Where would we be without Black People?

As Black History month comes to an end, Black Americans across these United States have endeavored to celebrate the important contributions of Black people.  But, as important as their contributions have been to the world, unfortunately many of these creative men and women have not been chronicled in school history books.  Therefore, it is my intention to enlighten readers with this story (Author unknown) which incorporates several of the unsung inventors of the Black race.


There was a little boy whose name was Theo.  He awakened one morning and asked his mother, "Mom, what if there were no black people in the world?"  His mother thought for a moment and said, "Go get dressed and follow me around today; let's see what it would be like if there were no black people in this world".  Theo ran to his room to get dressed.  When he came back, his mother said that his clothes were wrinkled and needed to be ironed.  But when she reached for the ironing board it wasn't there.  You see Sarah Boone (A Black woman) invented the ironing board.  Theo had no shoes on because Jan E. Matzelinger (A Black man) invented the shoe lasting machine.


Mom then told Theo to go comb his hair, but he couldn't find a comb.  You see Walter Sammons (A Black man) invented the comb. So Theo decided to brush his hair instead but the brush was also gone.  That's because Lydia O. Newman (A Black woman) invented the brush.  You can just about guess that Theo looked a sight (no shoes, wrinkled clothes and his hair was a mess!).


Oh, well said mom, "Let's do our chores around the house before we go to the grocery store".       Theo had to sweep the floor but when he reached for the dustpan, it wasn't there because             Lloyd P. Ray (A Black man) invented the dustpan.  So Theo swept the dirt in a pile over in a corner and left it there.  He then decided to mop the floor but there was no mop.  You see, Thomas W. Stewart (A Black man) invented the mop.  While Theo struggled to complete his chores, mom was doing the laundry.  When she attempted to place the damp clothes from the washer to the dryer, it wasn't there because George T. Samon (A Black man) invented the clothes dryer.


Frustrated, mom asked Theo to get paper/pencil so she could write a grocery list before heading to the market.  Theo found a pencil but the lead was broken and there was no pencil sharpener on the desk because John Love (A Black man) invented the pencil sharpener.  Mom decided to grab a pen but it wasn't in the drawer because William Purvis (A Black man) invented the fountain pen.  As a matter of fact, Lee Burridge (A Black man) invented the type writing machine, and W. A. Lovette (A Black man) invented the advanced printing press.  Visibly upset, mom said, "don't worry about it Theo, let's go!"  They stepped out of the front door and she noticed that the grass was as tall as her son.  That's because the lawn mower was invented by John Burr (A Black man).


They got into the car but couldn't go anywhere because Richard Spikes (A Black man) invented the automatic gearshift and Joseph Gammel invented the supercharge system for internal combustion engines.  Since it was getting late, they decided to walk to the neighborhood store.  Upon returning home they began to put away the milk, eggs & butter but the refrigerator had disappeared.  You see, John Standard (A Black man) invented the refrigerator.  So they left the food on the kitchen counter.


By now, the temperature started to drop; it was getting cold.  Mom went to turn on the heat but couldn't because Alice Parker (A Black woman) invented the heating furnace.  Even in the summer time they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones (A Black man) invented the air conditioner.


It was almost time for Theo's father to come home from work.  On the way out of his 20th floor office he usually takes the elevator, but it was missing because Alexander Miles (A Black man) invented the elevator.  And routinely he drops off the office mail at a nearby mailbox but it was no longer there because Philip Downing (A Black man) invented the letter drop mailbox and       William Barry (A Black man) invented the postmarking and canceling machine.


Upon arriving home, Theo's dad found him and his mother sitting at the kitchen table with their heads in their hand and he asked, "Why are you sitting in the dark?"  Oh, that's because Lewis Howard Latimer (A Black man) invented the filament within the light bulb.


So, if you ever wonder, like Theo, where we would be without Black people....it's pretty plain to see...
                                                      We would still be in the dark!!!

"We've got to be more Humble!"

Humility begins in the heart.  The Bible says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth doth speak".  Now if your heart is filled with good, your mouth reflects that... and if it's filled with bad, your mouth reflects that, also.  Therefore:
If you're a liar, you need to re-examine whether or not you really love Jesus because He wasn't a liar!
If you enjoy spreading rumors, you need to re-examine whether or not you're really following Jesus because Jesus didn't spread rumors!
If you talk about others behind their back, you need to re-examine your life in Christ because Jesus wasn't a back-biter!
And, if you use profanity, you need to check yourself because Jesus Christ didn't have a foul mouth!


I hope there are some "old soldiers" reading this blog who have been on their salvation path for 30, 40 years or more.  Hopefully, you haven't become what I call "spiritually arrogant" because you feel you're in deeper communion with God than some others.  Just because you're further along in your spiritual walk and stronger in your faith, it's easy to walk and talk with spiritual arrogance, thus you need to be careful!  God's gifts are irrevocable, but the presence of God becomes distant when we act superior to others.  Remember when God's people are humble, He's drawn to them.  Conversely, when pride is present, God resists them. 


