First Round Draft Pick

Someone came to Jesus with this question:

"Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life"
"Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "Only God is good.

But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life

if you keep the commandments."- Matthew 19:16-17 (NLT)

As I sit here watching ESPN, the experts and analysts discuss what college players will be selected where in the 2006 NFL Draft today at Radio City Music Hall in new York City. As a countdown to the main event the experts give their predictions, and recite memorized stats of the football players college career.

Players who are anticipated as first round draft picks are being interviewed and asked where they will be and want to play, what team, what city, what football program. Its an all day event, but the anticaption has been building as the sports news shows have been discussing every aspect of it for the last month.

While watching the show I couldnt help but pause and give thanks that Jesus Christ dies for our sins so we may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him

will not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Isnt it refreshing to not have to guess what team you will play for in the after life. God has selected you as His first round draft pick. He doesnt care about how fast you run in the 40, your all purpose yards last year. God doesnt care how many touchdown passes you have caught or thrown. How many tackles or quarterback sacks youve racked up. We dont have to be perfect and have a whole bunch of stats to decide your worth. If He did none of us would be drafted, because none of us are worthy but priase God he loves us so anyway and all we have to do is believe in His son and follow His commandments.

"For this is the will of My Father,

that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."- John 6:40

Father God thank you for giving your only begotton son for our sins, even though we are not worthy. Thank you for loving us even when we didnt love ourselves. Thank you for deciding our worthiness by our shortcomings and weaknesses.

We take this time to give thank and praise your name

In the name of your almighty son,

Jesus also known as the Christ

Amen

Amen

Amen

Praise report: today is my 2 year wedding anniversary

2 years ago today, God joined my wife RaJendra Hunter and I together in holy matrimony.
Both of us being strong independent individuals, we bumped heads like 2 rams quite frequently. Several times I know when I woke up and thanked God for all my blessings, I said Father God I know you united the two of us but today for the life of me I can't imagine why.

There were several times we drove each other crazy and were ready to throw in the towel. And for the record don't get me wrong, things are not perfect now and finances aren't the greatest but we both have agreed that we were going to put God first.

We were not goin to make any moves without taking it to God first. Once we made this move things began to get better between us. Then the couple ministry at our church was having our monthly gathering. We were invited to lead the discussion. We were going through a tough time and we declined to do it. After that we agreed to put that first. We called the head of the couple ministry and excepted their invitation.

During that event, God ministered to us through several other couples who had been married from 1 and a half years to 50 years. The experience was eye opening and educational as well as spiritually rewarding. The thing that amazed me the most was that many of the couples were blessed by our testimonies and the discussion of the current trials and tribulations.

The moral of this lengthy rant is once we took ourselves out of the equations and put god first, it was the beginning of the healing process. Now while we are still going through the everyday struggles we are of the mindframe that we can get through anything with God's help.

Father God
thank you for letting us make it 2 years of marriage
thank you for the trial and tribulations and the lessons and blessing that follow
please continue to bless us so we may be a blessing to others
In the name of your son
AMEN
AMEN
AMEN

...even when it doesn't come easy....

