Polls that Really Matter

I have had the privilege of witnessing three presidential elections while living in the USA. Needless to say, none have been more intriguing than those of 2008. These elections are historical. There are currently three viable candidates: a war hero at 72 (never stop dreaming); the first woman candidate; and the first African America male to get this far in the race. Intriguing indeed.

One thing that has also intrigued me are the polling statistics. Each week the polls are changing, favoring one candidate over the other. The Republican Party already has their presumptive nominee, while the Democratic Party is still battling it out between Senators' Clinton and Obama. Since the Democratic Party is yet to have their presumptive nominee, each candidate is using the polling data to make their case of electability. The interesting thing though about these polls is that the change based on what the candidates or their surrogates have said. What is even more interesting is this, depending on which network one gets their information from, the polling statistics are all different. Some show McCain defeating Clinton. Some Show Clinton defeating McCain. Some show Obama defeating McCain. Still, some show McCain defeating Obama. All these polls are released weekly…and one is left to wonder which polls to believe…if each network claims its accuracy.

There are those who, regardless of what their candidate says or what the polls are reflecting, will stand by them…even if the candidates says the moon is green, when its not. They are loyalists to the core. And then there are those people who are still on the fence trying to decide who they will vote for, depending on how the candidates fair during the week…sometimes a dangerous way of making a decision. As I have intently observed these elections, I have realized that, indeed, it takes guts to not be swayed by polls.

In as much as we have been paying attention to the polls and the candidates, there is a poll and its candidate who is forever established, regardless of what we feel, how we feel, or what the candidate says. He will not have to concede a point. He will not have to denounce or reject a statement or an endorsement. He will never flip flop on a decision. He is not disingenuous. He does not mis-speak. He does not get his "facts" wrong. He is the living God.

Sometimes I believe we approach God the way we are approaching these elections-What will He say to please me so that I can cast my vote for Him? What will He do so that I can vote for Him? Does He have His facts right? Will He change His mind? Can I trust Him? Maybe I will trust Him next week when He blesses me...maybe I will make my decision then!

Here is a reality though about this candidate and His Polls:

What He has said has been established since time immemorial. He does not have to lure us to be impressed. He is who He says He is, whether we agree with Him or not. His polling stats on this record are at an alarming 100 points margin of victory.

He does not have to retract His words, apologize for what He says. His word is forever established in the heavens. His polling stats on this record are also at an alarming 100 points margin of victory:
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (Heb 4:12-13)

His endorsements come from Himself because He is the creator of the universe. He does not have to apologize to anyone for His own endorsements. His polling stats on this record are at an alarming 100 points margin of victory. “I am who I say I am” (Ex 3:14)

He is not losing or winning by double digits. He is forever established as the winner, at triple digits…100 points:
“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." (I Tim 6: 15-17)

When our hearts are fickle, turned to and from based on the voices we hear in this political season, His voice is constant; His heart towards us is not fickle. He understands we are human, so when we are faithless, He remains faithful. Need I say an alarming 100 points margin of victory on this too?

His campaign team consists of three total (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). They are all about seeing that no one should perish, but that all should come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The only campaign God is out to destroy is the campaign of Satan, his demons, and his works. These works include unforgiveness, worry, lies, adultery, envy, hatred, and prejudice-in short sin and its effects. God has a support staff to combat Satan’s campaign. And who is this support staff on this campaign trail? We the church, the body of Christ!! It is our responsibility to take orders from the Chief Campaigner and His strategist to defeat Satan.

If the church can campaign against the works of Satan and take a stand the way these candidates are campaigning against each other to be in office, this would be a different world!!

Yes, this election year is intriguing, but whatever the outcome, whoever the nominee, one thing can be certain; the candidates will never be the true saviors of the world. There is only one savior and that is Jesus Christ. They will never fulfill all the promises they make to the people listening to them. There is only one God who can fulfill His promises to His people. "He watches over His word to fulfill it," not man's words.

The polls will continue to change between now and the general elections, until we have the next President of the United States of America. But there is a candidate whose polls will never change. He is always in office. He does not have to be re-elected. He does not have to raise money to remain in the race. His polling stats on this record are at an alarming 100 points margin of victory. He is God!

