year's Resolution" this year, proclaim, speak and hold fast to the victory that Jesus Christ was born to provide, walked in the victory, and died in the victory so that we would be victorious!!! I pray that each person that reads this has a great, blessed and prosperous New Year and to encourage you to chase after God like you have never done before.

 God Bless you All,

Buckwheat...

A Year Past, The New Year Comes and You Drink the Same Coffee....

 The year has come to an end.

  I have seen great blessings happen in my life in this past year and have seen even more to the people around me. But in the same breath, I have seen some great tragedies in other people's lives as well. 

  Death, loss and seperation has hit the body of Christ especially hard in alot of people's lives this year. Some people don't believe in the saying "with the good, there has to be some bad." I have seen great good in my life, but I have also seen evil in my life as well. One of my "evil's" this year was losing with my focus. 

  I lost sight of my first love................God the Father.

  I made a decision in my life early this year that literally saved me from losing myself and from losing my relationship with God. With 2011 just a day away, this is the time when people start talking about the "New Year's resolution." When we talk about resolution, we talk about making a change. We also talk about making a resolve to family, friends and others. We want to make a change.

  But with change, comes either great satisfaction or great sadness. But I have noticed about myself in the past few years that everytime I make a New Year's resolution, I never follow through because of the fact that I either don't want to, or the true desire is not there for change. I call that "drinking the same coffee."

  People are always wanting to try something new, even if they don't like it or don't even want to. They are willing to try, even for a short moment. And I will prove it to you. Here is the list of New Year's resolution.

Weight

Stop Smoking

Get Married(that is mine)!!!!

Find a better job

Become a better husband or wife

  And the list goes on and on for many of us. I always tell my customers that they need to make a change in their "coffee life." Most of them say "I know, I know." Most of my customers though will never make that change with their coffee, because they are comfortable with it. They are safe and okay with what they have. They won't allow change to ruin their daily routine.

   But the truth is that change took place over 2010 years ago. Jesus made the biggest change in everyone's life when He went to the Cross. The change that He made gave us the ability to change not only ourselves, but the lives of people around us. In realizing that the Blood of Jesus Christ has changed me personally, I want nothing more for people to get that same revelation of who they are in Christ. I want them to truly see how powerful they really are. I want that same revelation as well. I know that I am powerful and that God want's nothing more than to use me in mighty and powerful ways, but I let myself get in the way. I want to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit, that the Presence of God is literally knocking people over when I walk in the door. That is to be my New Year's resolution. I want to touch someone's life and for them to just feel an "inkling" of God to the point of just falling to the ground and giving Glory to God in the highest Praise. Being touched by the finger of God will forever change your life and always for the better.

  I was just recently told by a wonderful friend, that at many times I can be "rude, crude and just plain mean." Where in the Bible does it show that the Disciples of Christ were acting like that towards people while trying to witness to them? If I am to be "Christ-like", I have to take on the same characteristics that Jesus taught the Disciples. That means not being a "rude, crude and just plain mean" kinda guy. There are so many thing's that I need to change in my life and writting them down on a piece of paper would do absolutely no good. But the truth is that I need to make those changes so that I can be more "Christ-like." I am pretty sure that Jesus didn't cuss like a sailor when He was talking to the Disciples, or He was throwing back a Jack and Coke when He got home from preaching all day. I am not saying that I do all of these things, but my mouth has gotten me into alot of trouble over the years and it is time for a change. I truly believe in my heart that I am generally nice to people, but I also don't let people slap me around either.

But I also know that I can change it as well. There is a saying that "acknowledgement is the highest form of flattery." I like to say it this, "a change in yourself is always pleasing to God." That is what we must do for the New Year. We must change ourselves with the help of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. That is the only thing that can save us from ourselves.

Change does the body good...

So on this ending note, I want to wish each and everyone of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May God continue to Bless you and your family throughout 2011 and the future to come.

To all of my friends in the United States Military, I pray that each and everyone of you come home safe, thank you for your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your families as well. God Bless everyone of you!!!

