The Microtears of Correction

     Recently, I was working out at the gym. My goal for the day- strengthening my muscles. As I went through my routine, I had an interesting question. How exactly are muscles strengthened? I knew it had something to do with resistance, but I had no idea how the process actually worked. The Holy Spirit prompted me to do research on the topic.

    When I began to do the research, I discovered something remarkable about the building of muscle. It is not the lifting of weights that builds the muscle but the recovery after the resistance training that builds the muscle. Whenever you lift weights, you are causing trauma or microtears to your muscles. In other words, parts of your muscle cells are being destroyed. The body's response to this trauma is to to repair it as well as replace the dead muscle cells with more cells. This leads to increase in muscle mass. Even more interesting is the fact that if you lift weights daily you will actually hinder your muscle development. This is because you are not allowing the muscles to recover from, replace, and increase your damaged muscle cells.

Correction and Spiritual Muscle

    This is the same process God uses when He corrects us. God doesn't tell us all of our flaws in some long drawn out list. He knows that kind of exposure would crush us. How could we even hope to conquer that list next to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and most perfect God? Instead, God allows circumstances in our lives to reveal areas that we need to improve. The purpose of these circumstances or traumas is to reveal and destroy cells that are not like God. And like resistance training we are in pain at the revelation. There are moments where we seem paralyzed by the pain and wish it would come to an end. However, if you allow God to saturate your damaged flesh, He will renew and replace it with spiritual cells that will make you stronger and more of a threat to the Enemy. You see, it is the trauma and recovery that makes spiritual muscles grow.

An Ongoing Process

      Any fitness trainer will tell you that resistance training is a life-long process. When you started training, you may have only been able to handle 10 pound free weights, but as your muscle mass grows you must increase your level of resistance. 10 pounds to 20 pounds to 30 pounds and so on. If you don't increase the resistance, your muscle growth will become stagnate. Like physical resistance training, spiritual correction and development is an ongoing process. In other words, you should always expect new and more challenging levels of resistance to come against you. God is in the maturing and development business. He he has to tear down the areas in you that are not like Him, so He can build you up in His strength, power, and overall anointing. Don't be distressed. God always allows the recovery time you need before He promotes you to the next level of resistance training. Please note: God may not give you the amount of time you want, but He will give you the amount of time you need to recover.

     I Samuel 17:34-37 says, "But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

     David learned from his earlier traumas with the lion and the bear what God could do. Do you think God would have made David's next challenge a battle with a grasshopper? Of course not! It was a colossal battle against family and idolatry. David was the runt of his brothers. When he came to the site of the battle, his brothers ridiculed him. After all, look at this nobody who says he can beat this somebody named Goliath. Goliath the giant. Goliath the arrogant. Goliath the idol worshiper. Goliath the defier of God of the Angel Armies. David, strengthened from his past resistance training experiences and filled with the renewed and replaced spiritual cells of God, used one stone and the anointing of God to destroy the Goliath.

The Critical Spirit and Correction

     Have you ever felt a yearning to alert somebody of their many flaws? It's a common urge when you feel like another person is very faulty. Too often, we feel it's our duty to alert them to the sea of issues in their life. We have the list and want to give it to them. One must be very cautious with this desire. Remember, God didn't give you your list of issues (and you have many) at one time. He knew the right time and allowed the right circumstances to cause those microtears in your muscles. He allowed you to master the 10 pound weights before you moved on to more intense training.

     When we give a person a list of what we consider their shortcomings, it's like making a 500 lb man try to lift a 300 pound weight. The man is out of shape and lifting a 300 pound weight will damage his body. God starts where we are and develops a spiritual fitness plan to get us where we need to be. That's proper training. That's love. That's God!

     More importantly, if God didn't ask you to point out somebody else's issues, just keep your mouth closed! If they are doing something against the Word of God, pray for them. Allow God to handle it. Maybe God is not ready to address that area in their life. Better yet, maybe the issue is YOU! Why is it when people don't do things the way we would do them we want to say the other person has an issue? Maybe God is trying to teach you something. Imagine that! And if God wants you to address an issue with another person allow the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom to counsel effectively. As a Believer, you want to draw the person closer to God through His correction and not away from God by your condemnation.

