Forsake Not The Fellowship

Pictured Above: me with Bishop Goodman and his lovely wife.
Today I have arrived at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church to celebrate the homegoing of Bishop Dan E. Goodman. He served here on earth as a student, a scientist, a teacher, a pastor, a father, a friend, and so much more; from the remarks I heard at his wake he served well in each role.

Wakes and funerals always make me a little sad until I remember my Uncle Ray who departed his earthly vessel some time ago. In reference to wakes, Uncle Ray said, "Niggas always doing stuff backwards. They want to come and have visitation with someone after he dies. The person been alive all this time and you never want to come see them..." It makes me smile a little. I'm glad to say my husband and I didn't do things bacwards when it came to Bishop Goodman. We had just visited with him less than a week before he passed.

Unfortunately, we can't say that about a list of family and friends far too long to count. At the beginning of this year, during our Family Vision Casting Session, we resolved to visit family and friends regularly. We want to put our friends and family on the schedule. We don't want to do things backwards.

Hebrews  10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre

"...pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up"

I am up a little early and a little upset. Without going into too much detail, some people who I thought should be there for me weren't....the thing I needed was so simple and no one tried to give it to me. But that seems to be the story of my life...anyway So in my frustration I was thinking..."do I really need people?" The world tells us we don't...but what does God say. The first scripture that came to mind for me was Ecclesiastes 4:10 "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"...

Pity the fool!

Those of you who know me, know that I love words so let's look at the word pity...pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress. So a man who doesn't have anyone to help him up is in misery or distress! (***1***I typed an entry from the international standard Bible encyclopedia below)

let's cuddle

Anyway Ecclesiastes goes on to say "Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" I don't think Solomon is only talking about body heat...but let's talk about keeping warm. I like to cuddle...(lol, let's just throw that out there, but stay on track guys). Hugging a pillow, or even a blanket isn't the same as cuddling with another warm body. You get warmer faster. We generate something more by being close to others. Whenever I work in a group I feel something special...the work seems to go faster, and most times it doesn't even seem like work...we churn up love, loyalty, energy...we spark new ideas, it's magic. And no matter who holds on the tightest everyone is putting in equal parts to get things heated...lol. IDK...I could be off track but that's how I see it.

looking out for who?

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." When two or more people commit to one another, , we have greater protection. People tend not to bother groups. We see this in school...the bully picks on the nerd (for lack of a better term) who sticks to himself, not the clique....

I don't know...the bottom line guys is that technically, all we need is God, but, God works through the body of Christ to build up and strengthen us....he sent the disciples in twos...he said that it is not good for man to be alone and gave Adam his Eve...working and being with others builds us...it builds us even when it tears us down...so I guess I do need people (which I knew...but just needed some comfort and confirmation)....***shrug***

***1***"Pity," probably contracted from "piety," is tender feeling for others in misery or distress. It is allied to compassion, but differs in respect of the object that causes the distress. The feeling of pity is excited chiefly by the weakness, miserable or degraded condition of the object; compassion by his uncontrollable and inevitable misfortunes

You Dirty Tax Collector!!!!

Something very silly, that I won't mention has be conflicted. Those of you, who know me, know that I have the tendency to get inside my head and over think things....lol...but I'm thinking maybe if I get this out it will be better.

Now the Bible says in Luke 17:3-5 "So be careful how you live. If your brother offends you, take him to task about it, and if he is sorry, forgive him. Yes, if he wrongs you seven times in one day and turns to you and says, 'I am sorry' seven times, you must forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, 'give us more faith.'"