I sat here for a while today starring at the screen and the blinking cursor. Just looking for some inspiration to write and coming up with nothing, I'm thinking it's been three days since my last entry I have to jot something down, but I'm a writer I can't just write just anything just because, no one will comeback when I do have something to say, if I do that. So I stare at the screen some more and still nothing comes. I decide to check my emails as an escape.
There was an email from my cousin Robin reminding me about a revival next week at her church asking me to help spread the word and they she said
"Where is your daily devotion? I got that one, enjoyed it and that was it......" Referring to my praise report I wrote Tuesday and emailed her the link.
I emailed her back asking her to pray for me that I was trying to get better. I even hid behind the introduction to this blog where I wrote "please except the term 'daily' in the title loosely as it will be more like 2-3 times a week in the beginning" as an excuse for not giving God a few minutes on here today.
A lot of times I find that I procrastinate and won't write unless I'm inspired, unless something comes to me easily. Often I can just sit behind the computer or pick up a pen and the words coming pouring out, they just seem to flow out of me with little effort, and those that read what I wrote comment on how they felt it. The problem with not doin my devotion 'daily' and just when I feel it, is it gets easier and easier to say I will do it tomorrow. Tomorrow sometimes becomes the day after or the day after that. That might not seem like a big deal to those reading this, except for the fact, God has a method to everything He does. We never know when He is goin to use us to be an inspiration or blessing to someone else, someone we may never even know about. The fact that I received her emails asking when my next entry will be should be all the inspiration I need but sometimes it wasn't. I still had to work hard at this one.
I read my daily devotional The Upper Room earlier and it was talking about the parable of the sower; the story of the farmer scattering seeds, in Matthew 13.
while that parable dealt with what kind of soil are you, I realized we are expected to sow seed even when its not convenient and doesn't just come easy to us. We are expected to sow seed when its difficult. We expect God to answer our prayers and enlarge our territory but are we willing to do our part. Speaking for myself I know I am often guilty of not doin my part but expect god to do His. My pastor often says God doesn't just want our spare time, but He wants us to make time for him. Today's entry is my attempt of doin just that.

Do you only do God's will when it it easy or convenient?

Do you only make time for God when you have a few spare moments?

If so that could be a dangerous thing, just think if God decided he didn't have time for you today, or only made time for you when it was convenient.

Father God

deliver us from the strongholds that hold us back. Please forgive us for those times when we seem to be preoccupied and sometime forget to give you your time. When we are like seeds of wayward ground, that's needs to be cleared for your word to take root. Remove the thorns and rocks and prepare our heart to bear fruit for you Father God, especially when its not easy. Remind us its not a one-time task. Help us to become like good soil cause it will be worth our every effort when harvesttime comes.

In the name of your son Jesus Christ

who is also known as the savior.

Amen

Amen

Amen

Praise Report: smoke free for 103 days and counting...

Good afternoon saints,

This is more of a personal Praise Report than a daily devolution

On Jan 5, 2006 at approximately 2:30 am, I prayed for God to deliver me from the addiction of nicotine. I went into the bathroom at work, broke up and threw away nearly a whole pack of Newports and have never turned back.

According to a site called Quit Keepers that helps you keep your stats:
I have been quit for 3 Months, 1 Week, 6 Days, 14 hours, 1 minute and 22 seconds (103 days). I have saved $543.81 by not smoking 3,107 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Week, 3 Days, 18 hours and 55 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 1/5/2006 2:30 AM

I see all these commercials for the patch, nicotine gum and all sort of other things they try to sell you to help you stop smoking. If you do the math you will spend more on these items than you ever did of cigarettes, so the companies that make the cigarettes who probably invented some of these items are still making money off of you.

This isn't the first time I quit, but unlike the other times, this time I decided as the songwriter said: The battle is not yours the battle is the Lord's, I decided to put it in the Lord's hands.

I don't know how accurate the stats are but I still couldn't help but to realize how blessed I am. Like another songwriter said, I said I wasn't gonna tell nobody, but I can't keep it to myself, how the Lord's been good to me.

Father God, thank you for delivering me from the addiction of nicotine and for letting me see another day smoke free. Please continue to use me to be a blessing to others.
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ
Amen
Amen
Amen

The Passion Of Christ... Thank you Lord!

Good Friday everyone,

As we enter Easter Weekend, full of Easter Egg Hunts, tales of the Easter Bunny and showing up at Easter Sunday service showing off your flyest wears, lets not forget the true meaning of this holiday.

I had heard the Crucifixion story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life many ways, by many pastors and preachers at many churches but it wasn't until the movie The Passion Of Christ, did I have a true appreciation of what Christ went through for us, even while we were still sinners and unworthy of His gift.

The images in the movie somehow made it real and more personal for me. I thought I knew the story but seeing it re-enacted on the big screen took it to another level for me. I left the movie with a firmer hold on my faith. (I suggest you see the movie if you havent yet)

Do you really understand the gift you received. God gave his only Son to die for our sins so we may have eternal life. Do you appreciate the incredible sacrifice He made because He loves us more than we deserve? Is it real for you? If so, what made it real and personal for you?

Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for our sins.
- Hebrews 10:12 (NRSV)

What an awesome God we serve!!!

Father God, thank you for the gift of eternal life that was brought with the blood of your only begotten son. Thank you for loving us more than we deserve. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Master,

we pray,

AMEN

AMEN

AMEN

He Lives!
Celebrate this Easter...
Jesus died and rose for you!

Sharing my voice, using my Gift to reach others...

One of the tricks of the enemy is to make you second guess God, yourself and the gifts and talents God has blessed you with. When we questions Gods grace he can't release the blessing He has for us.

I fought the urge to share my thoughts and experiences for years, except for limited situations that I picked and chose. I fought the urge to let my testimonies be a blessing to others. I fought the urge to do this blog or a daily devotional because I was worried that I don't talk the way others do in the devotions and inspirational stuff that I've read. I tried to write that way but it wasn't me, and in essence I was trying to be something I wasn't and conform, which was never my style. My whole life has been about thinking outside the box and taking chances. Not doin what others expected of me and being my own person.

But for some reason when it came to representing the Lord, be it writing and just kicking it with friends and those I came in contact with, I had an interpretation that I had to do it the way my mom's generation was doin it. Like I said that wasn't my style in any other aspect of my life. Even being involved in hip-hop most of my life, especially in the early days we were trying to find our own voice and express ourselves in a different way. But when it came to spread Gods message I hesitated and thought about it to much, too deeply instead of doin what I do and that just write and let the words flow.

I wasn't staying true to myself and who God made me and in essence wasn't just questioning myself and my talent but I was also questioning God who created me to reach others through my writing. Or put another way I wasn't trusting in Him and doin what I was created to do.

Awhile back when I was coming up as a hip-hop journalist, a published author I met at a music conference told me he was feeling an article I wrote for some magazine, when we were introduced. I was a fan of his books, I was shocked he even knew who I was. The that he felt what I wrote meant a lot to me. He said I had a voice and asked me when was I goin to write a book. My response was I didn't know how to write a book, I didn't know any publishers or agents etc etc. I had every excuse why I couldn't write a book or even do more writing like the piece he was feeling, outside of the traditional artist interviews.

He looked me in my face, paused for a second and said just write. I said I didn't know what to write, he told me write what I know and more importantly write like you talk. Don't try to write like I or any other writers talk, let your voice be heard. So after procrastinating for more than a few more years I finally finished the first draft of my first book. It's an urban romance joint loosely based on my life as a writer and how my wife and I met. I still don't have an agent and at this point even if this book never sees the light of day the accomplishment was a good experience and now I know I can in fact write a book.

Now I take that same approach with representing the Lord. Don't get it twisted. Don't let the smooth taste fool you.
I am goin to continue to let it do what it do.
I am goin to continue to give you da flava that you savior, neighbor.
But the difference is on this blog and the future books I'm goin to write, I'm goin to keep it real for the Lord.
I also now believe that I have many books in me and I feel God is leading me to do Christian inspirational books with a hip-hop feel (a genre that doesn't yet exist).

I believe God wants to use me to reach that young hip-hop generation that is not in church, that's not reading anyone's bible. Some of what is written on this blog, might not appeal to everyone, but I am just goin to do what I do, just write and perfect my gift of communicating and reaching the masses through the art of writing.

I know from everything I ever done, it wont be easy, but as my former pastor the now Bishop Louis Hunter used to say to us almost weekly
If He gives you the vision He will give you the provision. This Blog is the first step toward accomplishing that, Please pray for your brother as I step up in this new arena.

Is there something God has been leading you to do, that you have been questioning or doubting that you can? Have you been blocking your blessing by procrastinating? Are you a tree that produces no fruit? Do you know what your gift is?

