"Truth Is King" By Alva James

 

While the world is on "high alert", as it relates to so much we are hearing about in the news, we find ourselves looking away. Looking away from all of the turmoil that surrounds us that seems like a bad hand was dealt. The bad hand being played it seems is the continued erosion of the definition of what really is “TRUTH.”  Today, we celebrate the birth of one who fought on the side of truth, righteousness & justice: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As we ponder the effects of his fight for truth it is without calm that we see there are still so many hidden areas in which we must continue to raise awareness toward standards of truth.

 

The simple sitting down to look at some of the more calming and innocent movies, we discover that while looking away at the world elsewhere the commercials have changed subtly; even quite drastically right in front of our eyes. As a nation we’ve been set up to believe “new truth” for a lot longer than we’ve recognized. While internalizing certain commercials, we had not realized it was not just about the product. Conversely, there were other hidden agendas and images being used to desensitize us by attempting to entice us to buy into the ideals that seek to promote this “new truth.”  These ideals are redefining the structure of preordained order of how, why and what we were created for concerning relationships, influence, intelligence and divine design.

 

As parents, my hubby and I were always aware that the "eye gate" and the "ear gate" were critical in transporting information into the little souls of our children as they grew and developed. As a counter to this desensitization it led us to be watchful about what and who they were exposed to: what they viewed on TV, music they listened to, games they played, even conversations they listened to and literature they read. Surely we didn’t humanly catch everything, but we took it seriously and our children knew it. Now the challenge once again will be with our grandchildren, as we come along side their parents to assist in teaching them God’s definition of “Truth.”

 

There is an even greater challenge in this generation to holdfast to truth, model it, and yet love the ones who want to redefine it.  I think it's time we all pay attention to some of the major networks and company commercials, which have now decided to redefine what is "wholesome." We have to determine based on TRUTH, not ours or the world’s opinion of what “wholesome” really is, but what the biblical view of “wholesome” truly is. Undoubtedly the biblical view of being “wholesome” will ensure that our children have a defense when their senses are bombarded by images declaring this is the “new and wholesome truth.” Our children will already KNOW the definition of “truth” and holdfast to it’s meaning and continue to pass it on. If you ever want to change what people think or how they see the world:  systematically change what they SEE and HEAR over a period of time. Systematically changing what they see and hear eventually will change how they think and determine truth!  When you want to change the meaning of something you redefine it to meet your standards, NOT by the ONE who determined the original TRUTH and its intent for mankind and the world.  The biggest problem is the "teachers" better known as “parents” or the adults and primary teachers assigned to our little ones. In my opinion, adults who once felt the responsibility to model those values and truths, are now finding that they too may be a bit confused as to what are the definitions of wholesome and truth.  

 

“It's a different world“ for real. If we take the command seriously to teach our children TRUTH with our words and actions at home and in public; we may not have to resurrect our past of standing in line protesting and carrying picket signs that seem to be on the rise again! We can sit and enjoy mans ability to advance technology by spanning the globe to engage our thinking.  Always remember though, it is man at his best using technology to reshape and redefine our world, but unfortunately according to man’s own personal truth. The sad reality is that when it comes to promoting truth, we are many years behind. Most likely we will become reactionary as if the erosion of truth just started. This decline didn't just "all of a sudden happen." While many of us perhaps have been distracted by other things or maybe feeling hopeless or helpless in engaging the culture, people were engaging in conversation that downgraded our values and intellect. Key TV networks and well recognized talk show hosts were writing blockbuster movies and sitcoms that subliminally instituted a change in society. Even now within board rooms of major corporations executives hold dialogue and sign contracts in exquisite dining rooms making decisions that have the potential to affect our children, our families, even our world for a very long time...perhaps even generations.  It’s called a concerted and calculated effort to systematically organize a redefinition of truth to fit their agenda of capital gain. To add to that sadness, the godly issues of which Dr. King fought for are now being thrown into an agenda for capital gain; as if it was the same kind of fight for truth. Yet, this is the real “high alert” in the world: to not give the other agendas validity in being the “new truth” and remain vigilant in educating others, our families and ourselves in biblical TRUTH.

Alva @RMG

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeds Matter !

 Relay Media Group is committed to sharing important stories that have impacted our lives, whether it be personal stories or ones in or outside of the 4 walls of the church, or in the mainstream of our society.

 In celebration of Black History Month, the team at Relay Media Group is “passing this story on”.

This story tells of a power packed time in the World, America and  in Church history. A significant time when there were men and women who had a sense of  the grand design of what God wanted to do to change the face of the church, the world and America’s history...only IF they would dare to SEE as He saw ,and continue to MOVE as He was moving. It was a time of a sovereign visitation to change a nation, and move it outside of certain cultural, racial and religious divides, "IF" they were willing and bold enough to take that journey with Him.

