My Thoughts About the Vice Presidental Debate

Harris is poised, polished and professional. She's competent, confident,  and a great communicator. It was obvious she was toeing a line. She didnt want to come across and be seen as an angry black woman. This is my life every day in a building with mostly white men. There are only three people onsite who "outrank" me. It's a delicate balance which requires prayer and wisdom. And quite frankly, sometimes its tiring 😔. 

Her smile was feigned- intended to make her look softer. She looked as if she'd stepped in whatever the fly smelled. I have this issue as well. My face always tells the story. It needs deliverance. 😅 Been this way since I was a baby. Wanna know what I'm thinking. Check out my face. No poker face over here.

Harris didn't really get at Pence like she really COULD have and WANTED to. It was painful for her to hold back. I bet you some of the things she wrote on that paper is what she REALLY wanted to say. I've been there. Done that too. Don't nothing nice be on that paper!😅. She went in not wanting to do any harm by alienating the 5% of the voters who can be swayed by a debate. 

Harris either intentionally let Pence  slide or simply missed a few opportunities to go for the jugular. Perhaps she didn't want to seem too aggresive. She was careful and measured- politically correct. The filter was VERY obvious. A large number of the American electorate doesn't respect intentionally changing one's approach not to offend. It comes across as insincerity. Right now there's a huge deal of respect for just being who you are - good, bad or ugly. Americans value those who seemingly shoot straight from the hip and heart- straight up, no chaser. 

Pence didn't answer most questions. Yet, he stirred up his base. He hit the buzz words and hot issues.  He missed no opportunity to say what his supporters wanted to hear- even if it meant he wouldn't have time to actually answer the questions. He did EXACTLY what he needed to do for this debate. He may have even picked up some of the 5% who can be swayed by seeming to be  kind, compassionate, gracious, and thoughtful. 

Don't shoot the messenger.

Prayer Against the Coronavirus

Father, I come before You to renounce and repent for my generational line and myself for all of us who have opened the door to the Coronavirus and/or any other viral epidemic or pandemic through fear.  Lord, I acknowledge Your truth that:

Your perfect love casts out all fear, but there have been times when we have not trusted in that love. Your sacrifice on the cross is sufficient for our healing. You have told us to not be afraid because You are with us. Satan’s agenda is to create fear in order to cause destruction and pre-empt Your righteous agenda to establish Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 

Lord Jesus, please cause Your blood to encapsulate every cell in my body on the physical, soul and spirit levels. Please set a watch. Guard every vulnerable opening into my body, soul, and spirit, reaching all the way down to the cellular and subcellular levels. Cause my nasal, oral, and ocular openings to be hostile to the coronavirus presence, such that every virion would die in those openings before it can enter my body. 

Cause any coronavirus that has entered my body to be rejected by my body. Cause my cells to be hostile toward infection, such that all cell receptors bar acceptance, reception, and subsequent infection. Block the receptors on my cells so that the coronavirus cannot recognize where to latch on. 

In the name of Jesus and by the power of His blood, I forbid the virus from landing on any cell receptor and the viral membranes from fusing with my cell membranes.

I ask that you, Lord, would dissolve the spikes that make up the crown of the virus, which is necessary for infection as it attempts to enter my body system.  Please de-crown the coronavirus on entry into my body system and activate my immunity to remove its remnants.

Lord, please cause my immune system to recognize the coronavirus and not be fooled by any viral mechanism that shields the virus from detection.

I forbid the ribosomes in my cells from replicating and/or translating coronavirus RNA.

I thank You, Lord Jesus, for your everlasting protection and love. I speak life and health to my body, soul, and spirit, and I claim Your promise that:

You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side,  ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

I also declare healing to every physical and spiritual area over which God has given me authority; I declare that the coronavirus will cease and desist, for it must submit to the blood of Jesus.

Lord, please heal and protect me and all in my family line from the effects of all strains of coronavirus, including COVID-19.

[1] 1 John 4:18

[2] 1 Peter 2:24

[3] Isaiah 41:10

[4] 1 Peter 5:8

[5] Matthew 6:10

[6] Psalm 91

Source: Aslan Place Ministries.

Know them by Their Fruit

Know them who labor among you. How? By their fruit. Not their works, degrees or spiritual pedigree. 

Why not works? The gifts and calling are without repentance. One can perform works through their gifts and not have an intimate relationship with God. 

Why not degrees? Degrees are not an indicator that one is walking closely with the Lord. In fact, when I earned my doctorate in 2008 I spent a lot less time in fellowship with God than I do now. Why? I simply didn't have the time. There weren't enough hours in the day. 

Degrees don't give you the juice (anointing and grace to bear fruit) . When I was in seminary I saw adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy drunkenness (regularly smelled marijuana in one particular building), and  revelries ON CAMPUS. 

Meanwhile I know some folk who may not always get their subject-verb agreement right but know how to get heaven and earth to agree through prayer. 

I'm not saying one cannot be educated and oily (anointed). I know some REALLY oily professionals- lawyers, doctors (of letters and medicine), publishers, public administrators, etc. What I'm saying is education or lack of should not be a yard stick for assessing the grace of God on a ministers life. 

