North American Bishops Congress

Comment

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on November 22, 2011 at 1:18pm

ThanksLiving

This is the season when many Americans celebrate what has come to be known as Thanksgiving. For the sake of brevity, I will not rehash what the history and symbolism of this “holiday” are, but it is commonly held that this is the day that we give thanks for our many blessings.

I, for one, do not think a single day is sufficient to express gratitude. Furthermore, I do not think it is enough to thank him for the thingsHe has blessed us with.

King David rendered it thusly:

O give thanks unto the LORD: for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever (1 Chronicles 16:34).

In other words, we are to give thanks to God simply because He is good. The correct perspective for the Disciple of Christ is to focus on the Giver, not the gift! America, in contrast to much of the world, enjoys a higher standard of prosperity than any other nation. As a result, we have become spoiled – we want bigger and better, and we want it now. Because of our lusts for material things and creature comforts, an entire ministry segment has emerged that caters to the materialistic mentality. This segment proffers that if you simply exercise faith and worship God with your money, God will respond as if He were a “blessing genie,” and indulge you with all your material wants.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is crystal clear that material blessing is part of the believer’s benefits package:

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant (Psalm 35:27).

But I digress. There are exactly 29 occurrences of the word “thanksgiving” in the King James Bible. And while the Bible clearly teaches us that “thanksgiving” is an act that believers perform to honor God, the Word teaches us that there is a higher, unsaid act that, I think, should be the hallmark of any Disciple of Christ:

Thanksliving.

Thanksliving is a paradigm shift from world or religious living to Kingdom or relationship living! I have long held, and teach relentlessly, that you cannot do something without first being something. My prime example of this is the passage of scripture, “…be ye holy for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). You cannot do holy without being holy. And, frankly, you cannot do anything holy without first being in Christ – because Jesus is the source of both holiness and righteousness.

That said, we must be grateful in order to live a Christ-like life. We must have an attitude of gratitude! And our gratitude can no more be a once-a-year expression than our worship can be a once-a-week event.

The life of Thanksliving is a life of thanksgiving. You cannot truly live without loving and you cannot truly love without giving! Therefore, a grateful life is a giving life. I’m not talking about feigned or coerced giving, but giving as Jesus taught in Luke 6:38:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

or how the Apostle Paul rendered it in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

So we see that the concepts of Thanksliving and thanksgiving go hand-in-hand, joined by love and giving.  But there’s another component to the life of thanksgiving that cannot be ignored: joy.

Joy and happiness are similar but are not the same. Happiness is conditional, based on circumstances; the more favorable the circumstances, the happier a person generally is. Joy, on the other hand, is a choice. You must choose to have joy! Joy is that feeling of peace and confidence that abides in the heart of every true Disciple of Christ.

That peace and confidence that comprises joy persists in spite of circumstances! If you have a new car, you have joy. If your old car breaks down, you have joy. If you have a great career that allows you to work in your God-given purpose, you have joy. If your stuck in a dead-end job, you have joy! When you choose to have joy, you can focus on the source of your joy and not circumstances. When you have joy, you focus on the Giver, not the gift. When you choose joy, you love in spite of how you perceive how you’re treated. When joy abides in you, you give, not because you expect to receive anything, but because you want to reflect Jesus, who gave His life for you.

If you get this down in your spirit, you will experience Thanksliving daily and won’t have to wait for a “special” day to give thanks!

© 2011 - Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

 

Comment by Apostle Tarnonguh,Terhemen John on November 17, 2011 at 5:53am

I have not hear from you all this years i hope all is well.how far is fig and its membership in Nigeria?

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on November 4, 2011 at 5:32pm

Women as Preachers and Pastors

Folks have misinterpreted scripture concerning women in ministry, e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:34. Here, Paul was dealing with specific folks with specific issues (Corinth had women who were out of control), hence the use of the word “your” instead of “all.” It’s important to note that many, if not most of the first century churches were started by women, the woman ad the well (John 4) was sent by Jesus to preach to the Samaritans, and Mary Magdalene was the first person to preach the resurrection.

A little story, a Deacon I know back in Crockett, TX had a conversation with one of his daughters that went like this:

“Daddy, God called me to preach.” His reply, “Oh Lawd!”

That night, God took the ol’ Deacon back to his childhood in a dream. On their farm, they had a reliable rooster that would crow on time every day. Well one day, that old rooster up and died.

Now, if you know anything about chickens, you know a good rooster is hard to find. So, during the search for a new rooster, one of the hens jumped up on a fence post and began crowing like the rooster did, and did so until they got another rooster.

The Spirit of the Lord asked Deke if he ever cursed that hen for crowing, and Deke said, “no…”

The Spirit continued, “Then don’t curse your daughter.”

The Deacon’s daughter pastors a thriving church …with her Daddy’s blessings.

True story…

The point is, God calls, God anoints, and God appoints. It is not for man to decide. This is one of those traditions that burdens the body of Christ and needs to be done away with.

