Image is Everything

OK! If you know me and my father then you know that although there is a 21 years differential in age I am a near carbon copy of that man.

On almost all the facebook, twitter, instagram pictures I post there are multiple comment that say ''boy you look just like your DAD, When Im around people that know him they say '' are you Stan's Son because you are a exact image of him, Just recently I was at my fathers bank and the teller ask me ''hey do you have a twin brother that banks here?''. I have all of my fathers physical traits and they are seen in other people that know him..


Now this got my preacher minds eye to working and I'm reminded during the creation process God spoke and said in Gen 1:26 ''Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'' 

Which rose two questions?????

1. Are you your father's {God} twin
2.  And do you carry his spiritual likeness

Now John reminds us that God is Spirit, Which tells me that the ''image'' or likeness has to be a spiritual inside out representation.... How?  in its original Hebrew content ''image'' means representative figure!!!.... So what we should look like is the example or representation of God the son Jesus on earth. bearing the fruit of the spirit, {Gal 5:22-23} So when people look at your conduct, they should be able just as my I when it come to my physical father say '' YOU LOOK JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER'' because all the ''SPIRITUAL'' trait are active in the way you walk in life...

So remember When living on earth as a physical being you are really created just as God which is a spiritually being so everything you should be doing should be from the spirit that God has breathed

 in you and when you realized who you are in life your resemblance will be as you father's and people will tell you 

''You look just like GOD''

LanierJ.......

@lanierj

Parable of the sower explained.. Find yourself!!!

This parable has many meaning and is meant for us to unlock its principles and start to do what we are commissioned to do!!!!!

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower

1. ''The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts''.     

Jesus is referencing the ''church'' folk that set underneath great teaching, sound doctrine, goes through the motions of religion but have absolutely no clue of the difference between Religion & Kingdom and what happens is Satan sends test your way without you understanding GOD permitted the current pressing situation and you have no ''WORD'' to get you through this trial

2.  The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. But they don't have deep roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

This is pretty self-explanatory they hear the message accept it, understand it but faith and application is far from them when trial come.      

 

 3. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

 These people hear the message but are not content with there current living arrangements on the earth, wanting more of physical perishable item, instead of embracing they have eternal life, thus trusting in physical not spiritual

4.  The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.

These are the people God designed us to be hearers as well as doers of kingdom work focusing only on pure and righteous things, being content with whatever we have and producing, having an abundance, growing in the faith,  and being examples of how life is to develop as a christian....

Find yourself and if its not #4 your Goal is to be there soon 

LanierJ.......

Reading between the lines (Understanding & Growth)

I have had coversation(s) on twitter also Facebook about certain spiritual situations and subjects and I have come to realize that somethings I say come across as ''sharp'' or even ''rasp'' and at times people take my words out of context and gather a ''Judgmental tone'' of the message. This is frustrating to me because the point still hasnt been made... BUT I realized its not me its some peoples level of understanding.... Not saying that I am smarter or more knowledgable or better than anyone this is so not the case but we all have different levels...

LanierJ's analogy
''If you talk to a pregnant womans baby in her belly the baby want be able to hear you because it hasnt been born Yet'' 
and even when it a few days old and you say the samething to it they still dont understand you BUT they hear the words!!!  How/why??? because they are born and ready to recieve....

Point....
The point of the analogy is this like Jesus told Nicodemus '' (John 3:12) If you dont believe what I say about earthly things how can you possibly believe me about spirtual things''

The Issue is we have a
1. Fetus' & (unborn to the spirit)
2. Baby Christians (underdeveloped)

When we are one of the two above we ask question like Nicodemus did (John 3:4) ''How can a old man go back in his mothers womb and be born again''?
This is not to slight any believer of any Level but Jesus replied in (John 3:5) and says: '' I assure you no one can enter the ''KINGDOM OF GOD'' without being born of water and the SPIRIT.....(not able to comprehend)
1 PETER 2:2 SAYS '' Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into the full expierence of salvation, cry out for the Nourishment''..

Which tell me that we have stages of christian knowledge/growth just as a baby grows into a grown man/woman there is a learning/growing process, but we have to want and be receptive to the wisdom of others regardless of their natural age(How many year physically) but look at their spiritual age(was born again)... 

So I am Learning even in my learning process to obtain the highest wisdom you have to ''spoon feed'' baby christians until they are old enough to feed or (understand) for themselves....
So just as Nicodemus was a respected Jewish leader and taught the law (pre-Christ) He didnt fully understand the process of What Christ was and how he changed their tradition from Law to Grace Nicodmus had to be taught the new way just as other who has been sent by God to teach a ''The way'' we have to see spiritually what's being said and feed off of the word God has inspired through men

Respect the position that God has given the man ..... and grow by ''CRAVING THE SPIRITUAL MILK''

LANIERJ.......

