IS IT NECESSARY?

Yesterday was a blessing to be in the midst of so many people fellowshipping in the name of the Lord. I had the opportunity to preach at Exceeding Joy yesterday and it was well received. I used the Scripture of Hebrews 2:14-18. I spoke about how Jesus had to become one of us in order to feel compassiona and mercy for us in our times of struggle and need. It is no secret today that money is the God of America. There are many people living today that are not provided the opportunity to work that glorified Monday-Friday 9-5. Many are forced to work 10 hour shifts and through weekends for just simple gains of capital that never seem like enough. My wife and I ministered to a young couple who was getting ready to split their marriage apart for a car! The car was the driving force for 95% of their arguments. There was no room for Jesus. "Her Jesus was too small to fathom in a time of struggle." As she struggled through the early stages of her new marriage she asked was all this struggling necessary? Hence, the theme of the sermon. Yes, it is necessary, because it WAS! It always caught me off guard when anyone thought that it wasn't necessary to struggle in this world. If you are worshipping a God who was beat down, a minority of all sorts, from a poor land, and not born into any earthly wealth; of course it is inevitable that you struggle! In my novel, "How Did I Get Here, Preston Brown had to know what it was like to struggle in order to rise and become a better man. His ego was boosted to a point where there was no room for God and not to mention that Lustray was just part of the Devil's plan to throw him off of his straight path that had destiny written all over it. He was stripped of his bank accounts, health insurance, jobs, and even suffered some physical abuse. In case you forgot here is the link http://www.amazon.com/How-Did-I-Get-Here/dp/0982556403 If you haven't read the book please do not miss the first book of the "Here" series. Exceeding Joy and the Banks family thank you very much for the opportunity to share my gifts with the world and I look forward to keep preaching there in Columbus, OH often!!