Daily Devotional – 3/22/18 “When your sound change!”

While Jesus hung on a cross, with nails through his hands and feet, with a crown of thorns on His head, a mocking sign of “King of the Jews,” over His head and a criminal on both sides; He was still concerned about saving those who desired to be saved. You know the story, right? These two criminals initially joined in on the mocking of Jesus but as time went on, one of them changed their sound. His sound went from that of suffering to now of surrendering. While the other mocked, this one criminal comes to Jesus’ defense. He didn’t need it but doesn’t it feel good when someone else can defend your honor? Well, this criminal says in Luke 23:40-42, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” In which Jesus replies in Luke 23:43, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” This was the second of the last things Jesus said on the cross. He’s in pain, He’s been ridiculed and made fun of, nails driven into parts of His body, His clothes divided over dice, given bitter vinegar to drink yet He’s willing to save the one who wants to be saved. Isn’t that good news?

And if I can be honest, many of us have been in the position of this criminal. No, I don’t mean hanging on a cross but we’ve been guilty of a crime yet Jesus is willing, for us. Willing to be mocked, suffer and die; for us. Think about it because we’ve all been at a place where we want to throw in the towel, turn our back on Jesus and give up but as time goes on our voice changes. You may not want to admit it but I am sure there have been times, during your pain, that you’ve cried out to God asking where He is. There have been times when the turmoil of this life almost made you curse God. When things were happening to you, in you and around you that made you feel like Job; tearing off your clothes, shaving your head and sitting in a pile of ashes. But then something happened. Time kept going and your mind changed. As you laid in your bed of burdens, your sound changed. For just like the criminal, you go from a speech of scorn to a sermon of surrender and from pity to that of purpose. For it is when your sound, mind, body and spirit changes that your destination does too because then you can clearly hear Jesus’ saying, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Daily Devotional – 3/21/18 “Father, forgive them …”

As Jesus hung on the cross, after being found guilty of caring more about people than they actually cared for themselves, after being beaten for loving folk who lied on Him, after His wrists and legs were nailed for taking the majority of our suffering; through pain He mumbled these words in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Understand the magnitude of this verse. Jesus willingly asked His Father to forgive those who, through willful ignorance, would become His executioner. As pain traveled through the nerves within His body, He prayed for forgiveness of those who had forsaken Him. Jesus prayed for forgiveness of those who glorified in His blood being shed. Jesus asked for forgiveness of those who laughed as thorns were pushed through his skin. While they were shooting dice to divide His clothes, Jesus was using the last of the air from His lungs to ask for forgiveness of them. Oh but here we are, staying in the house with folk we will not even pray for. We share the same bed with folk we aren’t willing to forgive. We have the same DNA with folk we haven’t spoken too in years. We even attend the same worship service with folk we talk about in group texts. Father, forgive them.

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Please Father, forgive those who don’t understand the heaviness of not forgiving. Forgive those who spitefully withhold forgiveness. Forgive them Father for still giving power to their abuser by lying with the hurt, pain and replay of the things they did. Forgive them Father for harboring resentment when you’ve given them the strength to release it. Forgive them Father for mishandling their gifts, over and over. Forgive them Father for taking advantage of your blessings even after you keep giving them. Father, forgive them because they didn’t know any better. Beloved, Jesus didn’t pray for their forgiveness because He had time to kill but Jesus did it due to who He is and to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. You, though, your forgiveness of those who don’t even recognize their need to be forgiven isn’t about them but it is because of whose you are and your ability to be obedient to God’s call on your life. Forgive them as your Father has forgiven you.

Daily Devotional – 3/20/18 “Shake off the dust!”

Sometimes you have to take your loss, chalk it up to lesson learned, shake the dust from your feet and move on. Sure, you can sit and cry over the mistakes, beat yourself over the should haves and could haves and even wallow in your pity but what good will that do? You were denied, you didn’t get the promotion, you couldn’t get approved for the car you wanted, the church didn’t choose you as pastor, you were not selected as chairperson, the relationship didn’t work, the marriage failed, the medicine didn’t heal you and etc. but you cannot give up. What you can do, you can make notes of what didn’t work, this time, and try again. Understand, it means more work on your part but it’ll be worth it. This means you may have to do more research, take more time to get you together, go outside of your comfort zone, shed a few more tears and hear a few more no’s. However, eventually, it will pay off. Ask me how I know. It’s because I’ve been there. Even more transparency, there are still some days things don’t work out in my favor but I keep grinding.