Blessings from the Most High God,

Buckwheat the Baristo

(aka Jeremy)

Buckwheat's Personal Testimony...Part #3

He answers the phone, "Yo bubba, what's going on?"

I was fighting back the tears and trying not to lose it over the phone. "Got some bad news dad" I said.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he says.

"Well, there was a robbery at mom's workplace today and there were alot of people injured in the midst of it. Mom was hurt really bad."

"Son, what's going on? Just tell me."

"Mom is dead!" I cried out... "She is dead."

The phone got silent. I heard my dad take a deep breath and say "oh man." Then I told him what had happened. For the most part, there was nothing that he could say. He just sat there and listened to me tell the story and I would hear the occasional whimper. Since I am not a parent, I never knew or could understand how it feels to see your child get hurt in a way that literally rips you to the bone. Dad told me that this was the only time in his life that he felt so helpless because this was a wound that he couldn't kiss and make it feel better. He would later tell me that it pained him to see his kids in so much pain, that he literally got sick over it. I just remember telling him that I wanted him here in Texas so bad. He said that he would be there.

As the week went on, we planned the funeral, family came in from all over the place, people and cousins that we hadn't seen in years. One of those people that we hadn't seen was mom's brother, David. This was the first time that I had seen him since I was about 6 or 7 years old. My sister wanted to just stay away from him, but I was not shy about talking to him. I have always been the one who didn't want to rock the boat. When David arrived, I saw his wife Clydene and my cousin Joanna. I remember just hugging Joanna for a long time. I think that we were both excited by the fact that we finally got to see each other after all these years. There was a rift in the family for years, but none of that mattered now. They were here. Another person that showed up was our Cousin Jimmy. He always considered himself the "black sheep" of the family along with mom. Jimmy was a professional entertainer that had a close relationship with mom as well. They had very similar personalities and emotions. Jimmy took mom's death very hard.

As more family arrived, so did the stress level. Me and Charity were retreating into the back bedroom and just trying to hide from everyone. Funny, when your around family, you are supposed to feel great and warmth and love. It wasn't that we didn't feel that, it was there were just alot of people. As the day got closer to the funeral, the more family would come in. I would see mom's sisters, Marsha, Sondra and Pam. Sondra was the oldest, Marsha was second and Pam was the third child. Mom was the baby.

You know, I usually enjoy family reunions, but this one I did not. As the day was approaching for the funeral, the details and arrangements were being made. Now me and sis were sitting in the dining room talking about pallbearers and who was going to carry mom to the grave. I knew in my heart that mom wanted me to carry her to the grave. One of mom's friends suggested otherwise, that i should be sitting with the family and that the son doesn't do that during funerals. Sis just sat there and agreed with her.

I was so mad...

I just had someone tell me that I couldn't carry my mother who was just murdered to her own grave. Take a little piece of advice from me on this. If you are ever doing or planning a funeral for a family member, and you want to be a part of it, DO IT!!! Don't let anyone sway or talk you out of it. You will feel robbed if you don't. But that was just the beginning of things.

The worst was yet to come...

Buckwheat's Personal Testimony...Part #2

And so the nightmare has begun...

After I regained somewhat of a composure, I had to take a deep breath and get my focus, even if just for a minute. The lead detective had explained to me what had happened and that a ex-employee was a suspect in the killings, but they were looking for him. It wouldn't be until the next day that they would locate and arrest him. We later found out that the person that was arrested and charged with public indecency just days before the killings. The only thing that I could think of at the time is, "what am I gonna do? How is this happeneing to me?"

Once the officer was finished, I told him that my stepfather was on his way up to the police station and that I had to meet him outside. As I walked through the doors of the police station, a victim's counselor grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. Her name is Cindy. She would later become one of my greatest friends that I would ever have. She was about 110lbs and was 4'8. She was so sweet and always there to hear me cry. She looked up at me and said "Do you wanna hug?"

I lost it...

That is when I really knew that the dream was real...