The Cool Down- So what have we learned?

1. Correction is a process. God allows forms of resistance to tear down negative strongholds and  provides a period of recovery to replace the damaged cells with godly strength.
2. Spiritual growth is ongoing and increases through greater resistance and more of God.
3. Seek God's face before correcting others. Only God knows the correct timing and methodology to use.
4. Don't ever give a person a list of flaws. No one can handle or address that level of criticism. God didn't do it to us, so we can't do it to others.
5. Remember that what may be a flaw to you may be considered an area of strength by God. You're not the measuring stick of how things should be done. God is a God of variety and methodologies.

"A Letter to Man"

Dear Reader,

This entry is a departure from my usual format, but I think it will touch you just the same. I believe that the male species is under attack. Too often, women talk about how bad men are to them. How much pain and destruction they cause. The problem with that discussion is that it benefits no one. It uplifts no one. Let's try look at man the way God sees His wonderful creation.

Enjoy,

Dapoet

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Man,

     For the first time in my life I see you as God sees you. No longer are you a burden filled with excuses, carried by society, pardoned by the unknowledgeable. Now, I see you for who you really are. A MANifestation of God's unimaginable raw power. Every curve a testimony to His craftsmanship. Your muscles a prophetic reflection of His strength. As opposition makes each muscle strengthen is as opposition makes God's radiant glory even more expansive. What a wonder you are...MAN.

     And how my heart breaks for you. How you've walked away from the very Foundation that makes you great. Captured by the lights and glamour of it all, you've given up. The serpent's sweet smell has called you into the night to be decapitated by temptation. And when the sun rises you return to me broken and bruised and defeated. The same abuse you suffered you inflict and afflict on me. How your heart has strayed from Him and therefore from me.

      I had given up on you. Counted you out. Tried to move on. But He said, "No!" He told me I was your intercessor. The weapon Satan had not counted on. "The Help" He purposed for you in Creation. Oh how He loves you. I do too, you know. Because His love lives deeply and richly in me-- I love you.

      So what do you say to all this? Do you deny His gift? Continue to stray? Or do you reconcile? Be blessed from now until...until forever.  I love you.

Awaiting Your Response,

Woman

"Run, Joseph, Run"

     One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Joseph. It has all the makings of a great soap opera (jealousy, anger, betrayal, sexual tension, and the rags to riches plot that we all love). But there is so much more to the story. More than is traditionally told in Sunday School. It's about leaving no room for sin. Let's do a quick review.

The Joseph Run-Down

     Joseph was the beloved son of Jacob (Israel). It was clear that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons. Scripture says Jacob loved Joseph because he was the son of his old age (Genesis 37:3-4). While I believe this is true, I, also, think Jacob loved Joseph because his true love, Rachael, gave birth to him. (Remember: Leah, Jacob's first wife, was a result of the old bait and switch trick by his Uncle Laban.) Anyway, Joseph experienced a prophetic dream in which his whole family bowed down to him (Genesis 37:5-11). This, along with a multi-colored coat which identified him as his father's favorite, cemented the jealousy and hatred his brothers felt for him. When the opportunity arose, his brothers cast him into a pit and sold him in to slavery(Genesis 37:23-24, 28).

     In Egypt, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the manager of Pharaoh's household. God anointed Joseph in his duties, and Potiphar became very fond of him. Joseph became Potiphar's personal assistant and had complete run of Potiphar's house. Now, this is where the story gets really interesting:

 (Genesis 39: 6-15)
^6-7 Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master's wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me."
^8-9 He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he's put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?" ¹⁰ She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. ^11-15 On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: "Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside."

"Run, Joseph, Run"

     Looking through carnal eyes, Joseph had a right to sin. He was a great kid. Honored God and his parents. Based upon his prophetic dream, Joseph was slated to be in some serious leadership role. Instead of great things happening to Joseph, he was despised by his brothers and sold for a price. Joseph was stripped from his mother's love and father's protection. Then, he was sold as a slave. While it was true he'd garnered favor from Potiphar, it still wasn't the same as having complete freedom. He wasn't allowed to run his own life. Scripture doesn't speak of Joseph having a social life or love interest. There were still so many limitations!

