Category Archives: Jesus Christ

The Valentine’s Day Gift

Posted on by
Reply

Each time I was pregnant, I craved burgers. I devoured patty melts my first go around, Wendy’s double cheese burgers my second go around and White Castle burgers with my third pregnancy. While I had a great love affair with burgers, I declare I wouldn’t want my husband to try to woo me with a burger, even though this is what White Castle is encouraging.

Did you see this ad? While I commend the fast food chain for capitalizing on broke people who like sliders and people who just want to show their loved ones some love, I just don’t think White Castle is special enough to give as a Valentine’s Day gift. White Castle is something you crave in the moment, get in the drive through when you’re in a hurry, buy when you can’t afford something else or grab when you don’t feel like cooking. White Castle just doesn’t seem special enough for the special person in your life.

The more I thought about how I would feel if my husband took me to White Castle for a Valentine’s dinner, I thought about how God, our first love, feels when we give Him the spiritual equivalent of a White Castle dinner: When we only read our bible when the moment hits us, only say a couple of words to Him as we rush out the door, or go to Him when nothing else has worked or when there’s nothing else to do. While these are probably not the pattern for most of us, I’m sure we have been guilty of at least one of these at some point in our Christian walk. I know that I, trying to balance all that strong black women are expected to balance, have given God some White Castle love. Yes, we all have extenuating circumstances, like perhaps sickness and caring for a new baby, but when we constantly let life get in the way of our fellowship with the person who gave us life, we have to make some adjustments, including planning better so God gets our very best.

This Valentine’s Day I want you think about how you plan to upgrade your gifts to God. I’m not necessarily talking about giving more money to Kingdom work, though some of you may need to do that. If you’ve been giving Jesus White Castle burgers with your time and talent, I want you to figure out how to give Him filet mignon. I want you to give Him whatever your best is. And as you know, He is worth every ounce and then some.

Read what an exSuperwoman is doing with her gifts this Valentine’s Day at Confessions of an ExSuperwoman.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Be a World Changer

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Black History Month, a time of reflecting on the history and happenings in the black world that impacts the whole world. So I ask you today: What are you doing that will change the world? Being a world changer is your Christian heritage. The world referred to Jesus’ disciples as those “that have turned the world upside down.” I want the same to be said of us. Let this talk transcend the days in February and spill into everyday to change the days we see, for Christ and His Kingdom.

I’d love for you to comment on the blog about how you are changing or plan to change the world.

For a little inspiration, check out these sites:

Biography.com
ClassBrain.com

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Don’t Believe the Lies

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes we, who too often believe we are self-empowered strong black women, lose belief when OUR powers wane. We may begin to think we can’t do anything spectacular, impact a soul with the power of the Holy Ghost or change our mind even though we’ve tried dozens of times. We may not have peace in the midst of a storm. Perhaps we get here because we haven’t understood or really yet believed the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can change that.

    1. Pick preachers who follow this example: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
    2. Select scriptures that point you toward belief beyond salvation: Psalm 112:6-7, Matthew 5:16, Luke 10:19, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:13, 4:13, Hebrews 11:6.
    3. Find friends who will stand with you like Jonathan’s armor bearer: 1 Samuel 14:1-15
    4. Meditate more on these scriptures and other things like them: Philippians 4:4-9

You can do whatever God commands and be whoever He declares you are. Yes. Now please believe that.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Merry Christmas: Have Fun in Christ

Posted on by
1

Tomorrow I will look at a tree and see what’s meant so much to me for years: a heaping of hedonism. But that tomorrow will become my yesterday because of how I’ve labored with creating my greatest Christmas gift ever from God to me and from me to you: “The 39 Days of Christmas.” For three months I have been consumed with Christ, reflecting on His biblical presence before His physical presence on earth. And now this blog series is complete and wholly ready for you to use this Christmas or next or any other time that you need to remember that Jesus is the reason for Christmas and why we even exist. I have compiled the beginnings of each post here for you to sing to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”* You can also click select links to read posts from this series.

