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Looking at the news today reminds me of how much ruin is in the world, but Ezekiel 37 gives me chills. 🕊️

Today is always a heavy day in America. It’s hard to look at the memories of absolute ruin and ashes without feeling a deep ache in your soul. Even in my own personal life, there are things that feel completely dead and impossible to fix. But I read Ezekiel 37 this morning. God takes the prophet to a valley filled entirely with dry, bleached, dead human bones. It is a picture of absolute, irreversible devastation. God asks, "Can these bones live?" And then God literally breathes His Spirit into the graves. The bones start violently rattling, snapping together, growing muscle and skin, and a massive, living army stands up from the ashes. We serve a God who specializes in ruins. No matter how dead your situation looks today, His breath can reconstruct what was completely destroyed. #Ezekiel37 #ValleyOfDryBones #HopeInTheAshes #GodRestores

John 8:32 Jesus was in the temple reasoning with the Pharisees,“Who are You anyway”? They asked. Jesus responds, “I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first“. A crowd had gathered to hear Him speak, including Jews who believed in Him. Jesus, turned from the Pharisees to those who believed, those who listened… allowing the Word to fall as seed on fertile ground. He told them if they’d abide in His Word and do what it says, they’d be His disciples. In doing so they’d know the Truth, and this Truth would set them free. No longer would they be slaves to sin, they would walk in the Freedom to do righteousness. The Pharisees argued, Jesus even called them on it, telling them His Word didn’t find a place in them. They heard the Truth but rejected it. How does the knowing the Truth set us free? What is Truth if not knowledge of righteousness, and believing in…trusting Jesus to take away our sin? Truth is knowing about who we are in Jesus, following Him and the Hope in the eternity He’s prepared for us. What kept the Pharisees from knowing Truth…knowing Jesus? What blinded them, what caused their deafness when they witnessed the miracles and heard Jesus speak Truth? When convicted, they became angry, self-righteous, arrogant. False accusations flowed from their hearts. We meditate, we listen to Him as He reveals our heart. Has His Word found fertile ground? Or, are we stiff necked, rejecting His conviction of sin, with Pride standing his ground? Has the Truth fully penetrated our heart so we’re free to do what’s right… No longer slaves to the desires of the flesh? And…If so, do we acknowledge the power of the Holy Spirit, and use it to walk in Truth, to walk in freedom? Lord, thank You for the Light, the Truth, the way of righteousness. Help us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, find us humble, and repentant in Your conviction and guidance…in Truth.

When my brother passed away, I was sent a text message to go home not to stay the night. I didn’t read the message until the next morning. No one else was staying the night, it would not have mattered  if I had read the message earlier, I see today was my brother .but as I think back to the moment, I know how Mary felt ,she stayed .for me it caused hurt feelings, anger, family issues with that part of my family, and it was during the loss of the last of all my family yeah everyone grieves differently I could not have left him by his self. I stayed and played music. That means something to for him, I have to sand all night leave my head on in his bed to close my eyes , whispered I love you and say goodbye ,ignoring his wife and his daughter wishes as I was told for him to get his rest for his eternal rest, but I didn’t read the text message that night. I read it the next morning and I would have stayed regardless. I would not leave my brother on his last night of living alone. and I think back about Mary and how she must have received the same response to her , but she stayed and I stayed , it was what my heart told me to do and I’m sure it’s what her heart told her to do.

Bible Verse for September 7 😎 Ephesians 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

Today is a beautiful gift, a gift of life ,to share love and compassion with one another as we reflect on how far God has brought us from the abyss, for there was a time when I was rebellious against God, indulging in the pleasures of the flesh not caring about the sacrifice on the cross, too consumed. with the world and the pleasures of a corrupt and immoral rebellious soul. walking a path of death and destruction, taking the moment to feed my depravity. for I had no real root, of love, I was just an empty shell of a man with no sustainable direction of life just a vagabond wandering in the desert looking for a place to lose himself while ,seeking darkness to conceal my sinful nature not knowing or caring about anything , a man seeking his own destruction by destroying God's holy temple from within, growing farther and farther away from God's holy embrace. feeling like a soul that has hit rock bottom, with no escape, as I pondered this about my life I asked,why did it have to end like this, within a split second I could see my death outside on a bus bench on a dark ,lonely night wondering where did I go wrong, I had all these hopes and dreams snatched away from me by my own disobedience towards God, I had pulled away from my creator thinking I could do what I wanted when I wanted, but that was not the case, even though I had pulled away from God's loving embrace, he never left me, for he was always watching and protecting me from me, and as I sat at that bus bench I. realized, I was ,truly a broken man ,broken in spirit , it was at that moment I realized I wasn't alone, with tears streaming down my face I SURRENDERED AS THE TEARS STEADILY CONTINUED TO FALL LIKE A BROKEN DAM , IN A SHAKEN VOICE, I BEGAN TO CALL ON THE LORD TO TAKE AWAY MY PAIN, CLEANSE MY SOUL AND TRANSFORM MY HEART AND HE DID, I HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED WASHED CLEAN. AND HAVE RECEIVED GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT REMEMBER MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHAT HE DID FOR ME HE HE CAN DO 4 YOU