     If anybody had a reason to sin, wouldn't it be Joseph? Seemingly, God had allowed him to be robbed of his parents and his freedom. Being obedient to God hadn't quite paid off in the way he'd imagined. Now, this woman is throwing herself at him day after day. She was his for the taking (if he wanted her)! Don't you think Joseph may have considered the offer for a split second? There's a good chance he did. I don't know many heterosexual males that wouldn't have considered the opportunity.  However, instead of giving in to temptation, he ran for his life!

Don't I Have a Reason to Sin?

     Did you know there are times Christians feel they have a right to sin? They feel they've tried to play by the rules and nothing has worked out for them. Their mind says, "Lord, I waited for you. I prayed, fasted, and honored you in every way I knew how. I believed what you showed me in my spirit, dreams, visions, and through your Word. Nothing has come to pass. Following you hasn't worked out for me." 

     The truth is you will never earn the right to sin. As a Believer, we are to avoid sin because we love God more. God sacrificed His best for us; we should give Him our best. If God doesn't give us what we want when we want, we shouldn't throw away His code of conduct. Don't we see this so many times?
          God, you didn't bring me my husband, so I deserve to pick my own!
          God, my wife isn't sexually satisfying me, so I deserve to have an affair!
          God, my boss isn't paying me my fair wages, so I deserve to skim a little off the top!

It goes on and on. God doesn't give us what we want, so we rationalize our disobedience. Look at Abraham and Sara. God promised them an heir in their old age. Sara couldn't wait and took matters in to her own hands. She allowed Abraham to sleep with Hagar (Notice he didn't refuse the proposal, but that's another topic for another day). Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. Then, Sara gave birth to Issac. To this very day, the lineage of Issac and Ishmael still have a heavy disdain for each other.

     What would happen if we just trusted God? Yes, it can be very hard. There are things that we long for. Remember that God has something special just for you! Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." However, deciding to sin is never a beneficial resolution to the issue. Sin equals death. It could be physical death, relational death, financial death, death of peace, etc. Something has to die.

One More Thing

     Just in case you want to use the "I just couldn't help myself !" excuse please remember God always provides a way of escape. I Corinthians 10:13 states, "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." In other words, RUN! JUMP! HOBBLE! Do whatever you have to do to remove yourself from the situation. If it's pornography, turn the cable and Internet off. If it's gluttony, throw all the fattening food away. If it's gossip, place yourself on a silence fast. He always provides a way out; you just have to choose to take it. The way out may not be easy. It may not be pleasant. But it is critical! In spite of what Joseph's body told him, he ran! In spite of how fine she looked that day, he ran! He ran from sin and to God.

Happily Ever After

     Joseph went through trials after making this critical decision. He endured false accusations and imprisonment, but oh my in the end! In the end, he was promoted to second-in-command under Pharaoh. He was reunited with his family. God used him to deliver his people from starvation. Joseph gained much wealth. He married and had children of his own to love. His obedience gave new life to him and the people connected to him.


Dear Child of God,

I know it seems hard right now. Nothing is working out how you thought it would. You've prayed but the heavens are as brass. Don't be discouraged. God gave His very best (Jesus) just so you wouldn't be eternally separated from Him. He hears your prayers. This is a faith walk. Yet, will you trust Him. Pass your test. Prepare for your breakthrough.

I do love you,
Dapoet

Who's Steering the Ship?

Acts 1:6-10

They [Paul and Timothy] went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either. Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.

That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.

In the Beginning

     One of the most exciting times of my life was when I truly decided to surrender my life to God. Although I was raised a Christian, I did not spend my childhood and teenage years active in the faith. I went to parochial school, so I was familiar with the Bible. Ocassionally, I went to church, so I was familiar with the "church" experience. But I had never developed a real relationship with God. It wasn't until my early adult years that I realized I had no idea how to run my life. A series of painful experiences had cemented that fact firmly in my head. I knew it was time to go back to basics.