I suggest these are the poll numbers we seriously consider as we journey on the stage called life.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (I Cor 15:58)

Finding Your Signal

Shrine Mont Hotel, located in Orkney Springs, Virginia, in the Shenandoah valley, is a perfect get away; a beautiful, tranquil place, surrounded by majestic mountains. You hear the birds singing; you feel the soft wind blowing across your face; you see the flowers blooming on the almost 1000 acres of land in the Spring; the grass is deep green, healthy and welcoming to sit on, relax, and have a picnic. The water creeks surrounding the property make it all the more gorgeous. A great hide away.

With all its beauty, tranquility, majestic mountains, and the well-maintained lawn, Shrine Mont can frustrate the person who is dependent on a cell phone. I have seen countless times, yours truly included, when students who come here for the purposes of a retreat, have tried to make calls to their families while on the Shrine Mont property, but to no avail. One will either have to walk or drive 2 miles to the Bryce Resort to get a signal or hike up a mountain, or the outdoor cathedral, located on an incline, a 5 minute walk, to get a signal. What is even more interesting is this: If you leave your cell phone on, the battery drains so quickly because the phone is searching for a network. It takes about three days for my phone to have a low battery, with my going back and forth texting or talking. Shrine Mont shatters the record. My battery can drain within two hours without texting or talking, but because the phone is working so hard trying to find a network.

The cell phone DNA is such that it only operates in conjunction with a network company. These networks insure that there are network towers to transmit signals all across the nation in order for the phones to be functional. Without the networks and towers in place, we can forgo the concept of cell phones. Even the most sophisticated, high-tech cell phones will not work in a place like Shrine Mont, unless you leave the premises and find yourself a location that can pick up a signal from nearby towers.

When I think about finding our networks and towers, I am reminded of our creator, God the father. In Genesis 1: 26, 27, God declares:

“Let us make man in our own image, according to our likeness. God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

So here is God, as a manufacturer, implanting the DNA in humanity that will allow them to function at their highest level. The DNA is such that humanity will have to be in close proximity to the network (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). The towers (abiding presence) are around us as we travel on this journey called life. The network does not change in the Kingdom, but the network has provided towers on the highways and byways to be in constant communication, as we stay connected to the network.

The disconnect comes into play when we leave the network and there are no towers in sight to transmit the much needed signal to communicate. When that happens, we then begin to work in overdrive because we are now disconnected from lines, wires, specs, in short, our kingdom DNA that make us function. We drain easily and eventually burn out. We can recharge our batteries (short lived “revival”), but for as long as we are not within the network limits and its towers, the cycle will continue. What’s the point of even charging the phone if one knows they will not even get a signal for as long as they choose to stay in the environment that does not provide the network?

What disconnects us from the heavenly network? Could it be that what we watch or listen to is cutting us off from our network? Could it be that where we are working is not the place where God would want to work, and the more we fight to stay there, the more we are in overdrive and draining so quickly? Could it be that the relationships we are in are draining us because they are cutting us from our kingdom network? Could it be that it is just us? No one to blame, no work to blame, but us? Because life has dealt us with so many disappointments that we have consciously chosen not to stay connected to the network because we felt let down so many times and now we question why we have to trust a God who has disappointed us? Not a bad reason not to trust God and stay connected to His network. I wish I could leave it at that, but I cannot.

In John 10:10, Jesus states, “The thief comes ONLY to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

The Psalmist declares in chapter 138:8, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of your hands.”

This communication comes from the network of heaven. He knows and He understands. When we feel let down, when those relationships are draining, when life seems unfair, the heavenly network understands. But they are also encouraging us to believe in them as they declare, “I will never leave you nor forsake” (though we feel forsaken). “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you (even when we do not feel like casting our cares on Him). “I know the plans I have for you” (even when we think God has missed it all). He is not afraid of where we are because He understands; He created us and nothing can faze Him.

We cannot afford to lose our signal with our heavenly network; not when the world is screaming a different gospel, a different lifestyle, and a different way of communication. It is imperative to stay connected to Him because He has the words of life. The SIGNAL.

How do we stay connected to our heavenly network for that special signal. It’s simple-abiding in His word even when we do not feel like it. Praying even when we feel like God is not paying attention. Not forsaking the meeting of believers so that we can be encouraged always.

Shrine Mont, with all its beauty can be frustrating to a cell phone user. Much frustration, with detrimental eternal consequences is not finding that signal with God.

