I have no doubt of my talent, creativity, ability, skill and know how in terms of research. But I’m learning all over again. God through his love, mercy and grace is showing me that in spite of these amazing attributes he has given me that I need him… even more as I grow wiser and older.

I’m not in College anymore ToTo. I have a family… a wife and child. a business. a responsibility. I need to be in step and in touch with him (My Creator). Job 38:4 in the New International Version states, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand…” As I jam out to Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek.

Lord, Let me learn from your proverbial wisdom.

Your son,
Jeremy

The Vision of the Church is to be the Worship Center that seeks to RECLAIM lost souls, RESHAPE lives, REJOICE in love, REACT to the Holy Spirit while RESPONDING to God’s call.

I played with the colors for several days and finally landed on changing my shirt color to orange.

This is an intriguing thing to watch:
1. First, Tradition bleeds into a individual’s everyday thinking
2. Second, subsequently effecting a individual’s actions.
3. Third, this individual passes tradition off as Gospel
4. Fourth, this is given to others through this individual

Jesus had a way with words and people. Several instances in Scripture he ridicules and challenges religious teachers to connect with God through building an authentic and transparent relationship with him instead of on tradition, rules and the perspectives of men.

Give people TRUTH not TRADITION!

Last, TRADITION is important because it links us to our heritage, values, generational customs & beliefs, experiential wisdom, it acts as a compass, and etc. There is a place for TRADITION. However, I don’t think that place should be seated on the thrown of a person’s heart. On the contrary it should be second to Scripture.

Psalm 91

God by the way of Jesus Christ should graciously invade a person’s heart and transform the way he/she thinks. If a person’s mind can be transformed then their actions will follow.

Carter G. Woodson stated, “If you can control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have worry about what he will do…”

Tradition is important because it links us to our heritage, values, generational customs & beliefs, experiential wisdom, it acts as a compass, and etc. There is a place for TRADITION. However, I don’t think that place should be seated on the thrown of a person’s heart. On the contrary it should be second to Scripture.

For example, I have a multitude of hats that I wear:
1. Husband
2. Father
3. Business Owner
4. Mentor
5. And the list goes on…

So, surely when my wife ask me a question concerning our immediate financial or spiritual future I will always have the right and Biblically correct answers (sarcastically). I definitely know how to lead my child in the ways of Christ, Academia, Social Interaction, Respect and Manners all the time (More Sarcastically)… after all I am called to train her in the ways of the Lord and Dad knows best (Not to neglect my experiential wisdom and knowledge). Do I just give them what they want to see and hear? Do I do that which appeases my ears and eyes? Or do that gives off a great perception?

Ideally, I would like to have all the answers and be the keeper of Truth because after all it’s my way or the highway. But I find in Scripture that God often doesn’t work, operate or even function in that manner. Many Biblical stories paint a different picture of a people who didn’t always know what was going on… regardless of the circumstance.

This is not to neglect those who believe in Prophecy, New Testament teachings on the gifts of the Spirit, or any other doctrinal matters concerning super special revelation. This post/blog is not designed to address that topic. Simply put… we are infinitely incapable of knowing everything, less we be God.

I’ve struggled with this truth in the past… be it Black, White, Asian, Latino, African, Middle Eastern, Husband, Wife, Parent, Business Owner, Pastor, Market Analyst, Hustler, Devout and Sold out Church Leader, Financially Stable Person, Poor, Successful Entrepreneur, High End Manager, CPA, Significant Other, Brother, Sister and etc. you will never know everything.

God takes broken and “missing the mark and standard type” people to accomplish his work within the Earth. A people who have recognized that they have talents, skills, abilities and treasures and are still limited to accomplish the things of God without God. A people who are humbled in the idea and truth that Jesus Christ is Lord. A people who can admit that THEY DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING. The ideas that I am writing about do not evolve around a blind and ignorant faith that says jump off a cliff and handle rattlesnakes in your hands. No! I am talking about the condition of our human frailty and the need to recognize our Creator’s call to intimately know Jesus Christ as our Everything… not our pride, human understanding, prejudices, traditions, successes, failures, experiences and etc.

Peter addresses the church (the people of God) in 1 Peter 5:5-7 with this statement from the Message Bible, “And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—
God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.
So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.”

I mean… when the dust settles and the smoke clears and it’s just you listening to your own thoughts about life, career options, finances, business, ministry, relationships, crossroads, love… your devotion; what will you do? There is a passage of Scripture that jacked me up the other day! John 14:15 states, “If you love me, (dramatic pause) keep my commands”. The Message Bible puts it like this… ” If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.” Gosh! You don’t need to go to a Seminary, Bible School, take up Hermeneutics and Homiletics to understand what this passage is saying.

Could it be that sometimes our hearts are torn and the lines of loyalty become a blur?

Our hearts devotion, allegiance, obedience (a lost word), attachment, worship, fondness should be  clinging ever so confidently to and in Christ Alone. Now, issues, circumstances & situations and sins will vary like the hue of skin tones but the overarching element is “If…” It trips me out that we always say, “anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

If… If… If… if what! IF WE LOVE HIM… we will be more devoted to him rather than in our circumstances.

I believe it’s OK to love things (i.e. I love my wife)… but the love for things, money, people and the ideas of more should not override our love and passion for HIM.

Last, further in this passage of scripture (John 14:21) shouts that we’ll be rewarded with knowing Christ intimately in:
1. the indwelling of his Spirit
2. a continual act of fresh revelation and guidance
3. living eternally with Him in Heaven

How much do you love Him? Devotion.

The answer RESOUNDS in my eardrums with two passages of scripture that will not leave me alone. They are:
1. Jeremiah 29:11-14
2. Philippians 4:6-8

They meddle with me in my sleep. They haunt me when I awake. They permeate through my being when I’m overextended in work and up to my head in bills. Jeremiah 29:11-14… Exclaims that God has an amazing future for me! That God’s thoughts for my life are good and not evil and when I choose to call and seek him wholeheartedly he will somehow gather me back together and restore my heart and life. Philippians 4:4-8 states that I need to be joyous in all things and bring my cares to the God of peace who will settle my heart and emotions. This passage of scripture then transitions into a believers thought pattern. It tells us to honor God in our thoughts and speech and if we do so that He will surely be with us.

Because I am human it is easy to lose focus on what really matters. However, God has made things clear in his son Jesus. In my uniqueness and creativity God has made a personal appeal through his Scripture to trust in him for the results! If God knows and he’s not revealing his promises/puroses all at once, right away or at all in my life then I have no other choice but to trust him. So when I find myself stressing out over things that are not in my control (future, bills, doors of opportunity, and etc.) I need to remind myself of what he said in his Scripture. I need to bring my STUFF before God and  place my faith in him  and not what I can see. God will have my back and help me point my creativity, talents, skills and abilities toward making his name more FAMOUS in the earth.

Be creative with Design and Business and do what God is calling you to do!

Jbutler

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2. View: Study, Read and Practice God’s Word
3. Share: Be a witness for God

Kingdom Life Media launched Cornerstone Academy’s Website with a few things in mind. It is a long established fact that parents who are interested in their child educational development go the extra mile in hopes of securing the child’s future. I developed this site with Education in mind. It needed to be accessible to parents, modern, simple in design, easy to update for its administrators and cost effective. Carla McKissic, Director of Cornerstone Academy, was instrumental in giving and creating content for the new site.