Have a Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy singing this and have fun in Jesus Christ.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).
On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a way to balance my dualities (Zechariah 9:9-10).
On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple (Haggai 2:9).
On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a look at His judgment and His peace (Zephaniah 1:2-7).
On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me feet like hinds’ feet (Habakkuk 3:19).
On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His peace in the midst of wrath (Nahum 1:2-8).
On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me greatness as a baby (Micah 5:2).
On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me an offer to repent after day three (Jonah 1:17 & 3).
On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three reasons to always believe Him (Obadiah 15-21).
On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gets the job done (Amos 9:11-15).
On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His word to sustain me (Acts 2:37-38).
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior who purchased me (Hosea 3).
On the 13th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of destroyed kingdoms (Daniel 2:34-35).
On the 14th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a picture of reigning reality (Ezekiel 21:27).
On the 15th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who will weep over me (Jeremiah 3:20-22).
On the 16th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a righteous, beyond super King (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
On the 17th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a face to change my reality (Isaiah 52:14).
On the 18th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a love that would ever be true (Song of Solomon 7:10).
On the 19th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the one shepherd who could guide me (Ecclesiastes 12:11).
On the 20th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, wisdom, the key to all life (Proverbs 8:35).
On the 21st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a chilling prophecy (Psalm 22:16 & 18).
On the 22nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who redeems from tragedy (Job 19:25).
On the 23rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gave up comfort for me (Esther 4:11).
On the 24th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the power to build anew (Nehemiah 2).
On the 25th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His faithfulness and restoration too (Ezra 10:10).
On the 26th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a temple for his honor and glory (2 Chronicles 2:1).
On the 27th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a word for those who feel defeated (1 Chronicles 4:1)
On the 28th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, hope, grace and life to settle me (2 Kings 4:3-7).
On the 29th day of Christmas my true love gave to me wisdom to help me daily (1 Kings 3).
On the 30th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a glimpse of eternity (2 Samuel 7).
On the 31st day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a prophet, priest and a king (1 Samuel 7).
On the 32nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior fit to redeem even me (Ruth 4-8-9).
On the 33rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a ruler as a savior and king (Judges 4:4).
On the 34th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a leader with the ultimate guarantee (Joshua 3).
On the 35th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a prophet sent to guide me (Deuteronomy 18:15).
On the 36th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise that he’d always be with me (Numbers 14:14).
On the 37th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a burnt offering for all of my sins (Leviticus 1:1-17).
On the 38th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a guide out of my slavery (Exodus 3:2-10).
On the 39th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise of Satan’s defeat (Genesis 3:15).

The difference with my “The 39 Days of Christmas” is that each day gives you a singular gift—Jesus Christ—so when you sing about the gifts from days 2-39 you announce the singular gift, i.e., On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple, a way to balance my dualities and a man to usher Him in.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Care-less Christians-The 1st Day of Christmas

Posted on by
Reply

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).

A sister told me she heard financial guru Dave Ramsey say this: “Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. They’re actually broke.” In this season a lot of us needed to hear that, like months ago. We skipped paying bills, maybe worked some overtime, borrowed some cash or charged our cards to the limit to buy our children Christmas toys so they wouldn’t feel left out, so we wouldn’t feel left out, so we could keep up with the Joneses. We forget that as Christians, we were never meant to fit in, to be like everyone else, and that includes how we operate during the Christmas season.

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.—Malachi 3:1

Here in Malachi God the Father tells of the role of John the Baptist as the herald of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew we see John in action and as a man who wasn’t trying to fit in and didn’t care a bit what people thought about him.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.—Matthew 3:1-8

  • John preached in an unconventional place.

    • He was in the wilderness, but those dry in spirit and wet with curiosity came to him.

  • John preached to unconvinced people.

    • He didn’t try to be like the religious leaders but challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees not to be hypocrites.

  • John wore unusual clothes.

    • Camel’s hair was different than the common clothes of linen, flax and wool.

  • John ate strange food.

    • I suppose that when you are in the wilderness, follow a Nazarite diet, and your main mission is to tell people about the coming of Jesus, insects and sweetener are prime food choices.

    John was a minimalist so he could focus on the maximum message of the coming of Christ. This is our message: to minimize things that gratify our flesh so we give fully to ministering the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came. He died. He rose again. He did it for all and will be with and in all who accept His sacrifice and receive Him as Savior and Lord. This is what we are to give at Christmas, caring less about what’s under the Joneses’ tree and more about who may not be in their hearts.

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith