I Call Him G.O.D.!!!!!

Going Fishing…

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  -Mark 1:17

Fishers of Men, fishermen, that’s what we are to be. You gotta love the imagery of the Bible, simple and to the point. I think sometimes the simplicity is what gets us, we just have to make things complicated, either that or we tend to overlook or downplay the simple truths of the Bible

I remember a few years back I was on a fishing tangent. I was trying to learn to do some new things, and fishing was on the list. I never really caught anything, unless you count the seaweed and the shoe I pulled out of the Sacramento River.

One day one of my young nephews invited me to go crayfishing with him. I had never been before, and I wanted to make sure I had everything I thought would help me catch a lot of crayfish. I can’t help but laugh at myself as I think back to all of the gear I brought with me that day, only to see my nephew walking up with just a five gallon bucket and some string. He took one look at my stuff and informed me that the only thing I needed out of all the many things I brought was a net.

I couldn’t argue with him after all I had never done this before,and although he was only 11 or 12 years old, I got the feeling he knew what he was doing so I just went along with him. I watched in amazement as he took the string and then pulled something out his pocket. It appeared to be something wrapped in a paper towel. Amazement turned to extreme curiosity, as he opened the paper towel to revealed what appeared to be several small chicken bones, and judging from the smell it was fried chicken that had just recently been eaten.

My nephew proceeded to break one of the bones and tied it to the end of the string he had. By now I was begin to question his ability to catch any crayfish, but I didn’t say anything, I just watched him as he worked. He tossed the chicken bone into the water, not too far out just near the shores edge. He waited for about a minute and then began to slowly pulled the string in.

To my surprise there were crayfish of all sizes clinging to the bone and the string and as he pulled the string there was even a trail of crayfish chasing after that chicken bone. I would have still been standing there with my mouth open, had he not summoned me to grab the net and scoop them up and place them in the bucket. Within a matter of minutes we filled that five gallon bucket with crayfish.

I learned a valuable lesson that day, and I constantly revisit and remind myself of what I learned that day. You see as Christians we are called to be fisher’s of men, but most times many of us are like I was that day…we show up with the right gear, the right text, the right sermon and our ten point lesson plans you name it we have it…but sometimes we just need the simple truth and a string to toss out a line and then reel it back in and then scoop up those who respond to the bait.

We forget that witnessing is like fishing, when you go fishing you bait & gear that is appropriate for the type of fish you are trying to catch…but when we go fishing for people we tend to think that the same bait and same gear works for all people…let me break it to ya…it doesn’t! We think that if we say all the right words, the people will automatically responds…not so.

I don’t know about you but I have yet to go fishing and stand up in the boat, and say “Fish I am here to catch you…Jump Into my Boat! and then the fish respond by jumping in the boat. I wish it worked like that…but it doesn’t. Likewise when it comes to people, you need to consider your audience, the “fish” you are trying to catch and then use the appropriate bait.

As fishers of men we need to be more clever, especially seeing that many people have a twisted view of God and Jesus. It’s time that we start following the Master Fisher and start reeling them in! Think on it…

Grace & Peace
Holy Ridaz

That Dress…

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…

That simple passage from 1 Timothy 2:9, sometimes seems to be overlooked when some of our “sistas” are selecting their attire.  When we come together for fellowship, we really need to consider each other and not do things that might serve as a distraction…ladies you need to help your brothas in Christ,  you can look nice without revealing everything…

Real Talk…the only things we wanna see raised in Church in Hands…Ya Dig!  Act Like ya know!

Meeting The Needs of The People?

Question: When you teach/preach/minister to people do you do so to meet their needs, or do you merely relay content and information?

I can admit that sometimes as a teacher I have been more involved with my content than with being in touch with the needs of my students/audience.  It happens to the best of teachers at times.  There is nothing wrong with being thorough, but at the same time we must learn to follow the example set by the master teacher, Jesus Christ.

Jesus always taught and ministered to the needs of the people.  He didn’t waste time giving them arbitrary facts that would not help them.  No He spoke directly to the issues and problems that they were facing.  Even when He dealt with people who were not sure of what their problem/need was, Jesus would skillfully expose their need in a way they coud clearly see it and He would then proceed to address that need.

A classic example is the Woman at the well, in John chapter 4.  Jesus not only reveals the woman’s need to her, but by the time He addresses it it does what “need centered teaching” does, it motivates or moves the student into action.  The woman goes into the town and compels everyone to come and meet this man who had just read her like a book.  Many people come from the town to hear Jesus and become believers as well.

Is your teaching/preaching/ministering like that?  When you are done are the listeners moved or motivated into action?   Your 27 points on the Book of Galatians might be informative and even intriguing, but when all is said and done does it help your students/audience with the needs they have?