The definition of offend is: to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause resentful displeasure in…The KJ version says "trespass"…which means to miss the mark. So I'm guessing in relationships there are expectations (a bulls eye, so-to-speak) and when we become irritated, annoyed, or angered a mark has been missed. This is just my thinking (if you disagree that's fine)…So when this happens you are supposed to talk to that friend about it. I tend to tell myself that even when someone upsets me, it's not that big of a deal and I can just get over it. But here in the Bible it doesn't say get over it…it says talk to your friend about it! And the Bible doesn't say if your friend immensely offends you….so like "sin" against God, sin against one another is not categorized. A sin is a sin, is a sin…Now once you talk to your friend your friend can choose to apologize…and at the point you forgive the person. If you "get over it" and don't talk about the offense, are you robbing your friend of the forgiveness the word says we all deserve? Or is it water under the bridge, and gone forever? IDK And what happens if your friend does not repent? Well let's go back to the word…

Matthew 18:11-14 "If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

So at this point you take a couple of people with you…this part always confused me, but it's based on the Old Testament.

Deut 19:15." One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

In other words you bring in a neutral party…finally it says tell the church. Here church refers not to the entire church of Jesus, but to the local congregation. In the end it says if he refuses to listen then treat him like a Gentile or tax collector. Back in the day, Jewish people avoided the company of Gentiles and tax collectors.

To be honest in many of my relationships I skipped the first couple of steps and unintentionally moved my friends into the "tax collector" category! Sometimes I just complete one step but my words come out wrong. You know how that is…things are said in the heat of the moment…and thought the words may be true they aren't said in a receptive way…. Colossians 4:6 says Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Today I'm resolving to take the Bible steps of conflict resolution! And I want to encourage you to do the same thing, because it is a big deal and you never really get over it if you don't 'deal with it.

So I guess that silly thing that I won't mention isn't so silly and needs to be mentioned! If I start mentioning things to you my friend, I'm just doin what my Daddy said to do…J

You Dirty Tax Collector

Something very silly, that I won't mention has be conflicted. Those of you, who know me, know that I have the tendency to get inside my head and over think things....lol...but I'm thinking maybe if I get this out it will be better.

Now the Bible says in Luke 17:3-5 "So be careful how you live. If your brother offends you, take him to task about it, and if he is sorry, forgive him. Yes, if he wrongs you seven times in one day and turns to you and says, 'I am sorry' seven times, you must forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, 'give us more faith.'"

The definition of offend is: to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause resentful displeasure in…The KJ version says "trespass"…which means to miss the mark. So I'm guessing in relationships there are expectations (a bulls eye, so-to-speak) and when we become irritated, annoyed, or angered a mark has been missed. This is just my thinking (if you disagree that's fine)…So when this happens you are supposed to talk to that friend about it. I tend to tell myself that even when someone upsets me, it's not that big of a deal and I can just get over it. But here in the Bible it doesn't say get over it…it says talk to your friend about it! And the Bible doesn't say if your friend immensely offends you….so like "sin" against God, sin against one another is not categorized. A sin is a sin, is a sin…Now once you talk to your friend your friend can choose to apologize…and at the point you forgive the person. If you "get over it" and don't talk about the offense, are you robbing your friend of the forgiveness the word says we all deserve? Or is it water under the bridge, and gone forever? IDK And what happens if your friend does not repent? Well let's go back to the word…

Matthew 18:11-14 "If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

So at this point you take a couple of people with you…this part always confused me, but it's based on the Old Testament.

Deut 19:15." One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

In other words you bring in a neutral party…finally it says tell the church. Here church refers not to the entire church of Jesus, but to the local congregation. In the end it says if he refuses to listen then treat him like a Gentile or tax collector. Back in the day, Jewish people avoided the company of Gentiles and tax collectors.

To be honest in many of my relationships I skipped the first couple of steps and unintentionally moved my friends into the "tax collector" category! Sometimes I just complete one step but my words come out wrong. You know how that is…things are said in the heat of the moment…and thought the words may be true they aren't said in a receptive way…. Colossians 4:6 says Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Today I'm resolving to take the Bible steps of conflict resolution! And I want to encourage you to do the same thing, because it is a big deal and you never really get over it if you don't 'deal with it.

So I guess that silly thing that I won't mention isn't so silly and needs to be mentioned! If I start mentioning things to you my friend, I'm just doin what my Daddy said to do