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

 

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on October 28, 2011 at 11:30am

The Purpose of the Church

The reason why many “churches” do not have the nature of The Church is because there is a widespread lack of understanding of what The Church really is. First of all, the Church is not a building, a charter, or a gathering of folks. The Church is a living, spiritual and natural being comprised of many members that carry out vital functions.

Contrary to popular belief, she is not a “country club” for the saints or the museum of the “frozen chosen.” When you become a member, you are not simply a number, you are grafted in, as a finger to a hand! The body nourishes each member and the Head, Jesus, gives each member instructions for the work to be performed.

While I’m here, let me hang my hat for a minute…Each member has a UNIQUE function. All of us are not called to preach just like every cell in the body is not called to be the eye. Imagine a body full of eyes…that is a freak of nature! While we’re speaking of the ministry, not everyone is called to preach the same message or preach the same way! We are fearfully and wonderfully designed — individually and expressly — by the Hand of God with a unique purpose to carry out equally unique assignments.

The Greek word for “Church” in Matthew 16:18 is “ekklesia.” It is a word meaning “called out assembly.” More to the point, it is a GOVERNMENTAL word not a RELIGIOUS word! Many folks don’t know this, but the government of Rome called thieir upper legislative assembly theEkklesia. The ancient Greek city-state of Athens called its legislative bodyEkklesia!

Now put this in context…When Jesus said “upon this rock (the truth spoken by Peter) I will build my ekklesia; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! In other words, what Jesus is saying is upon the truth that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, He will establish His everlasting government!  This is what was prophesied in Isaiah 9:6.

Jesus did not come to establish another religion; the world had (and has) enough of them. What he came to re-establish was the governmental order that was ordained from the foundation of time!

That said, the Church is not about religion. The Church is the point where God connects with man through Christ. It is God’s government, duly deputized and empowered to take over the earth! Church should be an ER for the wounded, a kitchen for the hungry and a sanctuary for the besieged. It should be the point where God’s Heavenly Government is dispensed on the earth! It should be the place where the lost catch the revelation of a loving Father, who wants to reconcile them to Himself and loved them so much that He gave His very best in the Person of His Only Begotten Son!

I feel like preaching, but I’ll take my seat now…

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on October 1, 2011 at 10:10am

Jesus is Real

 

Someone asked me, "How do I know Jesus is real?" This is my reply:

 

Jesus is THE way to relationship with Father God, THE way to everlasting life, and THE way to abundant life!

 
Jesus is not only real but all reality was created FOR Him and BY Him! Jesus is the most pivotal character in the annals of human history. The very years we chronicle are demarcated by His Birth.

 
Those who love Him will give up everything to follow Him; those who hate Him will stop at nothing to discredit Him and destroy His followers.

 
Jesus is love personified. No other figure was known to lay down His life, not only for those who LOVE Him but for those who HATE Him as well!

 
When compared to other “religions,” well, Krishna is dead, Buddha is dead, Muhammed is dead, Zoroaster is dead, Joseph Smith is dead, Charles Taze Russell is dead, and L.Ron Hubbard is dead. Jesus, on the other hand is alive at the right hand of the Father!

 
When I experience each breath, I experience Jesus’ Love for me. When I witness a sunrise or a sunset, I experience His majesty. When I held my sons for the first time, I experienced His meticulous creativity.

 
Indeed, Jesus is not only REAL, He is the REALEST thing I know!

 

©2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Comment by Foley A. Parker on September 21, 2011 at 11:24am

Without HOLINESS no man shall see God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEBREWS 12:14 

ARE there any True Believers out there that Really BELIEVE what the WORD of GOD SAYS. It's HIGH Time to AWAKE and come together as the Body OF CHRIST IS INTENDED TO BE.

COME NOW AND LET US REASON TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join me in the VISION of HOLINESS...

www.HOLINESSMINISTRIESCOALITION.ORG

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on September 21, 2011 at 8:48am

The Wisdom Tree

People often talk about others “anointing” as if it is something unobtainable. No person’s anointing is greater than another. What makes the anointed look “anointed” is knowing to apply the Word of God according to what I call the Wisdom Tree.

Start with the trunk of INFORMATION. The Bible is full information that you can aggregate into branches of KNOWLEDGE. Then you begin to grow your knowledge into limbs of UNDERSTANDING. Then the sum total of these, properly applied equals the fruit of WISDOM.

Your journey begins by first accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then praying to God that the eyes of your understanding may be opened (Ephesians 1:18).

Then open your Bible and begin reading.

Ask God to send you the Holy Spirit, that the fallow ground of your heart may be broken up so that the seed of the Word can be planted deep. Then apply the Living Water that is Jesus. Abide (that means, LIVE) in Him and allow His Word to Abide in you. Then you begin to see the stalk of your faith and your life in Christ grow.