It is always a joy to see the students drive down to the resort, or hike up the mountain to try and find that signal and come back beaming because they were able to connect with their loved ones. I can only imagine what God feels like if we become intentional in seeking Him out till we find Him? A smile on His face maybe? I just wonder.

The End Word

I got a text from Ron asking me to check out a website and share my thoughts about the contents on the site. I typed in the address given and the subject lines I saw on this particular website were a little disturbing. Just to make sure I was not overacting, I summoned a friend to check out the site and she too was somewhat taken aback. I texted Ron back just to verify if that was the site he had wanted me to see. His response was, ?...www......com. Maybe it is org, but it should be correct. What's the problem?" You dowanna know!!! I thought to myself and then told him the contents of the site. His response, "Thats not the site...I will check when I get back to the office."

Instead of waiting on him, I tried .org at the end of the web address and boy, was there a difference. One little end word made the difference. Com or Org! .org gave life, .com gave death. .org inspired, .com caused one to retreat. Org encouraged you to read its contents, .com made you shy away from them. One small end word. Interesting how words have an effect all across the board. Words make or break a person. Just like org or com can have a significant difference in presenting its contents, written or spoken words can have significant effects on each one of us. John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...In Him was life and the life was the light of men." This beginning word carries with it life. A life that can be lived out to its fullest. Proverbs 18: 21 states, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit." Words also have the potential for death.

Every day we are given the opportunity to have life end words, but we fail. I must say I am sometimes guilty of wanting to have the last word with the .com effect to make and prove my point. More often than not, it backfires because you realize that it is not worth the trouble. Proverbs 17: 27 says it best. "He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding." Depending on how we utter our words makes us wise or foolish. It is, after all our choice. The words are ours!

Proverbs 16:24 says, "pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Words provide healing if we let them. What is so special about words anyway? Life; that is what is special. Words we speak or write carry with them life. Ever wondered why we read God's Word? Because it gives us life. Ever wonder why God speaks to us? Because His words give life. If we truly understood the magnitude of what our written or spoken words do, we would be more careful speaking and responding.

Looking at the two websites, two groups of people chose to write words that would either build a society or tear one down. The end words made a difference concerning what would shape or define what we consider to be worth to the human spirit. Each day we have a choice. A choice to build or to tear down. A choice to enrich a life or discredit a life. A choice to encourage or discourage. Words are just not words. They are life or they are death. May we challenge each other each day to speak words that build. We can either be a .com or a .org an end word which can be an urgent of transformation.

Missing God in the Transition

"Missing God in the transition," is a statement my pastor, Bishop McBath, made in reference to the rich young ruler, as he preached on Sunday. I dwelt on that statement for a while, my mind losing focus on the preaching, as I tried to make sense of the statement. Realizing I drifted in thought, I quickly turned my attention back to the preaching, knowing that the statement made was something God was highlighting for me to address at some point.

Here I am, a few days later still stuck on the statement, "missing God in the transition." I have had enough time to ask myself the tough question, "Have I missed God in His transitions?" The answer- Yes!

Transition defined is, "the act of passing from one state or place to the next," or "an event that results in a transformation." One can be certain of this about transition; it does not allow you to stay in the same place; you can fight it all you want, but it will let you know, "I am here," and until you transition to the expected state, you and I will be miserable.

Throughout Jesus' ministry, transitioning people from one state to another was his goal, it be in thoughts, in deeds, in health, and in words. However, more often than not, the people missed His transitions. Case in point, Jesus tells the rich young ruler, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me" (Mt 19:21). The rich young ruler's response was very telling. "But when the rich young ruler heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property."(Vs. 22) He missed Jesus’ transition because the young man focused on his property, instead of what Jesus was offering.

How could this rich young ruler be grieved at the author of life when He, the author, was offering the life that the young man desired? It is easy to ask this question when we are on the outside looking in, but we are all guilty of missing God in his transitions.

Three reasons come to mind on how we miss God in the transition.

• The Picture is not clear: Most times when we approach God, we want Him to give us a clear picture of what our lives should be, i.e., before I relocate, I need to know where I will work, how much I will make, and what my house will look like, etc. There is nothing wrong with this expectation, except God tells us to, "Go to a land I will show you," (Gen 12: 1) and not a land I "have" shown you. "Follow me and I will make you fishers or men," (Mt. 4:19), not follow me because I "Have" made you fishers of men. The picture becomes clearer as we follow.

