In a Instance, It Was Gone

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up that morning like any other, walked out to my car only to see my seats flipped forward, and my back window busted out. My sound system was gone; stolen; not to be had any more and I was upset to say the least.  Did I mention that I was upset? That is probably putting it mildly.

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Let's rewind back to when I was in high school.  This was my 1987 Ford Escort with 5-Star rims on it and it was rightly named, "Da 'Scort". I worked as a teenager and so I paid for the car, but I was also interested in car sound systems. My interests were triggered by my cousins who had systems as well.

Over time, I managed to build quite the system.  I had two 12" Sub woofers taking up the entire trunk, nice mid-range speakers in the doors, a 12-Disc CD changer, two amplifiers (one under each seat), and a Pioneer radio with a removable face and alarm. Yes, all of that was inside an Escort and on the surface you couldn't even tell. However, when it turned on my parents would say they could hear me coming into the neighborhood.  It would rattle windows if I was close by. It was loud and it was my baby. To top it all off, I did all the installation work myself, so there was much pride in what I had.

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Da 'Scort

That summer I was in summer school at NC State and that night I came home blasting my music like normal and went in the house. Out of all nights, I forgot to take the face off my radio, which if the face wasn't put on the radio in 10 seconds the alarm (horn) would go off.

So, when I walked to the car and saw what happened, my heart dropped. The only thing that they left for me were the speakers in the doors, but that was only because they were behind the factory covers. There was anger, sadness, disbelief, and so many emotions running through my head. I had felt so violated. Something that I had worked so hard to create over years was gone in just an overnight nap. So, for a long time, I drove around in silence with wires hanging out of my dashboard where a radio used to be, which was a constant reminder of what had happened that summer.

So, why the pain? Why the heartache? Why did I feel like I had lost everything? The reasoning was because of how I treated my car and my sound system.  It was my treasure on earth and like a king with riches, it was my vault that held all my valuables.  In Matthew 6:19-21, the Bible says:

(19) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I did exactly what the scripture said not to do. I wasn't saved back then, so these verses didn't register to me, however, even as a non-believer I learned something.  The things you have on this earth can be gone in an instant. The things that you build up that are material can be lost in a matter of minutes. If your heart, soul, and everything are in those things, you will feel defeated and demoralized when they are gone.

Yes, this life changing event is still vivid to me, but what has changed is where I put my value. Yes, I do own things, but my worth isn't wrapped up in them. My walk with Christ and the love of my family tops my list now-a-days and that's what matters most.  Yep, I still have treasures - it's just that now I store them in a different place.

Be Blessed folks.

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Let Your Actions Speak

Fig Tree - Image courtesy of 
Stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luke 6:43-45  "(43) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. (44) For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. (45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (NKJV)

Like the fruit of a tree, your work can tell people what you are about.  You may know people who do a lot of talking and a lot less showing of what they say they can do.  However, you may know others who are as quiet as a mouse and their good "fruit" speaks volumes about them.

Whether on your job, in the church, or simply interacting with random people, some have the tendency to garner great titles, but their actions seem to not make them worthy of those titles.  For example, today there seems to be an explosion of folks who call themselves prophets or prophetess.  In fact, they insist that the title be included on any literature where their name is printed.  The problem is that in the majority of the cases, these are self-appointed titles.  A prophet is known by his or her works with those works not contradicting the Word of God.  It is not a matter of simply scribbling the adjective in front of the person's name, but rather the action of the individuals.

The same can be translated into the work place as well.  Because you hold a certain title on your job, it does not mean you are completely worthy and entitled to the title.  Your work must prove your worthiness of the title and the fruit of your labor will show yourself worthy of the title.  By this, your co-workers and/or employees can honestly measure you and agree/disagree of your worthiness.  It is not to say that every person will agree that you or anyone else belong where they are.  There will always be those who think others do not belong where they are, purely for selfish reasons.  Generally speaking, your reputation will precede itself.

At the end of the day, I urge you to be concerned with your actions and your hard work. Let it all speak for itself.  You do not have to make claims about what you are or what you can do.  You do not have to grab the fanciest title and slap it in front (or behind) your name.  Even if your title does not fit the description of what you do, others will notice the good fruit that you produce.  Simply, let your actions speak for you and people will always know you by your fruit.

Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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In the Beginning, There Was Living Water

Image courtesy of WikiMedia.org

1 Peter 1:20 - He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (NKJV)

Over the past couple of days, I have had the chance to re-read Genesis 1.  As a matter of fact about a couple of months ago, I re-read Genesis 1 and I kept getting stuck on the first few verses.  I did not realize it at the time, but the Holy Spirit was trying to show me something and while I was in the right area, I was not discerning the right message.  However in talking with my wife last night, she made a comment and a light bulb went off immediately!  So, today I would like to share this with you.

As such, I would like to share the first few verses of Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:1-2  (1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (NKJV)

In reading, it is easy to miss things, but I am a believer in the fact that the Word of God can show you something different even when you read the same verses.  So, right now I have highlighted the water.  In the beginning and before God even formed the earth, water existed.  Before anything was ever formed, there was water.  Wait, how is that possible right?  How can water exist without a surface for it to flow through?  Well, I will get to that in a minute.

We see that on the first day, God separated the light from the dark (see Genesis 1:3-5). However, on the second day something interesting happens.  Let's have a closer look:

Genesis 1:6-8 - (6) Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” (7) Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. (8) And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (NKJV)

Yes, God created Heaven, but where did it come from?  It came from the water!  Out of all my readings of scripture, I have never picked up on this before!  It was pretty cool to see, but then the Word of God goes on with the creation of Earth. 

Genesis 1:9-10 - (9) Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. (10) And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. (NKJV)

The waters under heaven was then "gathered together in one place" (or organized) and THEN, the dry land appeared in the midst of the water.  Then of course God creates the sea life, plant life, wild life, and then humans.

There is no argument that today, that one of the most important elements today is water.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, "[a]bout 70 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water" (from "How much water is there on, in, and above the Earth?").   Entire cities were built next to sources of water in order to thrive.  We eat food from the water.  We drink water.  Factories need water as a vital part of their operations.  We need it for so many daily things in our lives that we do not realize its significance.  "The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%" (from "How Much of Your Body Is Water?").  Our body tissue contains lots of water and as such we much constantly replenish our ourselves with it.  Human bodies can only go for about "8 to 10 days without water", where by comparison "[y]ou can make it 3 weeks without food" (from "How Long Can a Person Survive Without Water?")!  Lastly, I cannot go without mentioning that Christians use water for Baptisms as well!

I found this to be really interesting and I have been enjoying this revelation.  However, I told you that I would get back to existence of water before even the earth's existence.  If we go to the book of John we see Jesus in a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well.  Jesus was exhausted from his travels, so He asked the woman to draw him some water to drink.  Being a Samaritan, the woman was a little confused because Jews did not associate with them.  So let's pick up at John 4:7.

John 4:7-14  - (7) A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (8) For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  (9) Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  (10) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”  (11) The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? (12) Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”  (13) Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”  (NKVJ)

And that folks is how you get there.  Jesus, was there at the foundation of the world.  He is the one who is the provider of living water and I find it amazing that all the life we see sprung out of water in the beginning. Out of Him, we get us.  I opened this blog entry with 1 Peter, but I also find it fitting and proper to close with it as well.  

1 Peter 1:20 - He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (NKJV)

Be Blessed and have a good one folks!

Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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1 John 2:23 -25

"Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."

1 John 2:23 -25

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Cleansing: Let Me Show You Something

Image Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

This entry continues a previous series I wrote nearly seven years ago on the topic of Cleansing.  This is the last one for this series.  If you missed the others, you can see them all by clicking on the Cleansing link in the right navigation under the Categories or you can simply click here:  http://toinebo.blogspot.com/search/label/Cleansing.


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Aug 2, 2006

Good afternoon gang,

Sorry for the delay, but I'm here! Let's hop straight into it. I am continuing my topic on Cleansing as God has given it to me. I told you all that I feel like I am going through a cleansing period in my life and...it seems like we are always in "valley moments". Well just when you are in the "valley", God will reach out to show you something.

What I mean by "Let Me Show You Something" is actually not me talking but God saying, "Let Me Show You Something". Last week, we talked about Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" (KJV). Well, by now I would hope that you have called unto God. But the question is, will you go with Him when He wants to take you somewhere and show you something?