Father God, bless us that every moment of our life be dedicated to pleasing and serving you in Christ's love. Help us realize our gifts and talents and use them to spread your Word and do your will as you have intended.
In the name of your Son, Jesus The Christ
We pray this prayer,
Amen
Amen
Amen

Let Your Light So Shine... daily devotion #1

Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.- Matthew 5:16

Sup everyone, welcome to my newest blog.
It something God has been leading me to for awhile and I have been saying tomorrow is going to be that day that I was going to do it. But as you go thru your day to day something always seems to come up, tomorrow never comes and I never seem to be able to just get it started.

Well tomorrow has finally come. Today I have decided to be obedient to what God has been leading me and like the old Nike commercial say, Just Do It.
When I have in the posted a devotion on my other blog from time to time the response has been overwhelming. Proving that being obedient and just submitting to His will and doin these devotions is being a blessing to others and Letting my light shine like we are instructed in Matthew 5:16. But I never manage to consistently keep it goin. I ask all of you to pray for me that I let God use me to get the word out, and I stay obedient.

Please post your feedback in the comment section, your feedback is the inspiration that keeps me writing.

Father God, please use me as you see fit to be a blessing to others. As I do these devotions please decrease me and increase you and let your will be done. I submit to your will and let my light shine bright and may this blog praise your name and glorify you, my Father which art in heaven.
In the name of your son, Jesus the Christ also known as the savior, I pray, Amen!

Getting My Spiritual Weight Up!!!

I reposted this entry because it was the one that inspired me to start this new blog exclusively dedicated to my daily devotions. It originally appeared March 23rd on http://ajwoodson.blogspot.com/2006/03/getting-my-spiritual-weight-up.html

for those who haven't seen it yet enjoy and post feedback in the comment section, thanx and have a blessed day!!!

I was reading The Upper Room, my daily devotional guide (which I have to admit I rarely read daily, a couple time a week sometimes is saying something but I'm working on it). Anyway I was a day or two behind and I was turning to today's devotion (slipping past the days I missed as usual) and for some reason I stopped at yesterdays, message titled Good Intentions.

It started off with Matthew 7:21

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Then it went of to talk about standing on the scale in the morning and acknowledging that you need to lose weight and actually meaning it when you say it but not following through on it through out the course of the day. Giving in to cravings you know you shouldn't have, and especially now since I'm working part time at a local supermarket around the corner at night, I'm surrounded with everything I shouldn't eat. And to make it worst its usually a lot cheaper than the foods I should be eating or snacking on.

Anyway it went on to compare that to reading your daily devotional message and attending weekly church services and agreeing 100% with the message but again not following through with it through out the course of the week.

Now what struck me the most is I just had this conversation with Reginald, a friend of my mine from my church, via email no more then 10-15 minutes before. We serve in the Media Outreach Ministry (also known as the sound or audio ministry in some other churches) together, were discussing what moves we need to make to enhance the sound and make the ministry more efficient, overall. I was just telling him the same thing that I need to exercise more both Physically and spiritually daily. To be an more effective and efficient soldier for Christ I need to get my spiritual weight up and arm myself with His word (something I know I should do but don't do enough of.)

The daily devotional message talks about how all of this seem relatively easy when surrounded by fellow believers but agreeing with God's message doesn't mean a thing unless I follow through with it daily. I need the power of God to help me through the everyday struggles of day to day life especially when God decides to use you in any capacity to do his work. My dad use to say the enemy never saw me as a threat before I gave my life over to Christ and decide to live better and do the right thing. I was running wild and, well that's another rant for another day. But now that I have made the decision to do Gods will, whether it be the various ministries I'm involved in at church or praying with or being a blessing to someone God puts in my path to help, the enemy seems to try to beat you down and make you forget Gods message unless you arm yourself and surround yourself with it daily. Even in my marriage, one of my weaknesses God is helping me to work through praying daily with my wife, who He has blessed me with the spend the rest of my days. One of the best way for the enemy to attack you is through those closest to you.

Anyway before I go off in another rant, the moral of this lengthy entry is Today I will try to be the person God wants me and has created me to be. Today I ask all of your reading this, how many of you need to get your spiritual weight up???