#PassionWeek - #Monday - Rebel

This week, in honor of Jesus' last days on earth 2014 years ago, I've decided to study Jesus' walk and share my thoughts on what He said, did, and felt during what we call #PassionWeek. Below is the first installment.

Despite what conservative Christians might insinuate, Jesus was a rebel. Jesus didn't advocate maintaining the status quo, but rather He was about challenging the system and pointing out its hypocrisy, much like a Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, or a "community organizer" in modern-day times.

2014 years ago today, Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and drove folks out, referring to them as "thieves" (Matthew 21:12-13). My question: if Jesus came back today, how many people would He drive out of today's church for the same reason. Would you be one of them? #Monday #EasterIsComing

God bless,
J.W.

Jesus Walks (Part IV)

Today, some 2009 years ago, Jesus sat with His disciples at what’s now called the Last Supper and asked them to remember Him.

Instead, what he got was betrayal, denial, and abandonment.

But still Jesus chose to forgive, and as a result, His disciples would become the foundation of what the Christian church is today. It is become of them that we celebrate this week of Passion.

It just goes to show that Jesus offers the gift of forgiveness to any and every one, no matter how big or small the sin.

Have you accepted His gift today?

God bless,
J.W.

“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.” ~ Daniel 9:9

Jesus Walks (Part I)

The first in this week-long series on Jesus’ last days here on Earth.

The Sunday before Easter is the beginning of Passover, the Jewish holiday designed to commemorate the story in Exodus when God inflicted Egypt with ten plagues as punishment for Pharaoh’s refusal to free the Israelites, who were slaves in the Egyptian kingdom.

The Bible tells us that, on the first day of Passover, some 2009 years ago, as Jesus went into the city of Jerusalem, there was a multitude that “spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!’”

As we all know, just days later, many in this same multitude would cry out “crucify Him” as Jesus was being charged for blasphemy by the Pharisees and chief priests.

This just goes to show you that people will lift you up one day only to tear you down the next. That is why we must place our faith in God and God alone.

Man is weak, but God is strong.

Man changes, but God never changes.

As the old hymn says, “on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

God bless,
J.W.

Jesus Walks

As most of you know, this week is Passion Week, the week in which we commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Christian faith.

As such, in honor of this most sacred time in human history, I want to walk us through Jesus’ last days here on earth and glean any lessons learned that we might take away from His experience that our lives might be enriched because of His suffering.

After all, that is why He came – to die for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to.

Enjoy!

J.W.

Sneak Attack

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’" ~ Matthew 4:1-3

When did Satan tempt Jesus?

When He was about to enter a new season in His life and ministry.

When God blesses and elevates you, expect attack.

It’s Satan’s M.O.

God bless,
J.W.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLzDhOuzGY

Dreams

So, as you’ve probably noticed, the Journal’s been a little politically heavy over the past couple of days. I apologize for that, as sometimes, I get a little passionate about politics, particularly in this moment in history that we are in right now. But, I want to go in a lighter direction with the Journal today.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about my life and my accomplishments. I tell those close to me all the time that growing up, I never really saw my life past the age of 18. I never really had a vision for my life past high school graduation. Part of that was probably due to an underlying fear of growing up, of maturing, of getting older, and of gaining responsibility. But, I think it was partly God’s will as well.

Between age 18 and 24, I’ve done and learned a lot. I’m grateful for all my experiences, good and bad, because they’ve gotten me to where I am today. And as I watch the assent of who I believe is going to be the first Black President of the United States, so many new doors, new visions, and new directions have opened up for me. There’s so much that I want to do in life right now – things that I never dreamed of doing before. Right now, I’m preparing to take the GMAT so that I can go back to school and get my MBA. I’m doing greater things with my business. I’m entering new fields career-wise. Lately, I’ve even thought about possibly getting a second Master’s degree in political science to become a political analyst and strategist.

When we’re young, we have all these dreams. We want so many things out of life and are not afraid to declare it to the world. But somehow, over time, some new reality sets in that makes us believe that there are limitations to who we can become, where we can go, and what we can do.

But what would happen if we went back to the days when we had big dreams? What would happen if, as adults, we’d throw caution to the wind and really go after the things that we desire in life? I know you’ve got bills, and I know you’ve got stomachs to fill, and mouths to feed, but you also have a soul, and a heart, that needs to be fed.

So, feed your soul today. Do one thing today that moves you closer to your goals and your dreams. If you would just take one step every single day, before long you’d find yourself in position to receive your blessing and achieve your dreams. So start today and discover where God can take you, if you’d just believe.

God bless,
J.W.