Fellow Believers, we must be broken, modest & humble, not proud and arrogant.  James 4:6 says that, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble".  Do you want God's grace upon your life?  I'll end with this statement, when God asks us to do something, He always gives us the ability to do it; then He just waits for us to have the courage to do it!    Bros & Sis...Just Do It!!!

Go & Tell Somebody!

If you're a believer, understand that God has made us His watchmen in our world today. And as believers we have a message from Him that people everywhere need to hear and if we won't tell it, who will? Now your message as a watchman is not just, "Come to my church, we have lots of nice people there". True as that may be, your message should be, "Come to Jesus; He'll meet your needs for forgiveness and eternal life & He'll give you a chance to carry His truth to those you love as well".

If you're hesitant, remember you're just a messenger so when people object to hearing God's truth, take comfort that you've done your job by simply reiterating what the Bible teaches. You have no control over the other person's response to the truth!

And to make sure that you don't come across as "Holier than Thou" (arrogant), admit to them that we've all sinned and fallen short of God's expectations but the good news is that because Jesus loves us, He died to pay the penalty for all of our sins so that we who believe in Him and walk in His ways will be saved from eternal hell! And please don't forget to remind them that Romans 14:12 says, "...Each of us will give an account of himself to God" and that only by receiving Christ as our Savior for the forgiveness of sin can we be saved from the wrath that is to come. Then leave them meditating on this statement, "God never sends anyone to Hell; people go because they fail to accept the TRUTH"!

So, all of you watchmen out there, tell other others of the Love of Jesus Christ; tell them about His saving grace and that our sins have been washed away by His shed blood. What are you waiting for?.........

Go And Tell SOMEBODY!

"God Will Give You Your Heart's Desire"

Do you believe that the Lord will give you the desires of your heart? Well, it's in the Bible, but just like so many other scriptures, many people only read and apply partial scriptures, ignoring the rest of it. But the sobering truth is this, if God isn't ruler over your heart and you don't delight in His ways, you won't receive the desires of your heart!

Several scriptures attest to this fact: Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and He WILL give you the desire of your heart"; Proverbs 3:6 says, "In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He WILL direct your paths!"; and Psalm 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". These scriptures help us to realize that if we're living a life pleasing to the Lord, if we are following His Word, and if we are walking in the Spirit, then we ARE WALKING IN HIS WILL! And if we allow God to become the ruler of our lives, then our life is His domain and there's no room for the devil on God's property!

Yet because of the things we've done and allowed to happen in the past, the devil has taken our joy, our peace, our happiness, and our strength. And he's hoping that we'll just give up, have a pity party, wither up and die! But as long as I have breath in my body I'm going to stand on God's Word, continue to call on the name of Jesus, reminding him whose I am. If you're in agreement with me and haven't already begun to do so, it's time for you to ask God to give you back your peace, happiness, joy & your strength.

Lord for all of us who believe...please take back all that ole devil stole from us! We know it's our fault but we need you to help us get it back! And I'm giving you all the
PRAISE, IN ADVANCE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are You an On-Again/Off-Again Christian?

Well Lord, this month I'm going to do all I can to show others the Christ that dwells in me. I'm going to give of my time, talent and money to my church. But then the next month, I only show up to Sunday service once, I give no money nor do I devote any time helping others or doing things for my church.

If the above statements describe you, then you're an "on-again/off-again" Christian; your devotion to Jesus is moderate at best. Your mindset is of such that you're going to serve & honor Jesus but you're not going to be crazy and overdo it (spending too much of your time & giving too much of your money). Wait a minute...whose time...whose money?

The church has far too many Christians who respond to Jesus with moderate devotion, and when they see true devotion being displayed by other Bros & Sis. in Christ, they don't understand it. Therefore, they'll say things like, "Hey, I love Jesus, too, but come on now let's not get crazy and fanatical about it. I can't let the church take up too much of my life; I'll go to Sunday morning worship service but I'm not getting up early to attend Sunday School, after all that's my day off from work! And I'm definitely not going to mid-week Bible study or any other church meeting for that matter...I gotta get up early during the week so that I can be on my J-O-B on time! Anyway, it don't take all that! And I'm certainly not going to give 10% of my hard-earned money to the church! They ought to be glad I put money in the offering because I've got bills to pay!"

To those Christians I say, who continues to give you life each day? And who gave you that job from which you earn money in order to pay bills and buy the things you desire? GOD...that's who, and all He requires of us is that we give Him 10% of what He's blessed us with, yet most of us won't even do that, however, we never hesitate to ask Him to bless us!

I admonish you to read in the book of Revelation 3:15-16. Jesus is speaking to the church at Laodicea and this is what He says: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth!" He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to you...His Church! Amen.

How do I get to where I want to Go?

I traveled out of town this Thanksgiving for the first time in 32 yrs. My destination was a city that I use to know like the back of my hand, but it has undergone lots of changes over the years. Reluctantly, I had to stop and ask for directions to my destination. It's frustrating to ask for directions from people who either don't know or who give directions which are hard to follow.

