As we begin Holy Week culminating in Easter a week from today, I just want to focus on Ecclesiastes 12:14….This is the meaning of life….Nothing more and nothing less…

“Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Below are some of my favorite praise and worship songs that inspire me to fear God and keep His commandments…

1. Israel & New Breed….”Alpha & Omega”

2. Kirk Franklin…”Hosanna”

3. Richard Smallwood…”Total Praise”

As I go through this week, I plan to focus on how I can fear God and keep His commandments…How about you?

Any thoughts?

The post The Whole Duty of Man… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

I don’t know about you but December always seems to fly by…Between making Christmas lists, shopping with the masses, sending out Christmas greetings via e-mail or snail mail, going to Christmas parties and other events, preparing for the New Year and regular life stuff, it seems there is never enough time to do it all and so I almost look forward to January when life is back to its regular pace…

And if you noticed, I haven’t mentioned Jesus at all…That is because with all I have to or want to do, I can forget that the birth of Jesus, God’s precious gift to mankind, is the real reason for the season…And so to prepare my heart for this season and hopefully help you prepare your heart for this season too, I have decided to list seven scriptures that take the focus off of the worldly expressions of the Christmas season and help us to focus on Jesus…

1.  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 I just love that Immanuel means “God with us.”  Jesus was born so that God could be with us…Remember that the next time you feel alone because you are not…God is with us!

2. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Look how much we are loved by God! He sacrificed His one and only Son! What have we sacrificed for God lately? Something to remember and act on at this time of the year…

3. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 Every time I see Christmas lights, I’m going to remember that God is the father of heavenly lights and that every good and perfect gift is from Him…I’m feeling better about the Christmas season already…

4. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 Although we will never be free of sin this side of Heaven, we can still accept God’s gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ who helps us not to sin…

5. “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” 1 Peter 3:15 At some point during this Christmas season, we have to know that everyone around us does not know the real reason for the season…I hope I’m ready when the opportunity arises for me to tell somebody about my Lord and Savior…

6. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4…Do  you want the desires of your heart? Of course Then we have to delight ourselves in the Lord and His purposes…Now, this does not mean that we send up a list of what we want and then He delivers gifts like He is some Santa Claus in the sky…No, this verse means that mysteriously when we align ourselves with the Lord, His desires for us become our desires…and then we get the desires of our heart because they are His desires for us too…

7. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14…This time of the year especially I have to make every effort to give glory to God and live at peace with others…I wish those in government would remember that…

What helps you remember the real reason for the season? “Happy Birthday Jesus” by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir also reminds me that Jesus is the real reason for the season…

Any thoughts?

The post Seven Scriptures to Remind Us that Jesus is the Real Reason for the Season… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!! As you know, tomorrow is the day that we Americans have set aside to give thanks for our many blessings!!!

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; Give thanks to Him and praise His name!”

Psalm 100: 4-5

My dad, Dr. Holness, preached on Psalm 100 on Sunday. (Yes dad, I was listening! ) I don’t know about you but I am prone to having pity parties every now and then. Usually these parties are prompted by my comparing my insides to someone else’s outsides – it never works! But what does work – what helps me regain my equilibrium – is writing a gratitude list! So in this post, I will simply list 101 things I’m thankful for this year. Why 101? Why not? …101 just sounds better than 100 to me anyway.

1. For my Lord and Savior, who is none other than Jesus Christ – my best friend. If you see my mouth moving in car, sometimes I am singing along with a song and sometimes, I am talking with Him!

2. For my Mom and Dad. They have taught me to be a person of character even when it is unpopular. (I am trying to be as service-oriented as they are, but I’ve got a ways to go.)

3. For my brothers D and D. They have brought a lot of joy and pain to my life..as Frankie Beverly so sweetly croons, they are “one in the same.”

4. For my niece and nephew. My 7-year-old nephew’s mischievousness is both maddening and hilarious at the same time! My baby niece is just learning to walk. The wonder of it…

5. My church in the SWATS. I’ve been attending there since I was 6 years old, and I always feel safe when I walk in it’s doors.

6. My church family. You’ve watched me grow up and you still love me!

7. My girl J, who freely opened up her home in North Carolina to me.

8. My health. According to my doctor, the only thing wrong with me, at least physically, is that I have low iron. That’s a blessing for sure!

9. All my girls (you know who you are) who help me navigate this single life.

10. My job! No more needs to be said!

11. My Bible Study class led by our fearless and mouthy Bible warrior!

12. My blog. I love it!

13. My girl Tess, who designed this blog.

14. The cruise I went on in October! Wish I were in the islands now…it’s so cold!!!

15. Turning 35…I still look good!

16. For my home. I can afford it!

17. For my car. I can afford it!

18. For my spiritual community. Y’all have taught me more than I can say…

19. For Barack and Michelle…

20. For this year’s election process, it was heady in every way…I think I have a crush on Anderson Cooper!

21. Black talk radio – it gets me through the day!

22. My cherry red locks…I think they are pretty.

23. All of my extended family, particularly my aunt, who I run with from time to time

25. The Internet – You are never far from me

26. RH, my friend who came in at the last minute and designed my church’s Homecoming Service magazine, to my mother’s delight! You saved us!

27. For Beyonce and Jay-Z, who show me that being “equally yoked” is entirely possible. Can y’all say, “mo money, mo money mo money?”

28. For QT – love those taquitos!

29. For U, who doesn’t mind crying with me every now then! Love you girl

30. For my freelance writing opportunities…

31. Books. I couldn’t live without them.

32. My mechanic- See my post on Joe, the mechanic!

33. My girl Renee’s wedding – Your were lovely in your wedding dress! And I hope I get a ring like yours one day. Ballin’!!!

34. “The Young and the Restless.” One of my favorite shows since I was six years old!

35. My girl C, who doesn’t think I’m weird when I tell her about my spiritual dreams and nudgings…

36. My neighbor’s little son who says, “Hello Miss Jackie,” when I get home from work nearly every day at least when it’s warm outside. At least someone is glad to see me come home…

37. My laugh. Thankfully, God has gifted me with the ability to find humor in most things!

38. The A, shawty. For all of its ups and downs, it is still my city!

39. Idris Elba. How fine is he?

40. Chastain Park – Jill Scott turned it out there this summer.

41. My mentor, Ms. B. Your relationship with God is inspiring!

42. For A aka SD, I didn’t feel so alone the other day because of you! You are a true friend!

43. For all the support I have received on this blog. Y’all encourage me to keep expressing myself!

44. My classes at L.A. Fitness. I feel like I’m a video dancer when I’m teaching. No matter what anyone says it is a not-so-secret dream of mine to be a dancer in a video. Am I the only one that LOVES the video for “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)?”

45. My bank account…touch (go head and touch the computer screen) and agree with me that it will get bigger in 2009, but of course, I’m thankful for how God has already blessed me because y’all know in this economy, it could be much worse!

46. Candles…they make me feel like I’m having a romantic evening when I am dating no one

47. My other mentor, also a Ms. B, who is the real “straight talk express!”

48. My journals…you lead me back to my best self and remind me of how God really does love me…

49. Romance – although you have left my life at the moment, I sense that you will be back in 2009!

50. Life itself – ever an adventure…

Yeah, I know I’ve only reached 50, but I can’t write anymore…

What are you thankful for?

Any thoughts!

The post 101 Reasons To Be Thankful in 2008 appeared first on After the Altar Call.