• The Assignment is too daunting: Interesting how the Gospel describes the rich young ruler. He is first rich, he is then young, and he rules. To transition him, Jesus reaches to the very core of his identity; to give it all up. Yes, he could have given it up, but would he have risked being poor and not rule (I assume his money gave him some kind of power to rule), at the expense of his reputation? The assignment to do such a thing was too daunting, hence he settled, when he was supposed to have transitioned.

• The Timing is not right: I heard Dr. Samuel Chand say, "When you are 100% sure, you are too late." We approach life with an attitude of, "it needs to feel right" before we can make that change. However, I am yet to come across a situation in my life or in the Word were the timing felt 100% right. "In His time, He makes all things beautiful," (Ecc 3:11), not our time. When those who wanted to follow Jesus needed more time to finish off personal business, Jesus had this to say, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God."

Other reasons can be given as to why we miss God in transitions; lack of trust, lack of faith, fear of the unknown, the list is endless. But is it really worth it to miss God in His transitions of our lives because of our own insecurities towards Him, not so much the situation? I believe it is worth the risk to go for it with God and not be afraid of the transitions because God's transitions always leads to transformation. All He is asking is for us to believe Him when He says, "I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you a hope and an expected end. " (Jeremiah 29:11).

May we not miss God in His transitions.

My Space or His Space?

The first time I heard the term "my space" is when I came to the United States of America. I had arrived at my dorm room and discovered that I would be sharing a room with one other person. Having settled in and having met my new roommate, I figured I could clean our room because it was “messy.” Having been raised in Zambia, particularly by the kind of mother I have, when you clean the house, you clean every area of every room. Everyone's space is your space. It was therefore no big deal that I ventured to clean my roommate's "space," putting her shoes in order, dusting her drawers, and then vacuum the room (mission accomplished).

Unbeknown to me, this was very offensive to her, and maybe the culture because I had invaded her space. The nerve I had to even touch her stuff, let allow, rearrange her shoes. I apologized and I never cleaned her side of the room ever again. Her space was her space and not mine. Lesson one!

The second time I heard the term “my space” was in reference to the Internet. My Space is a social interface program that allows you to send messages to friends, share pictures, post comments, upload videos, etc. To access someone's account, you either have to be invited to be their friend, or their account is open to the public, like those for musicians or politicians who want to connect with people. The account holders’ set up these sites. You cannot just get on a site and do what you want, unless you have been given permission. It is their space and they set the rules.

In retrospect, my space, even by its given name, speaks to the personal image, privacy, boundaries, conditions, restrictions, and the list can go on and on. Bottom line, its about you and me!!!

I must admit, the "my space" syndrome has somewhat rubbed onto me. Some of the things that never bothered me when I was back home in Zambia bother me now; like having someone stop by unannounced for a visit. Sometimes I hear my internal thoughts asking, "You know my number, why did you not call to tell me you were coming?" And of course, if truth were told, I have caller ID, so even if you did call, I have the option of ignoring the phone. It is my phone and it is my space. Unfortunately, My Space can be found guilty. Why do I say so?

Try having my space with God! It doesn't work! If it does, I have one conclusion; you are miserable and struggling in your life.

Sometimes, if not most times, we treat God as though He has a "my space" account with us. He is invading our space. We want to screen His calls; ignore the door when He knocks; get upset when He rearranges our stuff, and refuse to add Him as a friend. He is there quite all right, but He is almost like a mannequin. If we give Him open access, it is based on our terms and not His. The last time I checked out this kind of attitude, it did not sit well with God. He has a way to demonstrating that He is God and we are not.

For starters, we are made in His image. Genesis 1: 26,27 states:

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Based on this scripture, we know that we were created in “His space” so where do we get the idea that it is "my space?" Try selling the thought of my space to the disciples. Jesus walked right into their lives and disrupted their spaces quite all right. In the Gospels when the disciples were attending to their spaces, Jesus did not come and ask them if He could come and be a part of their space; NO! He walked right up to them and said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16; Luke 5: 27; John 1: 43.

So much for their space! In other instances, Jesus challenged people to crucify self and serve others, as demonstrated by Him washing His disciples feet, ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry and raising the dead.