I remember falling to the ground and she just hugged me. Even as tall as I am, she and I were the same height with me on the ground. Haha!!! I always teased her about that. Cindy would become a very important part of my life after this day. She would help and teach me how to deal with some of the things that I was about to face. As I got up off the floor, she gave me her card and told me to call her if I needed anything. I started walking outside and I could see David walking up. I got sick at my stomach.

"Where is she?"  David asks.

"Uh, I need you to sit down dad. I have to tell you something."

"Just tell me where she is." David says.

"She's gone!" I said.

"What? What do you mean she's gone? Where is she? What happened?"  David says.

"There was a robbery at the carwash and mom was injured and she didn't make it. She's dead."

He dropped to the ground and cried. I never saw my stepfather cry before until this moment. I have never had to deliver the "bad news" to anyone before. I was about to become the "messenger" for this. David stood up and ran to his truck. I said "where are you going?" All I heard was the carwash. He went looking for his wife. I tried to stop him, but he just left. One of the officers told me that they were taking mom's body to Parkland Hospital. He said that he would escort me down there if I wanted to. I said "let's go." As we were in the car, he was telling me of things that were to come out of all of this. All I kept thinking was, "mom is dead." He said that there were somethings that he needed to know about mom and that he had a few questions for me. We pull up to the emergency room entrance at the hospital.

Here I go...

I see David sitting in the waiting room with his brother Tim. There were a bunch of cops and doctors standing around him just talking. David walks up to me and says "she's gone." My response, "I know." He had accepted it, even though he didn't want to. Tim said, "Buckwheat, what am I going to do?" Tim and mom were very close. The way they played off of each other, you would have almost thought they were brother and sister. Tim was one of the people who took it the hardest. As we were sitting in the waiting room, a doctor walked up to us and asked for someone to identify mom. David had walked off and went to the bathroom. Tim said, "Buckwheat, wait for David." I said, "I will do it."

"Buckwheat, let David do it." Tim says.

Tim, I can do this."

I walk with the doctor down the hall towards the morgue where they were keeping the bodies. Felt like I was walking the "Green Mile." I walked into this room with a TV screen. The doctor said that an image of her will appear on the screen. It wouldn't be her face, but a part of her that would be recognizable. Then the TV came on.

It was her hand that had her wedding ring...

I won't go into detail of the images that I saw, but I recognize mom's wedding ring. If anyone knew mom, they new the ring. It was huge. She considered it to be her prize possesion amongst her jewelry. But when I say the ring, I said "that is her." And that was it. There was nothing else to be done or said. I walked back out to the waiting room and saw David and Tim standing there. Nothing was said.

"Buckwheat, take my truck back to the house and I will ride with Tim." David says.

"Okay, I will meet you at the house." At the same time, I was thinking of my sister. I tried calling her a couple of times before I left and never could get a hold of her. When I made it to the house, I learned that a friend of the family had gotten a hold of her husband and he was able to find her and tell her. She was 7 months pregnant at the time with her youngest. I wouldn't see her until I got to the house out in the country.

I remember that when I got into David's truck, I just had a moment to myself to just sit there and cry. I just wanted to do nothing but cry and for someone to hold me and say that everything was going to be okay. I kept thinking, "How am I gonna do this?" I start up the truck and head towards the apartment that we all had shared. As I walked into the apartment, David and Tim were already there. David was on the phone talking to his daughter Cheryl. He had the hardest time telling her what happened and passed the phone over to Tim. He couldn't do it either.

"Tim, give the phone to Buckwheat." David says.

A deep breath and here we go. This is the second time that I had to tell someone that mom was dead. It wasn't getting any easier saying it. I grabbed the phone from Tim and said "hello." Looking back now at all of this, God knew how I was gonna pull through all of this. He chose me for this time, only because He knew I was capable to stand strong in all of this. God was there with me, but I wish more than ever that I had been with Him in all of this.

"Cheryl, hey it's me." All that I heard was screaming and crying. "Cheryl, calm down, I need you to take a breath and calm down." She started to slow down and get herself together somewhat. When she got to the point of being able to talk to her, that is when I told her what had happened. As soon as I told her, the crying started all over again. Then all I heard is "click." She would call back a few minutes later and I got her somewhat calmed. But there was still one call that i had to make before I did anything else.

