When the Praise is Handcuffed

According to Jewish, Muslim and Christian traditions, the Prophet Jeremiah is the writer of the Book of Lamentations. 2 Chronicles 35:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: It is said that Jeremiah retired to a cavern outside the Damascus Gate and there he wrote this book. Lamentations describes the funeral of a city. Lamentations is a tearstained portrait of the once proud Jerusalem that is now reduced to rubble by the invading Babylonians. Lamentations is a 5 poem Dirge, Requiem, Lament, Eulogy, Cry, or Expression of Grief. It's Jeremiah exposing his emotions. In the face of death and destruction, with life seemingly coming apart, Jeremiah turns tragedy into a triumph of faith. But it doesn’t happen in this chapter.
In life; Every Chapter is not hunky-dory.
You don’t get Sunshine, in every chapter of life.
You don’t get Roses in every chapter.
You don’t have Friends and Well Wishers in every chapter.
You don’t have praise in every chapter……
You don’t even have Life in every chapter of Life.
Sometimes you have Rain, Storms, Thorns, Thistles, Enemies,
Sometimes you have Disappointments, Lamentations, even Death!
Sometimes your Praise is in handcuffs.
Handcuffs are metal devices that locks around a person's wrist,
And once handcuffed, a person is restrained from freedom,
Restrained from independence, from choice, self-sufficiency…
That's a problem for people of God, for worshippers, for me…
Praise is what I do when I want to be close to you,
I lift my hands in praise.
Praise is who I am; I will praise Him while I can.
I'll bless Him at all times.
Jerusalem is in Affliction,
Jerusalem is in Catastrophic times,
Jerusalem is in Handcuffs, and lonely.
There is No Visitation, Verse 1 - how lonely sits the city that was full of people, how like a widow is she. Who was great among the nations. She sits alone! She sits in Solitary. She sits in Solitude.
Like a widow. She is become a vassal, peasant, a slave!

There is No Consolation
Verse 2 She weeps bitterly in the night; Her tears are on her cheeks, Among all her lovers, she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her, Egypt, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon… (Jeremiah 27:3) They have become her enemies. Be careful who your friends are. Unworthy connections will afford no Consolation in times of trouble. Look at your Buddies list, Friends list, and the people that you are connected to… Look at them NOW!
There is No Relaxation
Verse 3 She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest……She's gone into captivity, gone into exile, Jeremiah 52:27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. Jeremiah teaches us to never despair, though our calamities are ever so many and grievous. He teaches that there is no assured safety, but in the fear of God. Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine, what a foretaste of Glory Divine,
There is Desolation
Desolation is unhappiness, sad, bleak, gloom, discontentment, Verse 4 The roads to Zion mourn because no one comes to the set feasts: All her gates are desolate; Her Priest sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. The table is spread, the invitation is extended, the Gates are open, But Desolation… Nobody shows… no calls…. No RSVPs…… As Zion went, As Jerusalem went; As Judah went, so goes life! A Song in the morning, Tears in the night, Joy in the morning, Pain in the night, Friends when you wake up, Enemies before bedtime, Cash flowing by day, Bankrupted by night, Clean Bill of Health by day, Fighting for your life by night, Praising at the dawn of day, Handcuffed at the dust of night.
There is Agitation
Verse 5 - Her adversaries are the master, her enemies prosper; When the rival rules…… when then enemies do well, When the challenger rules, when the villains do flourish, When the antagonist rules, when the saboteur succeeds, It's a sad feeling when you see your enemies prosper! Asaph said in Psalm 73:2 2my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Job got so upset in Job 21:7, he asked Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power? Your Praise may be Handcuffed this morning…… but I got a secret to tell you…… You can put this in your pipe and smoke it!! The Wicked may Prosper, thrive, do well, but its only for a Season. The Wicked never Prevail against the Godly,
The Wicked can only go as far as God giveth unto them to go, Job 1:11, Touch what he has. Job 1:12, Don’t touch him, his body. Job 2:5, Touch his bones, touch his flesh, Job 2:6, Don’t touch his life. Don’t let Praise Get Handcuffed,
Praise is Vindication,
Praise is proof that God is the source of my strength,
Praise is proof that the Holy Spirit moves in my soul,
Praise is proof that Jesus is my Savior
Praise is Justification,
In spite of what we're going through, we owe it to God,
Praise is Evidence that Jesus lives in me,
Praise is Evidence that He abides with me,
Praise is Evidence that I am not alone,
Praise is Liberation,
Praise is like Alka Seltzer, Flop Flop, Fiz, Fiz, oh what a relief……
There is a Relief in Praise,
And there is a Sweet Relief in knowing, The Lord will make away……
When you Praise God, there is Deliverance,
When you Praise God, there is liberty,
When you praise God, there is Release,
Praise is Expectation
I'm looking for a miracle, I expect the impossible, I feel the intangible, I see the invisible
Tell the Devil, Tell the Adversary, Tell the Enemy,
Handcuff me if you want to,
If I can't lift my hands,