I know I’ve shared a little about my struggle but it doesn’t go away overnight. There have been plenty of times I’ve had to cut my losses and move on. Did it hurt? Heck yeah but it pushes me and it makes me stronger. It also teaches me to value my worth. Look, I am a female preacher in a society where most say a woman can’t preach. This means I either don’t get an invitation to the table or if I do, I am paid significantly less than a man. Does that stop me? Nope, I simply shake the dust from my feet and move on. In the bible, when Jesus sent the disciples out to minister, He tells them in Matthew 10, to enter a place and find someone who is worthy and announce a blessing. If it turns out, they are indeed worthy, let your blessing stand but if they aren’t take it back. AND if they will not receive you or listen to you, shake the dust from your feet and leave that house or town. In other words, stop staying where you aren’t welcomed and stop wallowing in what you think is when you know it isn’t. If that’s a job, a relationship, a place of worship, a business, the grocery store or wherever. Cut your losses and move on because there is someone/something waiting on you elsewhere.

Excerpt – The Pastor’s Admin

The Pastor's Admin Banner

Tomorrow … touch your neighbor and say tomorrow. Tomorrow, beloveds, is release day for my twin sister, LaQuisha Dionne’s and my book “The Pastor’s Admin.”

I will be posting a giveaway, later today, as soon as I figure out what it will be. However, in the meantime, you can still pre-order your copy BUT let me tell y’all sumin.

Yes, this book is Christian based but it has sex scenes AND language. So govern thyself accordingly.

Get your copy HERE

EXCERPT::

JOSEPH

Walking into the church, I am met by Dee.

“Where’s Torre?”

“She’s not feeling well.”

She looks at me.

“What? She has a stomach bug or something.”

“I bet she does.”

“Dee, I am not in the mood for your shit this morning. I need to get ready for Sunday school.”

“No, you need to get ready to repent. Damn spawn of Satan.” She says before walking off.

I go into my office and close the door. When I see the Sunday school book on the corner of my desk, I pick it up and throw it across the room.

I press the intercom button. “Dee, have one of the deacons teach my class this morning.”

She doesn’t respond but I know she heard me. I take a seat at my desk and put my head in my hands before beginning to pray.

I am interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Not now Dee.”

“Pastor Thornton?”

“Oh Raven, what can I do for you?”

She smiles before coming in and closing the door.

“I was coming to see if you needed anything this morning.”

“No, I think I am good.”

“You sure there isn’t something I can do for you?” She walks around to the back of my chair, placing her hands on my shoulders. “You look a little stressed.”

“I am. Do you have something that can help with that?”

“I might.”

I take her hand from my shoulder and pull her around in from of me. “What did you have in mind?” I ask sliding back to let her sit on the end of my desk.

“Whatever you need.”

Her eyes travel down to the bulge in my pants.

I rub myself through my pants. “He could use some attention this morning.”

She moves from the desk to the couch. I stand and walk over, stopping in front of her. She unzips my pants and takes my penis into her hands before sliding it into her mouth.

“Ah,” I moan.

Sound of tapping on the door.

“One second.”

“Pastor, I need these–”

I look into Dee’s face as she stops at the door.

— The Pastor’s Admin

Releasing, March 20, 2018.

Get your copy HERE

The Pastor's Admin

Daily Devotional – 3/19/18 “Why God?”

Why God? When you initially look at these two words, the first thing that probably comes to mind is to question God. Why God is this happening? Why God hasn’t this happened? Why God do I have to suffer? Why God did my business fail? Why God isn’t anybody calling? Why God? But today, my question isn’t to God but it’s to you. Why God? In other words, why have you chosen God? Why do you go to worship every Sunday, bible study and Sunday school? Why do you attempt to live right? Why be devoted? Why pay tithes? Why God? I am asking you this question in order to prick your mind. See, it is easy for us to want to give up when trouble comes but then I remember why God. Sure, it’s easy to fall back into our old ways but then I remember why God. Yep, I can be angry at God for things not happening as quickly as I want but then I remember why God. For me, the answer is easy. I could tell you that I chose God because He chose me, He first loved me, He paid the ransom to the enemy for my life or because He’d anointed me. And while all these things are true, I chose God because He allowed me to try everything else and still called me worthy.

This is my truth but let me be clear. God wasn’t the last resort because I could have stayed in my hell and continued to struggle. He wasn’t the, “I guess I’ll try Him now,” kind of choice because I could have continued to shack up with trouble. I chose God after He’d allowed me to try everything else and He still waited on me. I chose God because He never gave up on me, instead He allowed me to make mistakes. I chose God because He never stopped calling, even when I’d ignore His calls, He’d simply leave a voicemail and then try again. God never stopped showing up, even if He had to peek through the window. Why God? Because everything else was easy but choosing God was hard. Why God? Because while being faithful to flesh was fulfilling, sacrificing to the spirit saved me. Why God? It’s like David says in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” So now I ask you again, why God?