My dad...

My dad and I have never had the best father and son relationship due to me. I have always been a great liar, especially when it comes to my father. My father has always paid the price for my lies. Yet, like our Heavenly Father, he has always taken me back. I remember calling him that day. I had made so many calls before I called him, that I hated making this one above any of them. How do you sit there and tell the your dad that the mother of your children has been murdered? Truth is, there's no handbook. That is the truth!!!

So I dialed his number and he answered, "Hello."

"Hey papa, it's me."

I just hated this call...

Buckwheat's Personal Testimony...Part #1

  "Buckwheat, are you serious?"

 "Oh my God, I can't believe that!"

 "I know what you went through, I really do."

I have heard these phrases a million times over after the passing of my mother. As many times that I have told the story of my mother's death, there are moments that I still get very choked up about it. I was telling a friend of mine the other day about how that event changed my life forever. I have told this story so many times, that it feels like I am telling a bedtime story. But to sit there and tell everyone detail for detail, that is when the emotions can flare up. If you want to understand me and my testimony, you have to see where it all began.

 And so here we go...

March 20, 2000 is a day that will always be the worst and best day of my life. I remember it like it just happened. My day would start out pretty much the same when I woke up. Coffee and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, I am a Sci-Fi geek. I was flipping through the channels when I came across my mother's workplace. They had just said that a robbery occured at her workplace, but wasn't giving any information other than that. I called up there and wasn't getting any answers so I got dressed as fast as I could. I got into the car and hauled myself up there as fast as I could. It would normally take about 10 minutes to get to her workplace, I made it there in about 2 minutes. I pulled into the driveway and walked up to a motorcycle cop and told him that I was looking for my mother who worked there. He said that she was probably at the police station giving a report on the robbery. I had to drive down there to find her. I had noticed that there were no ambulances there, so that gave me a good thought in the back of my mind, meaning that no one got hurt.

 I was wrong...

When I got to the police station, I walked in and told them who I was and that I was looking for my mother. They led me back to a conference room where another family was sitting there waiting for their family member. I had met Dennis's wife a few times, but never really sat down to talk to her before. I looked at the police officer and said "this isn't my family." The officer said that he was going to go look for my mom. As I was talking to Dennis's wife about what she thought had happened, we were left in utter wonder and fear. We had hoped that it was not the worst, but hoped for the best. I remember telling one of the counselor's that I needed to use a phone while we were waiting. I had to call my step-father at the time. It was the hardest phone call that I had to make because it was the first.

"Dad, hey it's me. Have you talked to mom this morning?"

"No, not since we left this morning. Why, what's wrong?"

"There was a robbery at the carwash and I can't find mom."

Phone clicks and goes dead...

As I am still waiting to hear from the police about mom, I am sitting here in the office and just trying to get my thoughts and feeling together. I hated the "not knowing" part of all this. I always think of the "Jeopardy theme" whenever I tell this part. I walked back into the conference room and saw that it was empty. I waited for a few minutes when about 6 cops come walking in the door. It had just got bad...

"Mr. Spears, we have located your mom, but she has been injured in the robbery along with other people at the carwash."

"Well, where is she and is she okay?"

"Her injuries were severe and did not survive."

"What? What do you mean she didn't survive? Is she dead?"

"Yes."

Silence was in the room. Then I just started crying to the point of losing myself. I remember that I grabbed a table and threw it across the room as hard as I could. The next thing I knew, there were about 4 cops that were on top of me. They had restrained me to the point of laying on the ground. I remember screaming, crying and fighting to get off the ground.

"Mr. Spears, calm down, it's gonna be okay."

"Get off of me, now!"

"I need you to calm down. I'm not letting you go until then."

"Get the hell off of me! Let me go, NOW!!!"

When they picked me up off the ground, I had a moment to catch my breath and kind of take in everything. It was like every part of time had just stopped. This was all a dream and I was ready to wake up.

 I never did...

The dream that I thought I was in, just became a nightmare...