Why not by their spiritual pedigree? Just because their mentor or spiritual authority/father/mother has the juice doesn't mean they have it also. Many ministers are ordaining people to simply build a network. They're not pouring into or mentoring those they ordain. Or they're only pouring into a select few (sometimes those who make largest financial contributions). They're dead beat dads or moms. They have many so-called sons and daughters but aren't fulfilling motherly/fatherly duties. 

Why by their fruit? Intimate fellowship with God gives us grace- divine enablement, to bear fruit. Fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, and self control are born out of intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Those who bear this fruit re-present God in the earth realm and are recognized in the realm of the spirit as God's ambassadors. These are the sent ones who show up in the character and nature of God.

Lord Breathe on Me!

Lord breathe on me. Blow on the embers. Rekindle the FIRE.  Holy Ghost Fire burn in me!  Baptize me afresh with your FIRE. 🔥🔥🔥Burn in my mind. Burn in my heart. Burn in my hands. Burn in my feet. Burn!! Burn away what's not like you. Set me ablaze for your glory. Awaken gifts! Let your fire be a catalyst to catapult me out of any form of stagnancy and complacency. Let my life cause others to turn aside, take notice of You , and answer Your call to surrender their lives!

https://youtu.be/1VBnnghI2AM

Heal Our Land

Shedding innocent blood is an abomination. God judges abominations. When innocent blood is shed it speaks and cries out for justice and recompense. Shedding innocent blood brings curses and judgments upon the land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us what is required for the land to be healed and released from these curses and judgements. In the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) it says "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

As we pray for our nation, ask forgiveness, repent on behalf of the nation, its founders, and leaders. Ask God to raise up godly leaders who will govern according to God's principles and precepts. Ask God to give us godly leaders who will enact laws, policies and practices which honor God. 

Appropriate the blood of Jesus which speaks better things on behalf of the nation. Present the blood of Jesus as a plea in the courts of heaven. Pray that the blood of Jesus will silence the accusations of innocent blood shed that the accuser of brethren is presenting in the courts of heaven against our nation.

Thess accusations include:

1. The blood of Native Americans who were intentionally infected with smallpox and killed in unjust wars cries out.

2. The blood of enslaved Africans who were slaughtered cries out. 

3. The blood of the unborn who reached an age of viability and were aborted when there was no medical need to do so cries out. 

4. The blood of those executed through capital punishment in unfair and unjust manners cries out. 

5. The blood of those who die at the hands of police officers who become judges, juries and executioners on the streets of our nation cries out.

Days of Fire

Images of riot fires in major cities around the county are not what any of us had in mind for Pentecost Weekend. The fires set by protestors responding in anger and frustration to George Floyd's death gives  the term "Days of Fire" a new meaning. I believe the timing isn't by happenstance.

Revival and fresh fire in the church will come when we REPENT for the sins which are at the root of the fruit of hatred, anger, violence, murder, lawlessness, etc. we're seeing. Those same roots bear fruit of strife and  disunity in the Body of Christ. The disunity in the Church fuels and legalizes in the spirit realm  disunity in  society at large. I've been praying about and lamenting about the disunity in the Body for a few years now. It breaks God's heart! 

We must see ourselves as children of God first and foremost- not white or black, not Democrat or Republican- but children of God. OT prophets primarily preached against idolatry, sexual immorality, shedding of innocent blood, mistreatment of the disenfranchised and marginalized, oppression and injustice. In the Body even God's mouthpieces- the prophets, feel like they must choose a side or camp which only addresses 2 or 3 of these things. Why? Parts of the message are seen as the message of the Black Liberation Theology Movement. Other parts are seen as the message of the White Evangelical Movement. No one seems to care that ALL of these things are central to the message of the RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE of God. 

Where are those who will cry aloud and spare not for the God Movement? 

The Idolatry of Political Ideology in America

Christians have made idols of political ideology. We blindly follow partisan politics without speaking Truth to power. God will judge God's house for this if WE don't REPENT! 

Where are Christian republicans who abhor "isms," injustice, and the mistreatment of the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised? The OT Prophets warned God's chosen people about this time and time again. The Israelites were severely judged for these abominations. These things are overlooked today because those who hold power, wealth and influence have shaped the mental lenses through which we read and interpret scripture. 

Where are Christian democrats who abhor abortion of the unborn who have reached the age of viability? If there's no medical necessity to perform these procedures is this not the shedding of innocent blood? Where are Christian democrats who abhor the perversion of the institution of MARRIAGE  which is a HOLY institution created by a HOLY God even before there was the institution of religion? I'm not speaking of civil unions or equal protection under the law  for we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's. I'm speaking of the use of the term MARRIAGE to describe relationships which don't align with the definition established through the principle of first use in ancient sacred and historical texts.

We're facing unprecedented challenges on many fronts in our society. Republicans are not solution bearers. Democrats are not solution bearers. The children of God who show up in the character and nature of the Creator are solution bearers.  So I encourage you to bow before God and not your idols of political ideology as you seek guidance, revelation, and insight on how to cast your vote in the upcoming elections. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the CHILDREN OF GOD- not republicans or democrats!