 From the tender age of  3 years old, I began hearing stories about a time in history when hearts had been stirred to go in that direction with a man called Seymour and others, and how powerful that move was. I from that young age began to see and experience the results of this time, by many that I was surrounded by.

My father and mother were born between 1914 and 1917, not long after the Azusa street revival that started in 1906. My grandmother was born in the 1800's, so I got a  strong sense and download in what seemed like "surround sound". I was told many powerful stories at my parents and grandmother's knee about that time ,that impacts my life to this day.  

We lived in a very small town in the South ( the state of Florida to be exact). My home town was several hundred miles away from Tampa, Florida, but we traveled there often, sometimes almost nightly, for the sake of my grandmother, who was at that time practically bound to a wheelchair. It was a different world, both in and out of the 4 walls of the church and society period. 

You see  the miles we’d travel  were filled with excitement , anticipation and expectancy that my grandmother would at some point receive her healing , and be able to walk again….that was our families focus …nothing else! By faith, was unapologetically their way of life!

We were going to services held by a major “healing evangelist” at the time, and I as a little girl saw amazing miracles in front of my young eyes, that left an indelible imprint on my heart and soul.
 Clearly One thing was sure and that was, when we arrived at those tent meeting grounds with all of my parents excitement, for “some reason” we were always quietly ushered to stand at the edge of the tent, and literally the only thing that was allowed under that tent was the very front of my grandmother’s wheelchair, and her feet. We all had to stand as a family at the edge, but not under the covering, and there we stood for hours ,as I watched my parents pray and rejoice, even in the face of those circumstances.
Somehow it didn’t seem to matter, because their focus was on some ONE much larger than those circumstances, even though those circumstances loomed large, one thing was evident  and that was that there was a clear racial divide, that prevented us from being accepted to sit in the midst of all of the other worshippers… it simply wasn't allowed by the evangelist my parents were told ....hmmm sad.

 To my amazement with ALL of that division, miracles yet occurred, and I never once heard my parents complain, or let it distract or distort their focus or faith, as we drove those long miles there, and back home.

My parents later began to listen to someone else on the radio, and they would make sure our entire family were gathered around the radio every, I mean EVERY Sunday morning before going to church. At the end of this healing evangelist’s short message he would always pray for the sick. He would ask his listening audience to gather around their radios, and lay their hands on the radio, "as a point of contact". He would pray that “the healing power of God would touch each person, from the top of their head, to the sole of their feet” and when he said "touch" and "be healed" the significant and tangible presence of the healing Jesus that I grew to know and love would fill our home, and I would always cry.

 He would always end his prayer with "Amen and amen", even if you weren’t sick you just felt that all was well with the world, even though it really wasn’t. For some reason as a young girl I always felt different each time he prayed. His prayers seem to reach beyond sickness and straight to the soul.

Soon my dad and mom started sowing offerings into his ministry, and we began receiving his magazine publication , with all of these beautiful pictures, and what I notice was that he too had a large tent, he too was seemingly the same ethnicity as the other evangelist, but what I noticed most, was that the little girls and boys like my sisters and I, people like my dad and mom, all sitting side by side with different races of people perhaps scarcely, but ALL worshipping under this big tent as one. Seeing that alone amazed me and endeared me to him. Those images sat really comfortably on my little soul as a young child, and painted a picture that looked just like the God my parents taught me about. 

Our little family prospered in so many ways, as my dad and mom took of what they had after supporting our church and the pastors and their families. They always dared to move beyond religious and racial boundaries even if it was not the "thing to do". Favor was always abundant over our lives, and as a result with men and women, from ALL ethnicities and walks of life.
One significant day many many years later, I was honored to travel around the world . I stood on a platform with a small team of 6 singers in one of the many major sports arenas we were graced to sing in, singing in front of approximately 20 thousand plus people 1 or 2 times a month, which too was a direct result of the years of the many years of sowing of seed, by my parents in the season of my childhood, when to my utter shock as the team worshipped, that man walked into that arena with the leader I was called to serve at that time, who is also a powerful Healing Evangelist of our day,  who was hosting that gathering. My heart felt as if it both leaped and melted at the same time.
You see I wanted to shout or walk up to him  to say thank you sir, for giving me a small glimpse of the heart and full complexion of the Father. Thank you for being a light in a very challenging time of my parent’s lives and also my grandmother's life, as it related to race relations both in and outside of the 4 walls of church.My grandmother never really got to see things change as it relates to all of that., but I'm sure somehow she saw that moment and smiled ! 