Different Flavors, Same Ingredients! What's the Difference?

"I want something that is sweet, but not too sweet."
"Well, what kind of flavors do you like?"

"I like it sweet, but not sweet!"

"Ummmm............."

  When I get customer's like this, it absolutely drives me crazy. I mean, don't ask for something that you may or may not like. Now, I will help guide you and make suggestions, but ultimately it comes down to this. It has the same flavor and the same coffee. But the truth is that there is no difference in your drink versus the lady behind you that orders the same thing. "Well, I can cut back on the amount of pumps which reduces the sweetness in it, but it's still the same." When someone adjusts something to make you happy, there is a root or a base for it. The same goes for Christianity today.

 I have so many people walk through my door and alter their drinks and make it to where they feel great about drinking it. That gives them the control over their happiness. Whenever you get control over a situation, that is a form of power that we get a rise out of. Whenever you are looking for a good place to eat or drink, you have to go to different places. Someone may have the best fajitas or the best steak that you have ever had, but that food has a beginning. Eating or drinking something today comes from a animal. With Christianity today, there is a root or a rock.

 With Christianity, there are so many denominations today that people participate in today, that it is literally hard to keep up with the growth of churches. The churches today are having a major impact on society today. The debate in New York today over a mosque being built 2 blocks from the Twin Towers location has spread all over the world. As you can see, a faith has a major impact on the world today and will only get worse. Now, I don't agree with the Muslim faith and alot of the other religions that are out there. With Christianity, there is a common ground, Jesus. Most churches today believe and teach that Jesus is the only to the Father. But there are some that adjust the teaching of Jesus to fit the people.

 This is where people get a different flavor, but yet it has the same ingredients. But unfortunately, some people like to throw in their own little ingredients to make it taste better for the customers or the congregation. This is what some call "watering down the Truth." This is the power or that "feeling good" about the Gospel. With so many preachers and evangelists speaking the Word of God in this world, it's hard for some to distinguish the truth and teachings of Jesus. Church has been a part of this great nation since it's birth and was found on Biblical principles. Since those times, the church has been kicked to the curb because of society and being "political correctness." You can say the same with coffee today. The company that I work for is known for it's coffee and has taken a great stance on being "politically correct." Yet, in 2009, they donated over a million dollars to the LGBT Foundation.

 Do I agree with that? Absolutely not! But they do it to make sure that they try to make everyone happy. To some extent we all do that. I want to make sure that everyone of my customers walk away from my bar happy and satisfied each and every time. Does it always happen? No, but I will always do my best to make sure that they leave satisfied. That goes the same for church today. We want church to makes us feel good about ourselves and that we can call ourselves Christians. Unfortunately, we visit many churches to get the "feeling" that we want. Now, I do believe that to some extent you have to have some comfort level with the preaching and the people around you. When I first attended the church that I now attend, I went as an unbeliever. I would have never in a million years thought that I would attend that kind of church. People walking up to me and hugging me, shaking my hands and all up in my business. That wasn't my thing back then. That literally kept from going to church for the longest time. But I didn't know what it was at the time either. I wasn't looking for a church. Someone invited and I went. That was it.

 Today it's alot different. I love the church that I attend and even though many times I have wanted to leave and find another church, the truth is, I don't think that I could. I remember one guy that always gave me a hug whenever I saw him. David was a sweet and loving soul who loved Christ with all of his heart. He had some physical issues, but that didn't stop him from showing me what it was like to feel at home. I was very saddened to learn that when his family moved, that I wouldn't see him much anymore. He helped me see that church was about not only the Word of God being preached, but a sense of belonging. If you saw David, you wouldn't think that he would belong in church, but the truth is that David didn't let his physical issues stop him from loving on God and his children. Church today has a common theme that I see today, making you feel good.
 Let me just say this. If you hear the Word of God preached and you don't get offended by it, you are at the wrong church. Huh? That's right! There are so many times that I hear the Word preached and it literally makes me mad, but the truth is, that if I didn't know what it was and digged into the scriptures myself, it could lead me down a path of stupidity. If you hear the Word preached and all they talk about is how much God loves you, and that's it, that's not enough. With all the denominations that there are in the world today, many churches have watered down the "Gospel" to a great extent. Some churches preach that healing and miracles don't happen anymore. That God is still mad at you. That Jesus was "PLAN B." My favorite one that I heard from Andrew Womack was this, "the church is the new mafia. They want your money and attendance, AND they will make sure that God protects you until the next service."
 Now even though these people maybe preaching these type of services, most of them preach that Jesus was the Son of God who came to Earth, was crucified for our sins and raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit. That is the main ingredient for Christianity today. Jesus is the ONLY WAY into Heaven!  Jesus is the only thing that matters when it comes to church. If you here someone else teaching something other than that, RUN!!! That is a doctrine of the enemy!!! If you think that just being a good person is going to get you into heaven, you've got another thing coming. JUDGEMENT!!!

I am sorry for all of you Oprah fans, but she is wrong to think and tell everyone that being a "good person" and there has to be "another way into heaven" is really going to work out for you in the long run. But that is a whole different story. Back to my main point.

 Guys, it is simple and not hard to figure out. I like in the book of Revelations and the letters that were written to the churches, that they all had some sort of issue. But the truth is that they believed that Jesus was the Son of God, God was Holy and that was it. That is the "main ingredient" for Christianity today. God has a Son by the name of Jesus who came to Earth who lived and walked this planet for 33 years old and was crucified for our sins and was raised from the dead after 3 days. That is the purpose and the truth about the Christianity. Now, there are pastor and preachers that add extra ingredients or "teachings" that may not be in line with the Word of God. These are the people that say that God loves you no matter what.
 The teachings of Jesus are so much more than just what is being heard in the church today. It has applications that can be used for daily living or even harder situations. But, this is where the church comes into play as well. The church has speak the Word of God in love and truth. The church isn't about the building, it's about what is being preached within it's walls. I heard my Pastor said one time "it's better to have a few father's in the faith, then ten thousand teachers." Ten thousand teachers have all sorts of ingredients. Too many ingredients have can make for a bad piece of cake. It can give you a funny taste in your mouth. With the Word of God preached in the right manner, with love and compassion, you should always walk away with a God taste in your Spirit.

 That is the Word of God...

Guys, my encouragement for you is only this.

When you go to church as a new or a mature believer, be careful, look at the list of ingredients that the church is using to speak the Word of God. What I love about the Word of God is this...

 I either get a revelation from the Word that can leave me somewhat dissappointed or the greatest feeling in my Spirit that God has given to me through His Word. His Word, His Son, His Spirit..........His ingredients...

Walking into a Warzone, Walking into His Presence...

 "This place looks like a freaking war zone you guys!" You guys, this place is a mess."

There is no such thing as walking into a perfectly clean coffee shop. If you believe that, you are deceived.

 These are the words that I have said a million times over whenever I walk into a bad situation. And what I mean by that is this, there is a long line of people and they just haven't had the chance to get caught up on stocking or cleaning up. There are times when you just can't get out of clocking in early or clocking out late. But there is one thing that you can always count on when working in a coffee shop...you will always walk into a situation that will either make you happy or angry.
 Unfortunately, I always walk into a bad situation. I have many expectations when it comes to how the store should be when I come in and get ready to work. They are not always fulfilled when the store has been busy, but I have learned to be flexible with some things. Many people have that same attitude. It's not the best attitude to have either, but it's not the worst. I once heard a preacher say "blessed are those who are flexible for that shall not be broken."  
 Now you would think that a coffee shop would not be a busy place, but the truth is that it can be a revolving door in the mornings and with the holidays coming up soon, it gets CRAZY!!! When I say that it is literally like walking into a "war zone", I am not kidding. I have see people just get down right mean and rude over a cup of coffee. I mean, what is the point of screaming over a drink that is only going to last for maybe an hour.


"Buckwheat, your just mumbling! What is your point?"