Light Exposing Darkness.......LED

What is light? It is an element that makes things visible, bright, glowing, etc...

The purpose of light is to be able to see what was once dark....

When something is dark it has no light and and is hidden in the midst of all darkness (cant be seen)

John 8:12 says: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the''LIGHT'' of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the ''LIGHT'' of life.

So Jesus speaks and proclaims himself as the ''LIGHT'' which illuninates the unseen areas in the dark lives and says if you follow me you will have light!!!!!! 

So when the ''light' (followers of Christ) are present it exposes the Dark (keepers of the world) Darkness hates to be exposed to flaws because the majority is in Darkness the ''world mindset'' says Iam blending in but when the ''LIGHT'' has shined on you its to be exposed to all your darkness and walk into the ''light'' of the ''kingdom mindset''

How bright is your light

******LanierJ Quote******

**When the world is in darkness the 1st sight of light upsets the rotation.... Think of a long night of sleep and through the window is a ray of sun in your eye interrupting you..... This is what christians represent the light... LANIERJ**

SO IF YOUR A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST YOU REPRESENT THE LIGHT AND OUR JOB IS TO EXPOSE THE DARKNESS AND BRING THEM INTO THE LIGHT.....

 DROP ALL YOUR BAGGAGE FROM YOUR DARKNESS JESUS BLOOD HAS WASHED THEM ALL AWAY AND DO YOUR JOB AND MAKE THE DARK PLACES LIGHT!! EXPOSE IN LOVE SHARE YOUR DARKNESS AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF MEN************

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY******

LANIERJ.......

Blessed inspite of my Short-Comings

This means you too!!!

Romans 3:23 says 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God......

I was told by a very Influential woman at my church on recently she said to me
''When you brought your message last week I allowed the devil to overtake my spirit and not hear anything you were saying because of the rumors I heard about you''

 and then she went on to say that she thought that I was very arrogant!!!!

Now I explained to her that everyone of my shortcomings or things contrary to what the word says... that I have made the decision to do has not only grew critisizm in my life but those very things those ''rumors'' I use them 
(if true) to warn people what not to do (wisdom) which give my life (ministry) purpose.....

Ive realized that God can/will turn everything around for your good inspite of what the ''church people'' think about you....

She also apoligized to me and said '' because if my skeletons were let out the closet people would think the same about me''

So what Iam saying in this  Blog is that we need to take a Inner look at what we have done or still doing not judge people by ''what you Heard'' but get to know who they are and why does there name continue to surface... gather your life and look in retrospect of what God has brought you from and you will see that 

''ALL have sinned and fell short of the glory of God''
''No exception to this rule''

And when I addressed the Arrogant part of her apology I said that there is a thine line between 
<--------------


Arrogance & <---Confidence.......,





I told her simply because I know what dirt I have done against God, My wife, My church etc.... this keeps me HUMBLE because I cant throw any stones because I have sinned as well, and I said that Just because I know who Iam and want allow the stones that are thrown at me to penetrate my Armor doesnt mean its arrogance just means I must keep my head up knowing that people look at me as if they never made a mistake.....!

 God hasnt given me a spirit of Fear but one of Power, Love & a sound mind so In conclusion I say this 

Noah was a drunk

Jacob was a deceiver

Rahab was a prostitute

David was a adulterer

Solomon was a womanizer

Paul was a killer 

Which proves:
 Romans 3:23 that '' ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

BUT God still used those people although they sinned and fell short and blessed them and they became men/woman that we pattern ourselves after Now...

So I encourage you not to stop because of your past use it to catapult you to the next level of your purpose.... because afterall

'' All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God''


LANIERJ.......

KEEP GOING....... NEVER QUIT.......

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

This scripture really encourages me to go on 

INSPITE OF                         ..       

The Holy Spirit tells me that Iam....

Pressed-Move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical force

this pressure in life I face seems to be to much for me to handle BUT iam not 

CRUSHED

Iam perplexed or simply confused by why God would allow me to go through this 

BUT i havent lost my hope 

(Despair)

Iam persecuted subject to hostile treatment from friend, relatives, job, ect... but 

the presence of God is always 

with me (abandoned)

Iam struck down Getting my behind kick each and every way possible nothing 

seems to go my way but though it 

all I can get back up (destroyed)

SO I want to encourage you to ENDURE what you have to GOD will keep you in 

perfect peace the weapons that are formed will form but want prosper or prevail 

against you 

Keep the faith stay encouraged 

LanierJ.......