If we want to be effective  when we are ministering to people, at some point we are going to have to connect with them and minister to their needs.  At some point we are going to have to follow the example set by Christ.   Let’s start meeting the needs of the people…

-one

Da Ridaz

Which Jesus Do You Serve?

Too many people are wearing their cross on a chain around their neck and not picking it up and carrying as Christ calls us to do…beggin us to ask the question which Jesus are we following…

It’s Time to…Arise

Sometimes life can be overwhelming for some of us…especially during this time of year. We just want to encourage you to hang in…♫cause joy comes in the mornin♫…so rise…♫

Shacah – Arise

What Are You Packin?

Dwayne Tryumf – I Don’t Pack A Matic

Jesus was a Copy Cat…

and we should be too!

There’s an old cliche about not be able to see the forest for all of the trees being in the way.  We think that many Christians suffer from a similar condition…we can’t see Jesus for who He really is because of all of the ideas and notions about who He is.

We read all about the miracles He performed and the way He lived His life…and it seems we still are a bit confused when it comes to following His example.  I have often made the statement that “Jesus is a Copy Cat”  and some Christians are even ready to fight me for making such a statement…”Why what exactly do you mean by that!”  After getting them to calm down I explain what I mean.

Before I explain myself to you…let me ask you a question.  Have you ever noticed in the Gospels that Jesus always downplayed the miracles He performed?  It could have been some pretty good PR for Him and His boys to keep the crowds Hyped over the miracles…but Jesus never did that.  As cool as the miracles were…they were not His primary reason for coming.

All of miracles performed by Jesus had all being previously performed in the Old Testament by some of God’s Prophets.  Hard to believe huh?  I know your brain is going through the list of miracles right now…but what about the water into wine that was original right?  Yes and no…water into wine was new but changing an otherwise flavorless substance into something pleasing and tasty to consume…that was done before.  How about praying over a limited supply of food and seeing that food miraculously be multiplied?  Done before!  Well surely Jesus was the first to raise someone from the dead…nope that was old school also.

What’s the point?  Where am I going with this you ask?  It’s simple really…Jesus never really made a big deal about the Miracles because they were not His Primary focus, and He had no desire to be in the spotlight.  His Primary Focus was to complete the Will of the Father.

In the title I used the term “copycat”, but not because Jesus copied the Miracles.  I used the term because in essence everything we witness Jesus doing in Scriptures was the result of Him copying (or following) His Father’s lead:

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. -John 5:19-21

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.“ John 8:28,29

As I am typing this I am thinking about myself as a child following my own Father’s lead…I think of my own children following my lead…as God’s Children and followers of Christ, we should have the same stance that Jesus had…to take all of our cues on what to do and say from the Father…PERIOD! We need to be copycats…imitators of God the Father, in the same manner that Christ was.

Jesus gave us all a perfect picture of God the Father, He took all of His cues from Him…we need to do the same…it’s time we all became copycats!  Seriously we do…and the only thing we have to lose in the process is ourselves…

Think on it…..

Da Ridaz

Food 4 Thought on: Prayer

Prayer is thee most powerful tool/weapon we have in our arsenal, yet it is often the least used.  Today’s Food for thought features quotes on prayer.  Check them out and do a self inventory…What is your Prayer Life Like?

Prayer succeeds when all else fails – E.M. Bounds

Prayer does not equip us for greater works – prayer is the greater works – Oswald Chambers

Prayer is never the Least we can do – A.W. Tozer

Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him – Hudson Taylor

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.-Samuel Chadwick

More Changes…

Greetings Fam,

We just wanted to check in with you this weekend and sort of touch base with you. There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes at Holy Ridaz. Before we get into any of that we want to first encourage all of you to join us in praying for those who are in the path of these storms. We know that many of our brothers and sisters in the faith are in those areas and we are praying that they find shelter, peace and protection during this time. We are also praying that God blesses and strengthens the police and rescue workers in those areas who have their hands full.

In the coming week we should be back to regularly posting, both here and at Holy Ridaz Remixxed. Additional changes you can look forward to are some new installments at Remixxed, the first of which is a weekly segment featuring a talented young man who goes by the name of PRO. We introduced him this week at remixxed (His Name is PRO.) Derek Johnson aka PRO is an up and coming Christian Artist/Producer. His new segment is part of our attempt to begin to put a face on the subculture of Christian Hip Hop or Holy Hip Hop. There are a lot of artist, producers, and enthusiast within the genre and each of them brings a unique flavor, approach and creativity to it, and we want to begin to help showcase some of that creativity. Tune in to Remixxed each week to see what’s on PRO’s mind and get a sneak peak into his daily routine and his beat making process.