I can hear the voices saying, well Jesus took time alone from the crowd. Jesus set boundaries. He had His space. You are correct. I am not suggesting that every single time people come calling that we do what they are asking us to do. Some people can be manipulative, so we need to be discerning with each encounter. What I am suggesting is that we examine our motives and find out why we react the way we do when our space is invaded.

The difference between Jesus' my space and what we call my space today is simple; Jesus retreated to seek the face of His father to be strengthened for the mission and to also renew His relationship with the father (Luke 6: 12). Jesus knew why He came to earth as he explained clearly to His disciples in John 4: 34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work." Jesus welcomed the unannounced visitors; He welcomed being "rearranged" by God (try leaving a home where you walked on gold and you are worshiped 24/7 and then you come to earth were you are ridiculed and insulted for 3 years-that's a major rearrangement). He never screened His calls, cause if He did, the woman with the issue of blood would not have been healed; the woman at the well would not have been delivered; the wedding at Cana would not have had a happy ending.

I believe the notion on "my space" comes from an area of selfishness, if we really want to be honest, or a place of fear, because we do not want people to see who we really are. But I challenge us today to really consider this thing we call my space. Is this life really our own space or is this life God's space? When God invades our space, it is not to make us feel less human, prisoners who have no hope of ever having fun, miserable Christians who cannot tell if they are coming or going! God's space is that of love, fulfillment, purpose, making a difference in the lives of others, enjoying God's grace and mercy.

This is my question: My space or His space?

A Journal's Journey

Every once in a while, I take my journals and read through what I have written. One of the reasons I do this is to revisit what I was going through then, how I overcame (if I did), and were I am now as it relates to a particular situation. It is always interesting to see the different expressions of my language as each entry was written. Some of the expressions gave a sense of despair, others joy, while others gave a glimpse of how irritable I was on a particular day.

Today, January 22nd, 2008,was one of those days I picked up my journal, and out of curiosity, I wanted to find out what was going through my mind on January 22nd, 2007. Was I sad, happy, irritable, or in despair? I had to laugh when I saw the entry, "The Colts won! We are going to the super bowl" in caps!!! That was a joyous moment indeed.

How one year can change things because the Colts are not going to the super bowl this year.

The journal allowed me to go back in time to re-live the moment, but also bring me back to the reality of life.

Other entries showed a consistent issue I was struggling with-understanding God's love and acceptance of me. I went back about 3 years and saw that the struggle I had then was still the struggle I had in 2008. It was at that moment when I said, "enough is enough. I know God loves me and He accepts me the way I am. This struggle has to come to an end because the enemy is having a field day over this issue." It was as if something snapped in me and my whole perception of God's love towards me was viewed with a new set of eyes. A journey I took in the journal made me come to terms with the struggle and thankfully, a decision to take a stand in understanding God's love.

It got me thinking about God keeping a journal about my life. I wonder what He reads about me every day. The beautiful thing is that God's journal concerning my life is already written and is complete. All that He needs to do is go to January 22, 2008 and see if what He wrote about me then lines up with what I have done on January 22, 2008 now. There are some journal entries that He has written down that I believe He is hoping I get.

I believe some of the entries points could be as follows:

* He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)
* The Lord will accomplish everything that concerns me (Psalms 138: 8)
* He is my very present help in time of need (Psalms 46:1)
* Be still and know that I am God (Psalms 46: 10)
* Cast all your cares on me because I care for you (I Peter 5:7)
* For I know the plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11)
* Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

I wonder if He turns the page and the entry for the day is, "Wait for the Lord: Be strong and let your heart take courage, Yes, wait on the Lord," (Psalms 27:14 NASB), but when He sees me, I am impatient, trying to figure out what He wants me to do. I am weak and I have lost courage. A conflict in the journal entry between the author of life and the life He is offering to the recipient.

How do I resolve the conflict?

By willing to trust that the author of Life because He has the complete journal of my life.

I believe God’s journal for our lives is His Word, along with the specific dreams and visions He has placed in our lives. We can always go back and find a point of reference were reading that particular scripture changed us for the better, or challenged us to grow, love more, or even rebuke us when we have missed it. God’s journal for our lives is complete. We see it everyday, but do we apply what we see in our lives?

My prayer is that the journey that God took to write us in His journal will bear the much needed fruit, that as He turns the pages of the journal, we are turning our lives in accordance with the pages that He has written-It is a beautiful journal, if we can only read it and align ourselves to it.