Get Yo Mind Right...Change Your Thinking
In order to survive in this day and age it's going to be important to understand that the guard has changed and that there is a whole new way of doing things! A whole new way of living! In order for you to understand the new thing that God is ushering forth, you have to first remember that it's not all about you! Secondly, you have to keep an open mind and not box things in to the way God moved in the 1960's. God is moving in a greater way than He moved back then but most of us can't receive it because we won't change our paradigm!
It's amazing as I talk to young people across this country, their biggest gripe with the old guard is that they feel rejected or ostracized for dressing the way they dress, or for talking the way they talk, etc. And the old guard's biggest gripe is that things "aren't the way they used to be!" Well, let me help everybody out with one thing right here and now...THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AS THEY WERE BACK IN "YOUR DAY!" So get that out of your system right now! :)
We have to do a better job in understanding the hip hop culture people! It's not satanic like some preachers would want to pontificate. It's no different than living in another country. In order to survive, you'd have to study the culture and understand why they do the things they do. This important aspect is never really achieved because most leaders have a fear of reaching forth into the "unknown." For lack of a better word, I'll say "X."
Looking at the letter, "X" you can draw one of two conclusions but it all depends on how you read it. X does represent an unknown equation, for those of you who remember taking algebra when in school. There were no limits to what X could stand for and the object was to discover what IT was. The culture of today took X a few years back and placed it on t-shirts because it represented not only Malcolm X but it represented a generation that lacked identity. It was during this time that the church, instead of addressing an issue that the community and nation were talking about, the church continued to have church. The church, instead of reclaiming the youth, pushed them further away.
This was the time for the church to look at X as not just a misnomer that filled space because of lack of identity but this was the defining moment for the church to stand up and look at X as being the space marker on a map. Some of you may understand what I'm saying but in II Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 7a, the King James version reads like this, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels," I don't know how you read the X but I don't read the X as representing the lost generation but I read the X as the marker for where the hidden treasure lies in waiting. Yes, we have a generation that is lost but that's because very few of the saints of the most high God are willing to come out of hiding to tell them who they are. Very few of the saints are willing to change their paradigm of what the church should look like because they want to stay in yesterday, but they don't see that they forfeit a "great" tomorrow by refusing to reach out to the next generation.
If I could get some folks to stand with me and stop fighting me then we could turn this "mutha" out! There is more than one way to reach our youth! WE could be exactly what God ordained us to be...Bridge builders for a better tomorrow learning from one another. But first you have to get ya mind right and realize that it's not going to be comfortable and it's going to cost you everything you got to save the lost!
So, get ya mind right!
Now that's straight up talk
posted by Pastor Rich at 7:30 AM
8 Comments:
All I can say is I got yo back partna! This is exactly what needs to be said! Dang these blogs have been off the hook for the past few weeks. Pastor Rich, quite honestly, I don't know if someone pissed you off or if something real dramatic or traumatic took place with one of your kids but these blogs have been unlike anything you've written up til now. These have touched me personally and have caused me to see what I can do to reach the next generation. All I've been doing is sitting on my butt but you've provoked me to get up and stop waiting for everybody else to do the work. There is work that I can do to help alleviate some of the disparity! Keep it up Pastor Rich, if nobody has told you, you're doing a great job!
Jermain
WOW, THIS ONE SHOULD BLOW EVERYONE OUT THE WATER. AGAIN, WOW! THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST ONES WRITTEN YOU HAD SEVERAL GREAT POINTS ON THIS AND WE DO NEED TO REALIZE OUR PAST MAY SHAPE OUR FUTURE BUT THE FUTURE IS NOT THE PAST. IN SHORT WHAT WAS IS NOT ANYMORE AND WHAT WILL BE WE DO NOT KNOW. PROGRESS IS NOT POSSIBLE W/OUT CHANGE. WE NEED CHANGE AND THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPEN W/THE HIP-HOP CULTURE. I ALSO AGREE IT'S NOT DEMONIC OR THE DEVILS WORK NOT ALL HIP-HOP THAT IS. HIP-HOP MUSIC IS THE SAME AS THE 50'S. NOW I KNOW MANY OF YOU MAY SAY HOW IS THAT. WELL IT'S THE SAME BECAUSE THEY AT THAT TIME SPOKE LYRICS FOR WAHT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME. HIP-HOP DOES THE SAME THING THEY SPEAK OF THE THINGS TAKING PLACE IN SOCIETY TODAY. PASTOR RICH GREAT BLOG I APPRECIATE THE WORD FOR TODAY.
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It's all a matter of how you perceive things...for instance, Wherever "X" or ten is found in the Bible - completeness of order is also seen. The roman numeral, X stands for Ten and Ten implies completeness of order, nothing lacking and nothing over. It signifies that the cycle is complete and that everything is in its proper order. So, ten represents the perfection of divine order. You see, itt's all a matter of how you read or perceive it, but in order to do that you gotta change your thinking!
I agree with you to a certain extent. Things are different than in the 60's and we do have to relate to the youth differently than in the 60's. But one thing never changes and that's God's Word and God's standard for Christian living.
This is a response to the last blogger who said that they agreed with me to an EXTENT!
My question is this...what is the standard for Christian living? God's standard is not in question, it's the standards that man has set that the youth are at odds about! Man made standards are hurting our youth more than they are helping. What we have to do is keep an open mind and instead of turn away, we have to embrace each other, IN LOVE.
Relating to youth has nothing to do with compromising or dropping standards. But it has everything to do with love because the WORD of God says, "with loving kindness have I drawn thee." Where's the love? All I see and hear are opinions of what the standards are because very little of it is based on the word of God! Enough said!
I too have to add my two cents on this one because we always say that God's standard for Christian living can't be compromised but never go further to say what the standard is? Jesus, when you look at the bible, went into the disciples lives and ministered one on one. Jesus went into places that the "Jewish" establishment deemed risky! He was always doing things against the norm and what did they do? Crucified Him! So, I understand your heart for youth Pastor Rich and please know that you make a lot of people uncomfortable by the stances you take. It's not you, it's really them, and what's going on in their mind because you have a way of putting things on the table that have to be addressed but to do so causes great discomfort! The standard that people pontificate in the church is RELATIONSHIP! I'm in relationship with my wife and there is a trust between the two of us. She doesn't have to speak but I know what she's thinking. I know her because I've spent time with her. I talk to her throughout the day because I love her and she's my lover and my friend. Most people don't know the Lord like that. They check in on Sunday and check out two hours later. Pastor Rich, by the things you write and the passion behind the words, I deem you to be sincere and I want to encourage you to keep going. God is going to take you places because you've died to yourself! And I ain't talking about across the city that you reside in. The nations are going to know your name and this world will be a better place, as a matter of fact, it already is. You are blessed and I know the youth that you work with are blessed to have you at the church. Your time is coming son! Believe me when I tell you that. You have eyes watching you and mentioning your name in back rooms across this country! You'll see what I'm talking about in the next few...Keep raising the standard!
PM
I'm so tired of hearing the old guard utter words against the new guard and then hide behind "christian standards" If the truth be told, the old guard has propigated a gang system down through the years and the gangs are called, Methodist, Baptist, Apostolic, Church of God in Christ, Lutheran, Episcopal, Catholic, etc. God's standards for christian living have NOTHING to do with the division that is uttered forth from denomination to denomination. To the youth, this is nothing but a charade. We'd rather be in a church with NO ties to denominational structure other than for when the Bishop needs his monthly assessment or some mess like that! Oh well, we've got to do a better job in getting people to see the scheme of the enemy. It's nothing new, he's been doing this for years and we continue to miss the forest for the trees!
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