Why I Quit Church, Part 1

This blog was completed by Mr. Damien "Chip" Dizard, and after he sent it to me, I could not resist the urge to post to my blog.  Please feel free to give feedback!  Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.  Enjoy!





Church has been a mainstay in my life for years. I remember my dad parting my hair from east to west every week before church.  I remember being told when in church all the earth should keep silent.  



I remember church like it was yesterday.  I grew up at Liberty seventh day Adventist church.  I remember moving around from building to building until we finally left.



I remember my mom and my dad spending hours at church board meetings and then coming home frustrated with things. This is how I remember church.



I never had a bad experience at church. I just never had an experience.



In my college years I got tired of going to church.  Or if I went it was to check out a girl or grab a free meal. Back then, the hype church was Capitol Hill SDA where Wintley Phipps was the pastor.  I attended Columbia union college (now Washington Adventist university) and the fellas made sure we had the fresh cuts and suits in order to impress the ladies and be seen.



But I was tired.  I was tired of the same thing with no comittment. So I quit church.  I left without a trace.  I would show up for special days and to tell my parents I was going and I gave money occasionally.  But I had no real connection, and my friends which weren't into church didn't understand why I went to church anyway.



Years later, my big play sister Sharon invited me to  a church.  It was in the ghetto of Baltimore and the name was Miracle Temple. She said I should come and hear the preacher.  I wasn't really interested, but when someone you respect invites you and feeds you after, you oblige.   I went on the first Saturday of the year in 2000 and a preacher named Freddie Russell was talking about vision.  I was confused, I didn't think I was in a business setting, but he had a powerpoint and was stating where the church needed to go.  I was intrigued and wanted to know how a preacher could give a powerpoint and not a hell-fire breathing sermon on the first day of the year. It was Y2K and everyone was afraid that the end was near.  Pastor Russell may have missed that memo.



After church I introduced myself and I came back again and again.  I invited people. They came with me. I even attended prayer meeting.  This was different. This was the "unchurch."   In the next few years I joined and became lead webmaster and then in charge of media, but it was all because from an invite from a friend.



How can we use friendship evangelism in our local churches? In the next series of blogs I will lay out how to make our churches more "seeker" friendly and how to reclaim them for the 20-30 crowd.

The reason why I vote

Hey everyone, I thought the day before the United States elections for President I would just give my personal reasons as to why in my world...I vote.  I have actually never been into politics.  Though I have always liked and enjoyed serving people the political side often gets in the way of helping people who need help the most.  We often spend so much time trying to decide who to put into certain offices and no time is invested into determining how we are going to go about serving people.

It really bothers me though, when we do this in church.  When we spend time, dedication and energy in politics and positioning ourselves in places where we want to go instead of where God wants us to be.  In my world, I have never personally felt like we needed to follow a democratic system in church.  I guess maybe at times, because we don't trust the power of prayer, we would rather put everything to a vote.  Since we don't want to take the time to get on our faces to God and find out what he really desires, we are content to vote it out?  This is not to suggest that God works in the midst of us voting....however could it be possible that we vote something that God doesn't even want...for his people?

I'm sorry, I just had to get that off my chest about church...back to the nation.  My premise for voting within in the democracy of the United States is simple.  There are many people who gave up their lives so that I could.  They said to themselves: I will gladly die, if one day my great, great grandson will be able to vote.  So, out of respect to my ancestors and people who have paved the way for me...I vote.  I still understand that plight that African Americans have historically held in this country, and would honestly be ashamed not to vote.  Why not take an opportunity to do something, that for years my family could never do?

I have talked to many people who, for one reason or another are not voting.  They feel that President Obama has let them down.  They sense that Governor Mitt Romney is not the best candidate.  Since my world is governed by the word of God, let me remind us all that the bible says in Daniel 2:21, that it is God that sets up rulership.  Regardless of who serves or is elected, it is only because God wanted or allowed them, for that time and season to be in that position.  I think too often, we see ourselves as a god, and feel that we are in charge of what happens.  How about we exercise our right to vote and leave the bigger things up to God?  After all....I honestly believe He knows what He is doing!  

That why in my world...I vote!

Another Chance

In my world I am continuing to learn, know and understand how precious life really is.  Those of you who have been following my world and my blog know that in 2009 my life nearly ended.  I celebrated a birthday yesterday and continue to celebrate the fact that I am a walking miracle.  Lyme Disease was so heavy in my body, and had spread to organs so much so that my life was literally in question.  While going through my most painful moments I longed to die; however yesterday made me realize how blessed I am to be living.  It could have ended for me...

Every day when I open my eyes, its another reminder of what God continues to do for me!  Yesterday marked another year of time that God has given me to fulfill his purpose in my life.  I, by the grace of God am striving to not waste this second chance that he has given me.  I am really a walking miracle....BUT then again...SO are YOU!!!  I'm not the only person whose life was almost cut short.  There are more of you out there who are reading this blog saying to yourself I almost died too! For some of you it was a car accident, for others it was a disease as well.  I do know that there are countless numbers who, even though they are legitimately alive, because of everything you are going through, your spirit is dead!  You are tired of the stress and depression and feel like you wanted to give up...BUT in the middle of it all God showed up and caught you!