I simply wanted to say thank you sir. I wanted to say thank you for being bold to teach and encourage my mom and dad regardless of their race, to take what they had and use it as seed, to see a harvest not only for them, but for their children and grandchildren.
Thank you sir for teaching and encouraging my parents how to further release the radical faith they already had, regardless of their ethnicity.  

 I wanted to say thank you for my dad and my mom , even my grandmother who had been sustained for many years before passing on, by listening to his broadcast. For someone born in the 1800’s he most certainly gave her a peek into what was possible, and that gave her HOPE for the future of the grandbabies she was leaving behind .
 
That man was not a “black man” but a "God man" who we discovered later was from the First nation group of people, none other than Dr. Oral Roberts, who I along with the team at Relay greatly salute ! 
I now get to celebrate you every Black History month  and throughout the year by sharing with my children and grandchildren of your contribution to those who didn't look like you, but yet you were willing to teach them about faith that knew NO color ! A faith that if exercised, would  get out from under any circumstance that threaten to hold them captive !  

 I will forever love you, for showing this little girl the Full complexion of the God my parents had taught me about, and trusted in. He was the same God who I really knew was a “Good God” and had endowed each human being with dignity ! 

May your legacy live loudly for many generations to come !

"Passing The Story On"

~Alva@RMG(C)

"Dreaming is NOT for cowards"

 

I post this respectfully in honor of my parents and many of that generation who lived during this time, who are now gone on , also in honor of those who are yet living and  honoring and perpetuating the “Dream”. My young eyes saw much of this. The passion of this great man and generation impacts my life to this day !

 In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King who was called to the front line as a minister and prophet, not as a political leader, but is thought by many to have been a political leader. I do believe in my heart if this had been a political move , it would never have had such an impact, but clearly observed the unseen hand of our Lord use a man fueled with passion and power given him by our Lord to shift a nation and change the world. I along with the Relay Media team honor you today .

I do agree that his calling and mission had a great political impact , but  want to remind us ALL that his first call and the “Call” he truly answered was that of God as a prophetic voice to a nation to provoke , inspire and challenge a nation to move toward what was righteous, to shift a nation and the entire world to how God “SEES”us ALL !

 I post this also in honor of another great general of our time who provoked and stirred my heart by a message recently given on “SEEING” Dr. Mark Chironna , who is “marked” to lead a generation into “SEEING” so that we understand our way of “Being” in order to have the desired impact on the world , by seeing it through the eyes of God.

When you look into the eyes of a man of “Vision” a man that “SEES” you may not be able to grasp All they see initially, but what you know is that they “SEE” beyond themselves into something that will impact both the present and future and that, which they SEE will outlive them to serve generations to come. They are endowed with God given ability to gather those who desire to “SEE” and mobilize and empower them to Be and Do what we are designed for.  

This level of seeing requires real “vision” and will outlive any man or woman and is certain to provoke, inspire and ignite  a generation to change and leave a legacy worth noting for generations to come. It will require that each generation honor , cultivate and protect the purity of that dream ,so that it is passed on UNTAINTED by the agenda of those who want to desecrate it’s sanctity, so that what he or she “SEES” is passed on from generation, in it’s purest form!

Sitting with my grandchildren on a day like today I continue to be reminded that it is my responsibility to teach them, and answer the questions they pose, as we watch events about the history of Dr. Kings life and legacy .

I may not be able to answer them all , but I’m blessed that I’m with them to hear those questions and answer as many as I’m able to and to assist them in discovering the answers to those questions they have along the way.

One thing I know for sure is that that kind of “vision” that kind of “seeing” comes with  a price tag and should be marked ( Caution Dreaming with God will cost you EVERYTHING, and is not for cowards or the faint of heart. You must be willing to both live and die for what you “SEE”!

It is Our responsibility to teach the truths of history and greater still our highest honor of protecting and preserving those truths, so that it will serve it’s intended purpose generations hence.

 

From the Heart, Alva@RMG(c)1/20/14

 

 

" I Feel Like Moving On."

                                           I Feel Like Moving On!

 

 

A line from one of my most favorite songs of my childhood growing up in church……. “I feel like Moving On.”

Whether you’re 50, 60, 70, 80, or above, and feel like life is passing or has passed you by….to that I say perhaps it is or has, if you’ve stopped moving.  One thing that’s certain about life, it never stops…. we do!

 

 I’ve observed and experienced that life waits for no one, but yet you find long waiting lines, waiting for life to come to them rather than engaging it, and living it out!

 

Life never stops, because God is Life, and God is always moving and always looking for those through whom He is able to move in, with and through!

 

So I encourage you to engage God and embrace Life and don’t you dare stop or leave this planet without honoring the precious gifts that stand waiting for you, if you’ll just keep moving on!

                                                  Alva James