Also at Remixxed be sure to check out our latest review of “Liberation” by Excelsius (Excelsius is one of those in the path of the storm please keep him in prayer) Find out what we thought about his latest project and why you should or shouldn’t get this CD. Other new features at Remixxed will include the addition of a different perspective in the area of reviews, we have been negotiating with the legendary DJ Wanablessu (pronounced wanna bless you). DJ Wanablessu’s reviews are sure to go where no other reviewer has dared to go…you don’t want to miss them.

There are still a few more changes that we can’t let out of the bag just yet, but be sure to stay tuned so that you don’t miss out. In the works are several new contests, and some free giveaways as well. They say it’s not how you start but how you finish, so as we approach the end of 2008 we want to pick up speed and go out with a bang and prepare to hit the ground running in 2009.

On the social side of the house, the Ridaz recently Joined the HHH Foundation For Social Justice. The Book of James describes perfect religion as caring for the widows and the orphans, the Bible also encourages us to take up the plight of the oppressed and down trodden. When you think about it isn’t that the example set by Jesus Christ? The HHH Foundation For Social Justice was formed to help bring both attention and to help raise financial support for “Save Darfur” if you are a member of the HHH community or you are concerned about what’s going on in Darfur you can either visit Remixxed and read out latest post regarding HHHFFSJ, or you can visit the website “Save Darfur.”

Heart Medicine

The Bible says laughter does the heart good like medicine so here’s a little heart medicine for ya today

That’s It No More Holy Ridaz!!!!!!!

Yeah you read that right….No More Holy Ridaz!!!

Okay…not really.  Actually we are launching a new spot, getting a new look and intensifying our efforts to reach a generation in desperate need of the truth.  We will still be maintaining our spot here at wordpress.com and in the coming weeks we will be making a few changes and then  our post here will pick back up.

Swing by our new spot at holyridaz.com

Jesus…Naked & Unashamed…

This one is worth repeating, it’s an article written by our roving writer mmog37. It deals with the Church and the Christian Community’s tendency to present a clean, trouble free religion even at the expense of compromising the Gospel…guaranteed to make you think! ( The article was written after there was a loud public outcry when an artist created a chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus on the Cross)

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Okay, when I saw the first article about the unveiling of a chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus..I didn’t think too much about it. However after seeing all of the fuss that was made about it and how eventually the sculpture was pulled from the gallery I thought I just might weigh in on the subject. I will try to say this as candidly as I can without being offensive.

First of all, why was the church outraged…because the statue was made out of chocolate…or because it depicted a naked and exposed Jesus? Almost everyone loves chocolate…and churches give tons and tons of it away on Easter anyway along with those horrid colored eggs. So it must not be the chocolate ( unless the only Church approved form of chocolate for Easter is the bunny rabbit) So the problem must have been the fact that it depicted a naked Jesus.

Personally I have yet to be convinced that any and I repeat any portraits, sculptures,, paintings or otherwise actually resemble Jesus in the first place. All of these portraits showing a glowing, pale skinned, fair haired smiling Jesus with a serene and unreal gaze upon His face…even pictures of His crucifixion show Him all clean with a few cuts and bruises and a clean white loin cloth upon Him…none of these are accurate either!

The more I began to look at this the more I can see that the simple act of creating that image of a clean lion cloth covered Jesus was the start of centuries of cover ups by the church! I mean if we can not look upon Our Savior’s crucifixion in all of it’s horror, then how can we appreciate the beauty of what He has done for us…what value will place upon the price that has been paid for our freedom.

This imaginary lion cloth has caused us to be unable to come, broken, bruised, torn and exposed…instead we put on our religious faces and our spiritual coverings all the while never bringing to God the very brokenness He longs to heal…the very thing He offered His son’s life in exchange for. The Cross of Calvary was not a walk in the park for Jesus Christ…it was horrible, the point was to humiliate and mock Him…listen to the description of the crucifixion from the Bible…

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27: 28-31

They stripped Jesus to mock Him, and then they put his own clothes back on Him…and at the cross he was stripped again

They crucified him and then divided his clothes among them by throwing dice. After that they sat there and watched him. Above his head they put the written notice of the accusation against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then they crucified two bandits with Jesus, one on his right and the other on his left. People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus. Matthew 27: 35-39

The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed

The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.

-and-

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; Isaiah 52:10, 13,14

Jesus hung there on that Cross with His hands nailed to it…unable to cover himself…even if He wanted too…and yet He went through it for me…for you…for all of us. He hung there naked and unashamed…with no covering…save one and that was His Blood. Just like all of the sacrificial lambs before Him, that for centuries were merely a representation of what Jesus would do on that cross…once and for all.