The reality is that we all could have been dead, but God has kept us alive because even though you almost died, his purpose never did.  God will continue to keep you until his purpose is fulfilled or until you decide to abort the purpose!  Don't waste the second chance!  Embrace the story, your testimony; for most of us, its the only thing keeping us alive.  If it is, so be it!  Let God's purpose become your purpose and the reason for your existence.  In my world God's purpose has pushed me on days when I wanted to die, nights when I wanted to give up, and mornings that I wish did not come...

It's not always easy, but the struggle will always make you stronger!  Until next time...in my world!

That's all you have

In my world I have learned that leaning on God is all you really have!  People can let you down, places can often get boring, and things don't always fulfill your desires.  If you are like me, you have tried to get things to replace God, you have gotten with people to fill your space for God, and gone to places attempting to take your mind off of what has drawn you away from God.

However at the end of the day, all you have is God.  You have tried a bunch of things, but that didn't work.  You have attached yourself to many people but you are still unsatisfied.  Nothing can fill your emptiness But God.  The new iphone won't do it; the newest gospel cd is going to do it, and even your spouse doesn't fill God's place. 

I'm learning that its not everyone else's fault...The problem in my world is often the problem in your world too, and that is that the more you fill God's place with other people, places and things you will ALWAYS feel empty.  The only thing that will cause you to feel complete is God.  You could have all the money in the world and still be lonely.  You could have thousands of relationships and still be empty.  You can fly around the whole world and yet feel as if you have nothing; because without God there is nothing.  You can go to church and still not have God; sing in the choir about God but God still not be in you!

At the end of the day, all you have is God!  Without Him, you have nothing.  Let Him be your EVERYTHING...TODAY!

Purpose

What is my purpose in life?  Haven't you asked yourself that before?  Doesn't it bother you sometimes that you don't know or haven't really found your purpose in this life? I have learned in my world that there is nothing more frustrating for a person who doesn't really understand or know their purpose in life.  When God decided to create you, what was on his mind?  Why in the world did He decide to create YOU?!?!?  Was there something that he wanted you to accomplish that no one else could?  Is it possible that other people are doing what you were/are really supposed to be doing, but because you are scared to walk in your purpose you aren't doing it?

What is your purpose in life?  In the last few years I have learned that sometimes your purpose is sometimes not the most comfortable place. Paul and Silas were in jail in the book of Acts.  They were not in the best surroundings and it was not the most comfortable place to be.  However, because of their presence in the prison-people were brought to Christ!!!  Other's I am finding are literally terrified to walk in their God ordained purpose!  They are scared that people will laugh and them and it will initially not be accepted.  However if you are like me, I've learned in my world that you can't live your life to please people.  If you live to please people....YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY!  I promise you!  Living to the approval of others makes you a miserable person.  Don't walk in a person ordained purpose, only walk in God's purpose for your life!

In my next blog, I will share some things that you can do, to live in God's purpose for your life.  God bless you...

He's Got It

I have learned a difficult, but wonderful reality in my world: God has everything under control!!!  My battle with Lyme Disease has made me realize that there are certain things that we have absolutely no control over!  We spend so much time trying to fix, change, and adjust things in our lives that we can't. We were not given power to change time, to go back in time, to fix choices that we have made...etc.

I used to spend so much time and energy thinking to myself:  If I only was, If this didn't happen then, Once I get here then...but those thoughts only seemed to make things worse for me?  Doesn't it do the same for you?  In my world I am resting in the fact now that regardless of what a face, see, and deal with in life....God has everything under control!  He really does!!!  I know it seems at certain points and time that the enemy is stronger than God and that your life just feels like a huge mess.  You may be dealing with something right now that isn't as favorable and doesn't seem to be working to your advantage.  What I rest in is the fact that the word of God teaches me that He has got everything together.  The reality is that you can't fix it; if you could, you would have done it long time ago right?  So why not trust the Person who is in control of everything?

Despite my bad days and regardless of my rough days, all I have, at the end of the day is a GOD who knows it all, has power over all, and who loves me through it all....

Resist

I'll be honest...I have been reading a particular scripture text for years and I just realized something about that text in my world.  The bible says in James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  Maybe I'm slow (as I say often), or possibly wasn't paying attention to this text as much as I should.

James says when we resist the devil he WILL flee from us!!!  Do you realize how powerful this is!?!?!?   Right before this James first tells us to submit to God...How hard is this?  Real hard if you enjoy your independence.  Killing self will possibly be the toughest challenge you will ever have to face.  I'll be honest enough to tell you that in my world always saying: "Yes Lord" is something that I don't always love to do.  However James tells us that if we are going to cause the devil to literally leave us, the FIRST thing we have to do is SUBMIT to God.  If you have strong problems submitting to God, you will always have the misfortune of the devil hanging around...

Do you ever want to make the devil leave you?  Then you must resist him.  To resist something means to ignore, to push away, to leave alone.  This tells me that many of us invite the devil.  He doesn't leave us because he is invited in one way or another in our company.  Maybe by what we watch, possibly by the people we hang out with, or the places that we go...

We question or may ask: Why doesn't the devil leave me alone, why don't I feel guilty about disobedience to God?  How come I'm not the person I should be in Christ?  I have been frustrated sometimes with myself because of continued disobedience to God, haven't you? But God spoke to me this past week and let me know that the reason my struggle oftentimes with the devil is so real is because I NEVER resist him; instead I invite him...SMH!!!

Anyone want power to resist the devil today, so that he will run from you?  If we want this power, then we must submit to God.  Ask him for the power of being obedient.  If we are obedient to God, we will always cause the enemy to run!