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - (9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (KJV)

It's like a parent to a child when things aren't going right. You reach your hands out to that child to show them something that they don't see or realize. The key is that the child grabs your hand so you can reveal to them the things they did not know. It's the same deal with God. If you hear him calling out to you and wanting to show you something, grab his hands and go without resistance. He will began to show you things that will blow your mind away and you will become a changed man/woman for it.

But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself one day :-) .
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Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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Cleansing: It's Only a Test

Today, we continue with a previous series called "Cleansing".  If you missed it, the previous post can be found here:  http://toinebo.blogspot.com/2013/07/cleansing-time-for-cleansing.html.

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Jul 12, 2006

Happy Wednesday gang....

Image Courtesy of Best Clip Art

Sorry for the delay, but I tell you I am truly happy to be able to share with you guys today. This week has been a trying week for sure. For that matter the entire month of July has been crazy and not by choice. I think in the past couple of weeks we have touched on the subject going cleansing periods. This thing has really been speaking to me and the theme of cleansing keeps reoccurring. Despite all that I'm going through, I keep being reminded that we (my family and I) are going through a cleansing period in our lives right now, each of us at different levels. With that, I want to give you guys a verse from the song, "It's Only A Test" by Bishop Larry Trotter & The Sweet Holy Spirit Choir.

"It's only a test that you're going through, it won't last always. Trials come just to make you strong, without a little bit of rain, it Just won't grow. Be strong, keep the faith, don't give up, and Realize it's only a test you're going through."

Really this is pretty much the whole song. Let's break this down a little. "It's only a test that you're going through, it won't last always..." - I know there are lots of tests in the bible, but I cannot help but to go back to my boy Job. Man, was he tested or what?

Job 2:7-10 - (7) Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai and struck Iyov (Job) down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (8) He took a piece of a broken pot to scratch himself and sat down in the pile of ashes. (9) His wife asked him, “Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” (10) But he answered her, “You’re talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God’s hands but reject the bad?” In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word..

If we recall, God allowed Satan to try Job but could not take his life. However, Job remained a humble and faithful servant through rough and easy times. "Trials come just to make you strong, without a little bit of rain, it Just won't grow." - Let's look at our good buddy Jonah and what he caused. When God told him to go to Ninevah and preach against the city what did he do? He ran. Come on bruh. You ran? God is everywhere. So what happened. While on a ship, God brought a great storm against the ship. Now granted the men on the ship had nothing to do with Jonah's running, but by his presence, God brought his wrath against the boat because He wanted Jonah and that's it.

Jonah 1:13-16 - (13) Nevertheless, the men rowed hard, trying to reach the shore. But they couldn’t, because the sea kept growing wilder against them. (14) Finally they cried to Adonai, “Please, Adonai, please! Don’t let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don’t hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, Adonai, have done what you saw fit.” (15) Then they picked up Yonah (Jonah) and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. (16) Seized with great fear of Adonai, they offered a sacrifice to Adonai and made vows.

Now, because they did as Jonah asked and threw him overboard, the seas died down. Now for the other people on the ship, if that isn't a trial I don't know what is. Just by Jonah's presence alone, these other men were caused to fear the Lord. Sometimes it takes a rocking of your ship for you to fear the Lord and recognize that He is the Alpha and the Omega......the beginning and the end. "Be strong, keep the faith, don't give up, and Realize it's only a test you're going through." - No one ever said that being a Christian was going to be a bed of Roses and that it didn't need attending. The reality is that we are in a spiritual war of good versus evil whether you want to admit and/or accept it or not. The faith is the foundation. If we have that then being strong and being able to realize what is happening will make sense to you.

Luke 17:5-6 - (5) The emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our trust.” (6) The Lord replied, “If you had trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted in the sea!’ and it would obey you.

That's all the faith you need. I am not one that is afraid to admit, I still need work in this area, however, I have seen a LOT of progress from BJ (Before Jesus) to AJ (After Jesus). So because things look bad, don't assume God has thrown the towel in on you. He never does that to his children. You just have to be patient while you are going through your test and you will be blessed in the end. Have a great hump day yall!
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Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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