But don’t give up here, because now the enemy comes to try and steal from you what God has planted. Allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in your life, and you will soon find that you are being pruned to grow strong and purged to eliminate the excess in your life (Matthew 13 – ALL) . At the end, you will see yourself bearing Kingdom fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

When you start bearing Kingdom fruit, when you’re under pressure, you will release the Word of God — just like the orange, when squeezed, produces orange juice.

But notice, the juice is only pleasant when the fruit is mature! You have to go through a maturing or perfecting process. Without the maturing process, the juice is often bitter and unprofitable. The process is not always pleasant but it always produces the desired result!

Praise God!

© 2010-2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on September 18, 2011 at 7:54pm

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Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on September 11, 2011 at 6:06pm

On 911...

Today, the United States commemorates the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against New York City and Washington D.C. Truly this a solemn day to pay respect to the lives lost in the tragic events of that day, reflect upon the price of eternal vigilance, and to honor the heroism of those aboard flight 93, who thwarted an attack on the White House.

Unfortunately, many “prophecy hounds” decried this as the beginning of the end of days. Others of the “religious judgmentalist” faction cited these events as “God’s judgment against America.” Both assessments are as far from the truth as the east is from the west!

The simple truth is that we were victims of our own way of life. Liberty assumes a certain amount of risk. And, even thought security is tighter in airports and seaports, we haven’t fallen into either martial law or a police state.

For the “prophecy hounds,” I submit to you that the events of September 11, 2001 have nothing to do with the end of days. Jesus, Himself, outlined the conditions surrounding the end of days in Matthew 24. More to the point, in verse 14 of this chapter, the Lord declares:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The true Gospel of the Kingdom has not been preached to all the world. If it had, we would see the power of God extended toward men in the form of the Greater Works Jesus said we’d do (John 14:12). Is healing by the laying of hands as commonplace as during the Lord’s earthly ministry or even during the time of the Book of Acts? Not even close. And let’s not talk about the raising of the dead…

Now, to address the folks who like to stand in judgment of others, I say, “pump your brakes, dawg!” ALL of God’s wrath and judgment toward man was heaped upon Jesus at the Cross at Calvary. Isaiah well prophesied of the price Jesus paid for the redemption of man:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Notice the boldface! What, you ask, is the chastisement of our peace? It is the punishment that was intended for us! Man that is good Gospel news! Because God laid His wrath upon Jesus, IT DOES NOT COME UPON MAN — EITHER SAINT OR SINNER! Until the season of the Book of Revelation commences, God will not pour out wholesale wrath!

Jesus, Himself, put it best:

⁵⁴And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? ⁵⁵But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. ⁵⁶For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:54-56)

Of course I must caution you, dear reader, not to get this twisted. There are laws in the earth that will judge you, i.e., if you step off the roof of a building, gravity will cause you to fall or, if you engage in fornication, the end result may be pregnancy or a sexually-transmitted disease. If you engage in any sin, the sin will judge you, not God!

So, in this era of the Blood of Jesus, there will be no more God-sourced floods. No more God-sourced Sodom or Gomorrah. No more God-sourced captivity. When these things do happen, they are because of the fallen world we live in, not because “God is kindling His wrath!”

This is the season where God is calling out to mankind, giving all an opportunity to receive the free gift that is Jesus!

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Comment by Bishop Derrick Day on September 9, 2011 at 12:38am

Breathe...On Purpose!

Have you ever given thought to that breath you just took? Or the next one you anticipate taking? Every breath you take is precious because it is that one breath that separates your existence from the temporal to the eternal. Each breath you take delivers vital oxygen to your cellular structure and removes carbon dioxide and other less-than-beneficial gasses from your body.

God showed me that, for most of my life, I had been breathing autonomously; even accidentally!

The Breath of life is illustrated in Genesis 2:7:

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When God breathed the breath of life into man, He imparted Ruach (Hebrew) — the spirit nature — into man. This Ruach was intended to be the part of the man that communicates with God’s Spirit, the Pneuma (Greek).

Now, theological scholars may rake me over the coals over my mixing of Hebrew and Greek, but stay with me…

God does EVERYTHING intentionally! There are no accidents; no “Plan B.” Moreover, He created us to live life purposefully and intentionally. God created us with a specific purpose in mind but we have to tap into His will, culture, and intent for that purpose to be fully revealed.

That said, if He was so deliberate with the breath of life, we, too, should be deliberate with our breathing.

Since this revelation, I make a conscious effort to breathe intentionally. I take time during each day to breathe deeply — drawing in as deep a breath as I can take, holding it briefly, and exhaling. This manifests two blessings: first, being aware of each breath teaches me to be a good steward of the breath God has given me and, second, the deep breathing invigorates and energized me and reminds me that God has paid for my healing by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24).

Don’t get it twisted, though! I’m not talking about some new-age foolishness; I’m talking about being conscious and aware of one of the most fundamental, essential gifts God has given us. I’m talking about Christ-centered spiritual and physical refreshing.

I pray this will help you in both your walk of faith and the quality of your natural life!

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

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