If I can't lift my hands,

If I, can't lift my hands,

Lord....I'll lift my voice,

I'll lift my mind,

I'll lift my heart,

Great Time in Memphis

It was wonderful being home with my siblings. The greatest gift that one could ever have is the gift of family. That can be through blood or through the Holy Spirit...both are wonderful and equally as fulfilling in life! Loving and being loved is the best thing in life! Life is short.... Love your family! Appreciate the people whom the Lord has linked to you! Laughter is good for the soul as medicine to the body! This was a time of being home (MEMPHIS) when everyone was well, out of the hospital, off of sick-beds and seemingly just blessed of the Lord. I tell you its great when everyone is well.... My Brother was doing better than I had seen or heard about him doing in a long time.. He was able to make a couple of the family gatherings. My Grandmother is holding on as well as any 98 year old ever will or could... In the first few pictures are my sisters, Patricia in the Brown, Betty in the White, (Rochester has met her) Linda in the Red, my cousin Donney in the white jacket, (Rochester has met him) my nephew Kenny in the Brown and Red sweather, my niece Kim standing with my great nieces Kendra and Kennedy along with Donny again. In a different type picture is my sister Cookie , (Rochester has met) and Reverend Gregory Stokes who came by Moma's house to visit me.

Mount Olivet / Colgate Rochester Day

Pictured are some of the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinty School Doctorate of Ministries Students. As it turned out, we had a great day! It started at 9:00am with Bible Meditations on Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Jonah. Some thoughts about the text that none of us had considered were brought out by our most capable instructor, Dr. Mark Brummitt....We discussed the works of Walter Brueggeman in "Prophetic Imagination" and R.W.L. Moberly in "Prophecy and Discernment". Wow this was a rich day! What you're looking at is dinner after we saw "AVATAR" together and joined each other at "Stickylips" to discuss the "Prophetic" seen in the movie and of course to down some good "Memphis Style" BBQ.....Pictured above with me is the Reverend Kurt Clark who pastors the Sardis Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama...... Kurt will bring the morning message at Mount Olivet on Sunday, January 10th. Next to Kurt is the Reverend Irie Sessions, pastor of New Life Christian Church of Dallas, Texas who will do the Morning Prayer and Altar Call, and across from Irie is the Reverend Calvin Rideau, Sr, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church of Saluda, Virginia who will do the Responsive Reading for us! Not pictured is the Reverend Carolyn Lester of Aenon Baptist Church-Rochester who will do the Invocation on Sunday, January 10th at Mount Olivet Baptist Church. You want to be present and accounted for as the Doctorate of Ministries Students attend and worship with Mount Olivet Baptist Church! Sunday, January 10th 2010..

Draw Me Nearer Blessed Lord

As I was reading R.W.L. Moberly's book, "Prophecy and Discernment" I came across this and it and as I meditated upon these words tears fell from my eyes... I hope you will meditate upon this: Moses is to be so close to God that he is able to hear what god is saying - the assumption is that, with the possible exception of direct address of YHWH to Israel in the Ten Commandments, God does not (as it were) shout, so that PROXIMITY to God matters for hearing God. Where are you? How close to God are you? How far have you wandered from Him? If He is speaking to you right now, can you hear Him? I am Thine Oh Lord, I have heard your voice, And it told Thy love to thee..... But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to thee, Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the Cross where thou has died, Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side!

Back to Blogging 2010

Hello to all of my Blog Friends... I am so sorry for not being here as much as I was in the past. You just would not believe how consumed my time has become... Its like a "Wonderful Crazy" if there is such an animal. Yvonne and I talked last night as I fell into bed; as to how full both our schedules are as we have been with Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Rochester for such a short time! Yesterday I was in class (Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School) from 8:00am til 4:30pm. I may have gotten home about 5:00pm! Got some dinner, changed from heavy layered school clothes and big boots and heavy coats to you know..... one of those Church Black Suits, shirts, shoes and socks in time to get to a 5:00pm Wake in the Main Sanctuary, 5:30pm Ministers' Meeting, 6:00pm Diaconate Meeting, and quite a few side bars before the night ended for me at 8:30pm. I planned to Blog last night, but trust me...... by the time I left the office, went to Yvonne's Hair Care and Nail Salon to check on the progress of the plummers who were finishing up on a "Busted Pipe Job" I was just too tired when I got home! Thus, thank you for following me on my Blog and return frequently as I have returned to Blogging! I miss you just like you miss me! Aight... gotta get to a funeral at noon today, cemetary, back to class at 2:30pm, out at 4:30pm, library much of the night with classmates.... See yall!