When you wake up, you make a choice. You can either be in the greatest mood or the worst mood. It's not about what side of the bed you woke up on or what is going on in your life. It's about a choice that you make. Me and friend were talking the other day about the things that have happened in our lives. We both experienced something that rocked our world to the core. One of us chose a mindset of walking in the pain and the grief. The other chose the mindset of God. One had a peace "that surpassed all understanding." One had no peace of any sort.


 When my mother passed, I didn't have a relationship with God or His Son. Now, I remember asking God one time to show me if He truly existed. Now, when I did that and God knew that I was serious, He showed up. Now what happened after that is something that I will never forget. When God himself showed Himself to me, I was given the opportunity to go with Him in the sense of Him showing me how to get through this life with the loss that I had just experienced. When you lose someone by murder, there is no handbook on how to deal with it. No one could have ever told me or my family how to deal with that. NO ONE!!! Now, in the midst of my visitation with God, I chose not to accept His help. I was so mad at God, that His help was that last thing that I wanted. I wished that I had walked with Him in the midst of all that.


 I didn't, I walked into THE WAR ZONE...


 What I mean by the "war zone" is that we walk into or without the guidance of the Heavenly Father. So many times we walk in situations and try to lean on our own understanding. We try to figure it out and end up going through things that God does not want us to go through. Now, for years, I have heard people always say "God allows this to happen for a purpose." Sorry for all of you people that believe this, BUT THAT IS A LIE!!! The war zone that I walked through involved depression, suicide, a homosexual lifestyle and eventually homelessness. If you believe that God wanted me to go through all of that just to come out on top and give Him the glory...Sorry, THAT IS A LIE!!! 


 I was given a choice to follow, lean and glorify Him during those times of great sadness. That is the only way that God can be glorified out of a rough situation. God should be glorified in the good times, but even more so during the troubling times. I sit here and think that if I had allowed God to be part of my life, that maybe those things could have been avoided.
 One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Now, they were walking in some dangerous times for the early Christians. The King Nebuchadnezzar had built this statue of himself and told everyone to bow and worship it. Well, these three young men refused not too. So as a punishment to these men, the King ordered the fiery furnace to be heated 7 times hotter than normal. It was so hot, that the guards that threw them into the furnace died instantly. I love what they had quoted from the Book of Daniel, 3:17 "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king."

 Here they were being thrown into a "war zone."  I would like to think that they were a little scared of going through that, but they had already said that God would deliver them from this. They were walking in "His Presence." When you read farther down in the Book of Daniel, it's says that there was a "fourth person" that was like the Son of God standing in their midst. God's Presence had protected them from the fiery death. Can you imagine, being thrown into a furnace and thinking you are going to die? How about Daniel? He was thrown into the Lion's den where people were being fed to the animals themselves. These are just two examples of giving praise to God in the midst of a bad situation.

 Daniel 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

 When they walked out of the furnace, the King had given the glory to Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego's God. He saw that even in the midst of a fiery death, that their praises saved them from being harmed. The Presence of God saved them. The presence of God is so powerful, so strong and so loving, that you are literally lost in Him. When you see that Jesus himself was in the midst of the furnace, that is the same as Jesus being with you in the middle of your fiery furnace. When we sing the praises of the Lord while possibly walking into a bad situation, God can turn that around for you. 

 "Praise Him in the Storm."

I wished that I had known the Son and the Heavenly Father during the time of my mother's death. To experience what I went through is nothing that I would have wished upon my worst enemy. But today, if I face a trial, I purpose myself to praise Him while walking through it. There is nothing in this life that God cannot get you through. 

"NOTHING!!!"

“Well Buckwheat, you don't understand how bad it really is?” I mean it is bad!”



Matthew 19:26  26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
 
 So the next time you face a trial, tribulation or you feel like you are walking into a "war zone", take a minute or two and give thanks to God for all that he has provided. Ask Him for the wisdom to deal with the situation and walk through this "war zone" by walking in "His Presence."
 
 I love to sing praise and worship songs while I am behind the coffee bar. Depending on the song, it maybe a song of encouragement for some and maybe a song of glorifying Him. Either way, simply give Him the Praise. Simply...