This caused me to thinking...there are many people who are trying to find a better way of life...a Godly life! They try following the world's path to a better life but in really have no idea which way to go. Thus, many have decided to simply travel through life, hoping to somehow stumble upon the Godly life. Some have asked direction but have been given such bad advice that they've been going around in circles & got so confused that they stopped looking! I found myself rejoicing in the fact that as a Christian I've found the directions to heaven because I've found Jesus and He has shown me the way. With Him as my guide I now know exactly how to get to heaven once my life is over here on earth!

This message is for those of you who've already taken that first step towards heaven by professing Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior but are not quite sure you're headed down the salvation path. The way isn't complicated because you can get there (heaven) from where you are right now by following these directions:

1) Go to the nearest stop sign - simply stop doing wrong. Luke 13:5 says unless you repent, you will perish. Repentance means a change of heart/mind. When this happens you will want to stop doing anything that you know is displeasing to God (sex outside of marriage, steqling, lying, self-destruction, etc). I repeat, the first step is to go to the nearest stop sign & repent!

2) Turn right - After you stop the obvious sinful activity, you must turn from your evil ways. Zechariah 1:4 tells us, "...Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings", but I saythis way...stop throwing rocks & hiding your hand. Others might not know what you do or say but God knows. As a pastor, I klnow that this is where most Christians seem to "Mark time" in their salvation walk. Thjey front for other christians, appearing to be holy but on the inside they have evil black hearts. My word for them...REPENT!

3) Go Straight - If you're on your salvation path, you must walk straight. That's why if it's not right, I suggest you don't take part in it. Even though Jesus encourages every believer to walk the narrow path of righteousness because, as He said, "...Strait is the gate & narrow is the way which leads to life", but sadly only a few will stick/stay because for them the straight path means being free from the addictions that they enjoy in life (alcohol, drugs, nicotine, or anything else that appeals to our sinful nature). The Lord already knows this is the weakness of the flesh, but all you have to do is pray for His help in relieving yourself of these addictions...and He Will Help You!

Now there is one thing about good directions, they will include landmarks to let you know you're headed the right way. So, if you want to make it into heaven, go to the nearest stop sign, turn right, and walk straight until you see the cross on the hill! Don't worry when your journey gets weary & depressing for when you look up & see the cross on the hill, it will give you courage enough to keep on going! That's why David said, :I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills fro whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord who made heaven & earth!" There's power in the cross, slavation is in the cross, and there is redemption in the cross. That's because it was on the cross that Jesus died for our sins and it was on the cross that He paid the price of our salvation. Therefore, if you want to know how to get to heaven, you must be willing to follow the trail of the cross. My final thoughts on this blog wraps it all up from a song I taught my choir years ago...Follow Jesus, take no chance getting lost; follow Jesus there'll be deserts you have to cross; follow Jesus, He's got a safe mountain plan; and if AJesus can't take you to the top, there's nobody else who can. God bless the readers of this blog!

Make the Right Choices

Today, I had the opportunity to minister to close family members who are experiencing tough times. And for those of you who may be "going through" as well, let me take this opportunity to share my thoughts with you at this time.

When I think about it, today's woman has no easy task; she's expected to help bring home the bacon as well as cook it. And even though she may have a full time job, she's still responsible for the upkeep of the house and taking care of the children (her major responsibilities as a wife & mother). And let's not leave out today's man, who works hard on his job to provide a good home in which to raise his family and build towards a future that he and his wife may enjoy in their retirement years. But just how many of you, in your zeal to provide material things for the family, fail to think about and adequately address the spiritual needs of your children as well as yourselves? John 6:27 says, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you..." i.e., don't put all your energy into that which is only temporary!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have personally known parents who've worked hard all their lives to leave their children something (an inheritance) and shortly after they died, their unappreciative children squandered it all! But not once have I ever heard a child say they didn't appreciate the faith their parents passed on to them. Therefore, parents, always be cognizant of the fact that your children are constantly watching you and they rely upon you to show them the correct way to live. Thus, why not show them how to live a life that is God-centered?

Let us not profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ and then allow other things to consume us and draw our attention away from Him. For if we're not careful, we'll be like the ground that received the seed with joy, yet because we don't take the time to fellowship with Him, the rocks & stones in our lives won't allow the seed to grow because we become overwhelmed with troubles & cares and die spiritually! Hebrews 2:11 says, "therefore, we must pay greater attention to what we've heard, so that we don't drift away from it".

The currents, cares & life's temptations will naturally cause you to drift away but if you don't want to drift away, if you want your life to mean something, if you want your children to see what it means to be a Christian, anchor deep in your fellowship with Christ. And, when they leave home to make their mark in this world, encourage them to continue their education so that they will find it easier to move up the ladder of success in their chosen career. But even more important, encourage them to develop and continually strengthen their relationship with God so that they won't miss out on life eternal with Him.

Good Parenting is "Making the right choices"!