Natural order of Men & Woman (take your position)

I read the bible a lot not for sermons but for everyday nourishment to be feed spiritually. One day I can across a passage in Judges 4 and in this paticular cyle of Judges God called a woman to Judge Israel her name was Deborah. Now what astounded me was the fact of since Genesis God had a man to lead/Judge Israel there were several men but to name a few Adam, Abram, Moses, , (ring a bell) and now even with no clear cut leader after the conquest of Joshua to the time of the Judges there were men before her such as Othniel & Ehud and my question was 

Why a woman?????? (no dis-respect) 

The Holy Spirit answered me and said history repeats itself what you see now was going on back then, so..... I began to think  that the reason was and it clearly states in the Bible that the Isrealite men were sleeping around with gentile woman serving Idol God's (objects) occuping there time with the ways of the world so God used an unlikely source (Deborah) to do his work.........

Now if you read this passage you will find a man (barak)who was the general of the army who's job is to protect and serve and be ready to ''do or die'' at anytime, and he was so Deborah issues a decree to barak to deploy all the troop to Mt Tabor and God WILL deliver the commander Sisera (who has had them enslaved for 20 hard years of oppression) into your hands... or the Victory will be Yours as a  MAN, But Barak says to Deborah......

''If you will go with me then I will go'' 











Now the general (Barak a man) is scared and ask the Woman (Deborah) to fight with him...........HUH 









Then she Deborah says  '' I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. 

See Deborah knew how important it was for the ''MAN'' to receive the Glory but the "MAN'' was/is scared to take his ordanied position as the ''LEADER''

So men the natural order of things are for men to lead but when we are to busy to do GOD'S work the woman has to take over and it upset's the natural order of things so MEN take your position not as dictators but as leaders and let's let the woman rest and marvel over what GOD is doing through us.....

Men let's Be Men and lead

LanierJ........

Reflections of 20(11) Experience my Change

As I look back in retrospect of 2011 I see it was a bitter but sweet year for me individually!!!!

I've lost a family member a job and even my mind at times (bitter) But I gained more confidence in the Lord!!!!!!

On April 10th of this year I walked in my calling as a minister by bringing my 1st sermon
''Clarification of your call'' and it truely meant alot to me presenting it..

But before I even thought about ministering to God's people I had to clear my conscience of something in my past to My Wife & my Pastor.....

Regardless of what is was I had to confess it to them and I took major risks on both ends but It had to be done...

I understood that if I am going to hold this position in ministry there is a certain level of ''Integrity'' I have to have.... To many time people get up to talk about what thus says the Lord and people cant hear them because of their lifestyle and I didnt want to be one of them....

When you say you are ''changing'' I realize that there are people that are going to be reluctant of It beacuse they remember who you used to be, what you have done, and the battles your currently living with they want be able to embrace it because there are looking at you in the flesh  and not the spirit the bible says:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

So Iam living my life to please God not people ALL MY SINS has been washed away by the blood of JESUS and there will be no condemnation for me '' So say what you want to say, Try and tear down my character, attack my integrity, Do what you please, They crucified Jesus and I understand Just as
 Romans 8:17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

I know that everyday is a battle of My flesh and my Spirit but if you want change you have to first want to change, embrace change for yourself not for anyone else... NO ONE else's opinion matter only what God see's your past is going to be there so whatever you WERE let it drive you to what you are going to BECOME 

''BECAUSE THAT WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO BE'' (PURPOSE).......

2ND TIMOTHY 2:3

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

LANIERJ.....

''ALL''Things Work Together for Your good!!!!!!!

Romans 8:28 says: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

To me this is one of the greatest encouraging scripture it has pulled me out of a few low periods in my life, and this is how!!!!!

Paul says '' AND WE KNOW'' WHO IS WE???? 

Paul is referring to not the religious people but the one's that have a personal relationship with Christ, He's refer's to this as a family the ''True Christians'' the ''true believers'' ''WE'' are!!! And before you read this scripture and try to apply it ask your self

Do you have religion or A relationship???

next in this scripture you see Paul says: 

''that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the Good''

 In case you missed it ''everything'' implies total control of all......

Total control of: Suffering Temptation, Sin, etc.. Everything negative thing that could happen to you GOD causes it to work out For your GOOD***But this is exclusive to those who*****

1st. LOVE GOD

2nd. CALLED according to ''HIS'' purpose 

If you ''LOVE'' GOD then the understanding is, its his way either way, so no matter what battles you face in life your Love says with my whole heart I trust you.... And if your called According to... (get this not your purpose in life) but HIS purpose for your life then you submit to God's Directive will for your Life.....

So This mean wherever I am in my Walk with Christ my life may seem to be in shambles, everything thrown at me, cant seem to keep my head above water remember.......

Roman 8:28:

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

LanierJ.....