      Amazing things happened when I recommitted my life to Christ. God answered my prayers faster than delivery from Domino's Pizza. Wow! Is this what serving God is like? Instant answers! Why didn't I recommit years ago? This went on for the first few years of my renewed walk with the Lord. God was so clear and things moved so fast that I became the modern day Gideon seeing the fleece wet and dry (See Judges 6). Unfortunately, this didn't last forever. The instant responses and miracles I experienced from God had longer intermissions. I was no longer a Baby Christian. What's a Baby Christian? It's a person that needs results quickly or they will stop believing in God. Think about it. Babies need to be fed every couple of hours. When they are hungry, they kick, scream, and have a full out tantrum until their needs are met; however, as the child grows older, they understand that there are set times to eat (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). There is no longer a need to scream and shout. At the appointed time, the child will get what they need. It's like that in our walk with Christ. I was no longer a baby; it was time to grow up.

From Milk to Meat

     I would be a liar if I told you I didn't like the taste of milk. Instant gratification is a wonderful feeling but a poor character builder. To trust God, you have to go through something! You have to encounter something that appears bigger than you and in which your efforts seem futile. You have to wait for God and keep your ears close to Heaven for His direction. It is in these times that you do what you can but leave plenty of room for God to intervene.

    The Apostle Paul was on fire for God. He loved God with every fiber of his being and sought to share the Gospel of Christ to the world. After all, Christ commanded that the Word of God be taught to the ends of the Earth. In Acts 16, this is clearly what Paul sought to do. He made a plan of where he felt he wanted to go, "They [Paul and Timothy] went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province..." (Acts 16:6). However, the Holy Spirit barred them from taking that particular route, "but the Holy Spirit blocked that route." Notice that the Holy Spirit blocked the route but didn't tell Paul and Timothy where to go instead. Less mature Christians would've had a breakdown at this point. The monologue would go a little something like this, "God, you told me to preach your Word to the Earth. I studied, planned, and am ready to preach. Now, you block me from completing the mission. Plus, you won't even tell me where you want me to go." Paul did none of this. Instead, he simply changed course, "So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia..." (Acts 16:7).  Again, the Holy Spirit blocked their way, "but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either." Wow! Twice Paul and Timothy did what they thought God wanted them to do; twice they were stopped.

Dinner is Served

    Paul and Timothy could've been discouraged by the blocking of the Holy Spirit. They could've turned around and went home. I mean let's keep it real. The ships they sailed on were not cruise ships.  Paul and Timothy weren't on the deck of the S.S. Carnival sunbathing while eating lox and sipping virgin pina coladas. This journey was far from a vacation. Moreover, they didn't see themselves as failures because they were heading in the wrong direction. Instead, they believed God would direct them at the appointed time, "That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans" (Acts 16:9-10). Paul and Timothy let God steer the ship. They understood that they were on God's time.

     So often, we give God our timeline. God you know I need this done by such and such a date. God's Blackberry isn't broken. He doesn't need a personal assistant to remind Him when something is needed. What He is trying to do is make you trust Him. Will you trust him in the 23rd hour and the 59th minute? Do you believe that He is working in the midst of the silence? He is working on your behalf.

While I'm Waiting

What do you do while you are waiting?

1. Live. Too many times, people stop living while their waiting on God. Trust me. God doesn't work any faster because you stop living. He doesn't move up His plan because you're having a tantrum and refusing to do anything else until He answers.

2.  Stay Connected. Continue to keep your spiritual ears sharp by staying in the Word of God and praying. By staying in the Word, your spirit man remains encouraged. And no doubt about it, when God finally speaks to you, you WILL hear Him.

3. Be Thankful. I know it's hard to see waiting as a blessing but it is. It's really a promotion. This is God saying that you're ready to go to the next level. He's watched you grow, and it's time to take the training wheels off. When the training wheels come off, God allows and trusts you to go farther and encounter new environments.

Child of God,

You can do it! I believe in you. More importantly, God believes in you! Live. Stay Connected. Be Thankful. Watch God move on your behalf!