Your question, Why is faith without works dead? To comprehend the significance of this scripture, revisit the text preceding verse 24. There are two key concepts you must grasp. First where and when does a person receive his faith that generates works? Secondly what are the works that come from having faith? Once a person accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they receive the Holy Spirit to reside within them. The Holy Spirit imparts the fruits of the Spirit to us, and one of those fruits is faith. This is true faith. God grants each of us a portion of his faith, as per his divine will. Roman 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” So true faith is given to us by God through his Holy Spirit. Many people believe in God and Jesus but have never personally received them. Their faith isn’t based on God’s revelation but rather an acknowledgment of their existence. The fruits of the Holy Spirit, given to all of God’s children, produce works. These are not works of the flesh, but rather works generated by and through the Holy Spirit. Verse 24 “You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

In 1907, an American woman could be born in the United States, live there her entire life, and lose her citizenship for one reason: she married the wrong man. The Expatriation Act of 1907 declared that an American woman who married a foreigner would take her husband's nationality. Her own birthplace, family history and attachment to the United States did not protect her. Marriage could legally transform an American-born woman into an alien. The rule did not apply equally to men. An American man's citizenship was not automatically surrendered because he married a foreign woman. The consequences could be severe. Some women discovered that regaining the citizenship they had possessed since birth meant going through naturalization procedures much like immigrants arriving in the country for the first time. The situation was particularly damaging for women who married men who were themselves legally barred from naturalization under America's racial restrictions. Congress finally began dismantling the system with the Cable Act of 1922. After its passage, most American women no longer automatically lost citizenship by marrying foreign men, although important discriminatory exceptions remained. Women who had already lost their citizenship were not simply given it back. In 1936, Congress created a simpler path for some women whose marriages had ended through death or divorce. It was not until 1940 that all women who had lost citizenship through marriage under the earlier law were permitted to seek repatriation regardless of whether they were still married. The history is an extraordinary reminder of how recently American law treated a married woman's national identity as something that could follow her husband's. She could be born American. Marriage could make her legally foreign.

Suicide Prevention In Early Recovery Addiction recovery can be a difficult and traumatizing experience for everyone involved. Unfortunately, it proves to be too difficult for many, as Psychology Today reports that one-third of all people who commit suicide are either under the influence of drugs or recovering from addiction. Suicide risk is exponentially higher during the delicate early stages of recovery, making suicide prevention a vital necessity. Article Contents Identifying Why People Commit Suicide In Early Recovery Every person has a different reason for considering suicide while in early recovery. These reasons may seem trite or silly to you, but they are very real to the person who feels them. The following influences are among the most common in people who either contemplate or commit suicide in early recovery: Hopelessness – Addiction often makes a person feel trapped and alone. In the early stages of recovery, those feelings are still going to be incredibly high. As a result, suicide can seem like a way out. Pains of withdrawal – In people withdrawing from opiates or alcohol, pain can be excruciating. Many people turn to suicide as a way to eliminate this pain. Intensity of cravings – Even after withdrawal, drug cravings can strike. The intensity of these cravings can drive a person to distraction, make them feel pain, or cause anxiety that may lead to suicide. Depression and guilt – After a person has committed to recovery and have obtained a clear mind, they may feel a sense of depression and guilt over their past behaviors. Those feelings may increase in severity and lead a person to suicide. Sudden mood swings – The lack of a mind- and body-altering substance in a person’s system can lead to wild mood swings that can push a person into a suicidal state of mind. Identifying these feelings are crucial to preventing suicide in early recovery

When Did We Stop Looking Out for One Another? Sometimes the biggest problems in a community don't begin with hatred. They begin with silence. We see something. We sense something. We know something isn't right. But too often we convince ourselves that it isn't our responsibility. Children need people who will listen. Seniors need people who will notice. Families need support before they reach the breaking point. And communities need more than people who simply live next to one another. We need people willing to care about what happens to one another. Change doesn't always begin with a law, organization, politician, or program. Sometimes change begins when one person decides, “I refuse to keep looking the other way.” Maybe rebuilding the village starts there. What is one thing you believe we have lost as a community that we desperately need to bring back? — PoeEtiq™ — The Street Prophet Hip-Hop National Media

When Did We Stop Looking Out for One Another? Sometimes the biggest problems in a community don't begin with hatred. They begin with silence. We see something. We sense something. We know something isn't right. But too often we convince ourselves that it isn't our responsibility. Children need people who will listen. Seniors need people who will notice. Families need support before they reach the breaking point. And communities need more than people who simply live next to one another. We need people willing to care about what happens to one another. Change doesn't always begin with a law, organization, politician, or program. Sometimes change begins when one person decides, “I refuse to keep looking the other way.” Maybe rebuilding the village starts there. What is one thing you believe we have lost as a community that we desperately need to bring back? — PoeEtiq™ — The Street Prophet Hip-Hop National Media