Spoken word by the spiritual poet

Perception is a powerful persuasive element to the human notion which does not always have the right perspective or reference point.  Nations rise and fall based on perception, relations rot or are revived based on perception and love and hate is born based on perception.  However, perception is relative as it is based on or framed by our reality but our reality ought not be the benchmark for the world at large.  As we all entered the reality of our world from different origins, different circumstances, disparate financial stratas and different social norms; all of which influences our perception of life.  Although this may be true, if the “Relevant” Word of God dwells in us richly and the Living Word, the active Word, the Holy Spirit is renewing our mind daily, our perception and outlook should be consistent with scripture which is immutable.

“The persuasion and power of perception”

 Men, we are gathered here today not of our own breath, not of our own strength and not of our own will.  Because our breath comes from God, our strength comes from God and our will comes from God. As King David said in scripture “for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. – 1 Chr 29:14 -KJV”  Although all things come from God as all things are from him, through him and due him, we find ourselves in the mortal confines and trappings of a broken and fallen world.  A broken world filled with broken men with broken hearts, broken lives, broken homes, and broken dreams.

 How do we look beyond our many years of experiences which have formed our perception and hardened our reality of life?  For those of us who have experienced the adrenalin rush of power, have experienced the autonomy and authority of the almighty dollar, have experienced satiation at the summit of success, and have experienced the penthouse of princes and presidents and the persuasive fleeting pleasures of sin therein, how do we reshape our perception of God?  For those of us who have experienced chasing after pride, have experienced chasing after prestige and have experienced chasing after pedigree to discover its void of content and contentment and regrettably chasing after wind, how do we reshape our perception of God?  For those of us who have experienced Sodom and Gomorrah, have experienced the valley of dry bones, and have experienced the valley of the shadow of death, how do we reshape our perception of God?  For those of us who have experienced the daunting despondent dark hours of yesterdays and yesteryears, have experienced the failing of flesh and maladies of mortality, have experienced the unspeakable loss of loved ones near and dear and close to our hearts, how do we reshape our perception of God?   For those of us who have experienced unconscionable betrayal and abandonment by blood and brotherhood, have experienced the duress and angst of familial anger and have experienced the gantlet of joblessness, homelessness and hopelessness, how do we reshape our perception of God?  And for those of us who have experienced death in relationships, death in opportunities, and death in possibilities and have been walled off by an infinite horizon of God haters, how do we reshape our perception of God?

Brothers in Christ, I submit to you that this is accomplished not by your male prowess, mortal might or mortal means but by intentionally and deliberately availing yourself to the Holy Spirit.  Allowing the Holy Spirit, the Word of God to dwell in you richly is the agency we so desperately need.  As Scripture says “Indeed, the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  – Hebrews 4:12 NSRV”   The word of God by far transcends soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And the Great I AM, the ancient Word, the active Word is well able to renovate, reshape and heal our deep seated, depraved perception and experiential outlook on life from its roots.

Is the Living Word the air you breathe?  Is the Living Word your daily bread?  And is the active Word, his holy presence, living in you?  Scripture says “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Rom 12:1-2 NRSV”  For the renewing of your mind comes from believing in God’s Word.  The renewing of your mind comes from bathing in God’s Word.  And the renewing of your mind comes from full immersion and baptizing of oneself in God’s Word.  When this occurs, we become living examples, living letters and living spirits who walk in authority and power of the Living Word.  As the secular veil of perception of our family, friends and Almighty God is removed from our mind.

So then, we must let go of our former ways and former words, the air we once breathed and daily bread we so relied on and believed in.  Let go of our former words which once clothed us with false confidence, comfort and close companionship.  As our former words have deceitful ill intentions and plans to occupy our temple, vying to undermine, upstage and oust the Living and active Word and volume our mind, body and soul with the secular sinful ways of Satan.  Scripture says “I know that you are descendants of Abraham: yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. – John 8:37 NRSV”  Brothers, let’s make room for God’s Word as we make way for the new creation to grow in his strong grace.   Let us not be neutered or neutralized by keeping our former words alive in us rendering us unable to bear fruits of righteousness.

Remember that we have an advocate, an eternal high priest who out of amazing love came to reconcile the descendants of Abraham, the descendants of the promise to himself.  This high priest is fully God and fully man and perfect in every way.  He understands our temperament and taunting temptations as he has become like us in every way so that we may find mercy and grace in him during our time of need.  He has offered himself as the eternal Lamb of God, has entered the eternal Holy of Holies not made by human hands and has sprinkled his own shed blood for our souls upon the mercy seat that eternal atonement can be fulfilled for all times by the eternal blood covenant.

So we declare, here I am, take your Word, the sanctifying coal we need and cleans our lips, cleans our hands, cleans our hearts and cleans our souls and transform it to yours oh LORD, that we may overcome the persuasion and power of perception.