You Ungrateful Wretch

Have you ever asked for something, received it, and forgot you asked?

I think that is a terrible way to treat someone that gives you a gift.  I did it though, to the Lord. I asked God to bless me with the talent of playing the guitar.  It has been a desire of mine, for most of my adult life.

Ungratefully, I haven’t acting on it with the fervor of someone who really wanted it until the pandemic and my wife’s illness. I could have been so much better by now if I had acted earlier. 

I don’t know when I actually prayed about it -it was so long ago. I thank God for it now though almost every night. In hindsight, it was probably when I was pastoring.  During that time, I received an American Stratocaster in exchange for a .45 caliber pistol I received in trade. 

Now, I am writing to remember and remind myself of my blessings.  Here’s four ways to bless God with His gift to you.

1.  Use Your Talents to Serve Others: Many believe that by using their abilities to help others, they are honoring God. This could be through volunteer work, mentoring, or any form of service that benefits the community.

Proverbs 11:25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

2.  Develop Your Talents: Continuously improving and mastering your skills can be seen as a form of stewardship of the gifts you've been given.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10 -

3.  Incorporate Faith into Your Work: Whatever your field or talent, you can integrate your faith or values into your work, creating a sense of purpose that aligns with your spiritual beliefs.

…and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  Colossians 3:23-24 KJV

4.  Prayer and Intention: Setting a clear intention or prayer that your work and talent be used in a way that is pleasing to God can be a form of dedication.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Phil 4:6

5.  Give Back: Donating a portion of the proceeds from your talent-related work to causes you believe in can be another way to dedicate your talent.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 22:9

Speak Life Church Podcast

The Speak Life Church podcast is a Christian ministry for a church without walls. It’s a podcast of encouragement. A show to restore peoples' relationship with God. It seeks to build faith, produce joy and point out God's work in our lives. https://speaklife.libsyn.com

Its been ongoing under many different names since 2002. It began as In The Wilderness Ministry (ITWM.org)  The podcast came around 2009.

I didn’t originally hear God’s voice in a church.  I can honestly say, don’t remember having my first spiritual moment during a worship service.  I remember first hearing the voice of God as a kid, alone outside in the woods.  I thought this was abnormal and folks would think I was strange so I never told anyone.

It was out there that I preached my first sermon in a field.  The “congregation” was a few rabbits that stuck around to hear and see what I was doing.  It was nice to see even if I was nine.  I kept this “religious experience” a secret  for a long time but later my grandmother informed me that she thought I would become a good pastor some day.  I didn’t want anyone to know she said that.

I thought preachers were stereotypical and not in a good way.  I thought that they were to be both revered and ridiculed.  At least that is what happened with adults I knew.  They were mocked and talked about and at the same time called on all the time.  I believed that they were not tough guys and I wanted to be a tough guy.  I wanted to be the bad boy.  Girls like the “bad boy.”

I spent many years trying to be what I was not.  The Lord allowed somethings to happen, and He abruptly stopped the others.  I have been near trouble, in trouble and just missed by trouble all my life.  Bullets, bombs, and killers have been near me and through it all I have come out unharmed by the grace of God.

I learned that it was in the wilderness that Abram spoke to God.  It was in the wilderness that Moses saw a burning bush.  It was in the wilderness that Joshua brought a wayward people to the Promised Land.  It was in a wilderness that battles are often fought.  Prophets spoke to errant people, in the wilderness.  It is in the wilderness that John the Baptist preached.  It was in the wilderness that Jesus went to be tested.  It is in the wilderness that men seek to peace, to start over, or gain their freedom.  God is in the wilderness.

I started this ministry after joining a church and not feeling welcomed.  I became a junior minister on the rolls of big church.  I learned not to have expectations of ever “preaching” there.  I was not the pastor, yet I was called to serve.  I served wherever.

I was different.  I rode a motorcycle.  So I created a motorcycle ministry called The Forgiven Christian Riders (FCR).  I thought I would be able to at least find other Christians to ride with.  The FCR became an international ministry almost overnight with chapters from North Carolina to South Africa.  I still ride alone.

I testified and witnessed on the gun range which raised the ire of some of the church elders.  When The Washington Times reported on me, I was almost removed from the ministerial roster.  I reached men and women that hunted, shot recreationally.  I spoke to the sportsperson.  I connected to the one that thought they were different because they didn’t fit in.  They fit in just fine in God’s kingdom, just not always the local assemble of His people.

But I struggled as a minister.  I didn’t like the primping, the pomp and circumstance.  I didn’t want to socialize with other pastors so that I could get the opportunity to preach in their churches.  I didn’t feel adequately equipped to do more than evangelize outside the church.  A change was coming.

I didn’t have too long to wait for it.  My pastor was fired from the church for a host of things.  His character was assassinated and the once prominent church was split.  And like the Apostle Peter, I denied him too, took my sword and wandered in the wilderness.

I created In The Wilderness Ministries and it found a home on the internet.  There we managed to host a fundraising trip on Carnival cruise lines in the western Caribbean.  It grew to a good number when I thought it should start to find a home inside a church somewhere.

I soon found a home church with a struggling group in Washington, DC.  It has not been easy, fun, or nice.  After two years of serving there, I was ordained as a Baptist minister in the African American oral tradition in front of a congregation and more than nine pastors.  A year later I was called as the pastor of that body, to the shock and awe of a few.

I have learned and still learning a lot about people but with this podcast I am returning back to the Wilderness.

I learned that it was in the wilderness that Abram spoke to God.  It was in the wilderness that Moses saw a burning bush.  It was in the wilderness that Joshua brought a wayward people to the Promised Land.  It was in a wilderness that battles are often fought.  Prophets spoke to errant people, in the wilderness.  It is in the wilderness that John the Baptist preached.  It was in the wilderness that Jesus went to be tested.  It is in the wilderness that men seek to peace, to start over, or gain their freedom.  God is in the wilderness.