Sass Be Seated!

     If you didn't know this about me, I've been black all my life. Yes. Almost 39 years of complete blackness. Actually, I've been black so long that I've mastered the black sister-girl "sassitude". Eye-rolling..check. Lip smacking...check. Finger waving...check. Wise cracking...check. Most importantly, male spirit breaking...check checkity check! There was something about growing up in a community where women brought home the bacon and fried it up in the pan that made it very easy for me to disrespect a man (Yes, I know it rhymes). In my experience, most men were physical and emotional robbers. Everyday, I saw them breaking into cars and homes to get what they wanted. The news showed me that they were rapist, adulterers, abusers, and liars. According to my reality, men were disappointments.

     The women around me had to be strong. They had to put men in their place. Women had to let men know their presence was no longer needed. And since men cornered the market on physical strength, we picked up the power of verbal warfare. Proverbs 25:24 says "Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse." Women have the wonderful ability to be encouragers, motivators, and deterrents to anger if we let God have His way. God did not create us to be carnal soldiers thriving to put a man in his place. We can know our value without emasculating the value of man.

     Look at Abigail in the Bible. She was married to Nabal. A man's whose name literally meant fool. I'm sure he was a fool from sun up to sun down. Surely, there were times she just wanted to tell him about himself, but Abigail chose to model her Father. She was Christ-like before Christ physically walked the Earth. When David came to kill Nabal for his disrespectful behavior, Abigail used godly wisdom and grace to handle the situation:

I Samuel 25: 23-34
As soon as Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey and fell on her knees at his feet, her face to the ground in homage, saying, "My master, let me take the blame! Let me speak to you. Listen to what I have to say. Don't dwell on what that brute Nabal did. He acts out the meaning of his name: Nabal, Fool. Foolishness oozes from him.

 "I wasn't there when the young men my master sent arrived. I didn't see them. And now, my master, as God lives and as you live, God has kept you from this avenging murder—and may your enemies, all who seek my master's harm, end up like Nabal! Now take this gift that I, your servant girl, have brought to my master, and give it to the young men who follow in the steps of my master.

 "Forgive my presumption! But God is at work in my master, developing a rule solid and dependable. My master fights God's battles! As long as you live no evil will stick to you.  If anyone stands in your way, if anyone tries to get you out of the way, Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound
in the bundle of God-protected life; But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside as a stone is thrown from a sling.

"When God completes all the goodness he has promised my master and sets you up as prince over Israel, my master will not have this dead weight in his heart, the guilt of an avenging murder. And when God has worked things for good for my master, remember me."

   And David said, "Blessed be God, the God of Israel. He sent you to meet me! And blessed be your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and taking charge of looking out for me. A close call! As God lives, the God of Israel who kept me from hurting you, if you had not come as quickly as you did, stopping me in my tracks, by morning there would have been nothing left of Nabal but dead meat."


     Abigail could have encouraged David to kill her husband. She would have been set free from dealing with his foolishness. However, she saw a larger picture. A godly picture. She recognized David's destiny was to change a whole region not just her circumstance. Her gentle encouragement kept him on course. How empowering is that for a woman? Like childbirth, we have the gift to push life into a situation.

     Here's a secret. The volume of your voice, your hands on your hips, and your quips make you as strong as...(wait for it, wait for it, wait for it) nothing. It is simply unattractive smoke and mirrors that you hope will make an impact. It does nothing in or for the Kingdom. A powerful woman understands that God didn't make her inferior. For she is powerful through her sword of influence. Yes. God has given us the power of influence. Abigail's influence protected David from being outside the Will of God. On the other hand, Jezebel's influence led to the destruction of her and her husband.

     The next time a man disappoints you know that you have a choice. You can be smoke and mirrors with your scouring sass or you can speak God's Will in his life. Pray for men. Look around. Satan is out to destroy our families. He is starting with the man. Between incarceration, homosexuality, drug abuse, and plain old lack of morality, Satan seems to be working overtime. Let's get in place, so our men can be in place with God. Pray don't pummel.


I do love you chosen women of God,

Dapoet