It is the Adam in us that reaches for the fig leaf and wants to hide the truth…to cover our brokenness and our nakedness…and try to hide from God…but as long as we seek covering other than the Blood of Jesus Christ we are subject to remain broken, and ashamed, and not receiving the peace that was purchased by Jesus.

… And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:3b-5

It is time for the Church and the Christian Community to “Wake Up!” It is time to do away with all of these attempts to “cover ourselves” up…our loin cloths…and our beautiful churches with the stained glass…our titles and “spare-rituality. We have sat for too long on our padded pews and grown softer backsides and hardened hearts. The loin clothed covered Jesus is the perfect picture of the religiosity that we have created in the church…and until we deal with it we will continue to have church people in in uproar over candy Jesus’s…and other insignificant replicas… we will continue to have high profile ministers shocking their congregations with confessions of falling into secret sins…church members who are Holy and devout at church and live like the devil at work, school and home…people who come to church and struggle with the same sins continually for years and years…and priest that molest little children… injured people angrily turning their backs on God and Church… and the list goes on.

Jesus was made bare…so that we may be covered. The Cross of Calvary was not pretty! Shame on us for trying to cover up…if we can not behold our Savior’s in His suffering…how can we appreciate it…how can we be made whole and become covered ourselves..and most importantly how can we reach those who are currently broken and naked and hurting without first trying to cover them up or making them feel as if they must become presentable and acceptable before receiving our help and attention! I pray that we(Christians) begin to grow up and move forward…and realize that most of the things we associate with Church have absolutely nothing to do with God…but they are merely modern day fig leaves that make us feel as if we are covered..but still keep us hiding in the bushes from God, and causes us to become obstacles to those who are hurt broken and naked and looking for a saviour!

From The Ridaz Guide – R.E.A.L. Talk

R.

Respect & Pray for Authority. Real Ridaz have respect for authority! It’s the wankstas and wannabee’s who think that it is cool to run around with no regard for authority, doing or saying whatever whenever however, taking no thought whatsoever of what effect their actions will have on their future and on everyone else. They think it’s cool to live their lies without any real accountability.

Real Ridaz know that their Love for, Submission to, and Obedience of God is demonstrated and played out in their everyday lives. They know that you can pretty much measure and sum up a persons position and reflection of God by how they react and interact with both authority and their neighbors.

You say that you love God…really but you have a problem obeying and respecting authority? Something is wrong with that picture! The Word covers this issue, remember the homie John, He was tight with Christ and in one of his letters he challenges us on a similar issue. Let me refresh your memory:

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.

Now John was talking directly about loving and caring for the people we see, but it is not a stretch to apply this same rule or concept to obedience and respect of authority. Think about it…how can you claim submission and obedience to God and you don’t directly obey or respect the authority over you. We’ve all seen it…worship directors running rogue doing their own thing giving the pastor a headache. Members of the congregation who mumble and complain and do all they can to create some sort of mutiny. People supposedly hearing messages from God and using it as a justification for being divisive and destructive.

That is not the way of the Real Ridaz, it’s not the way of True Believers! Our job is not to be a thorn in the side of our leaders. Our job is to pray for them..to respect them. After all our claim is that God is in control right? Here’s another reminder from The Word, 1 Timothy 2:1-3

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

Let’s Not forget the homie Paul’s letter to the Hebrew’s either, Hebrews 13:17:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Here’s the bottom Line fam,

Real Ridaz…True Believers walk it out. We don’t just talk good game. Proverbs declare that when the righteous rule the city rejoices. Our communities, workplaces and churches should rejoice that we are there. Our leaders should have one less worry when it comes to us. It’s time to stop trippin and put some real tangible evidence to this faith walk. You Love God…then prove it!

Real Talk!

The Key = Prayer

prayer is the key

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit…Luke 18:1

When it comes to our prayer life, most of us have it twisted or backwards. We make our plans and go about doing what it is that we want to do and then we throw in a little prayer at the end hoping that God signs off on our projects. If you really want to see success in your endeavors, then they will have to be built upon a solid sturdy foundation of prayer.

The scriptures declare that the fervent (red hot passionate) prayers of the righteous makes great power available and boy oh boy how fervently we pray…when we find ourselves in trouble, or when things get messed up. It really shouldn’t be this way fam!

We must begin to switch this equation around. We must passionately and zealously seek God and His direction first and foremost, and then develop a steady continual prayer life. Even before the first plans are made you really should just pray..and then pray some more.

You see your ministry, career or project will only be as strong and as successful as your prayer life is! Prayer is the Key!

• Prayer will keep you grounded.

• Prayer will keep you tuned in to the Holy Spirit (who sees and knows all and shares with those that make themselves available)

• Prayer is the altar on which you can lay down your plans and desires and pick up His

• Prayer combined with The Word is the Power Source of your Soul!

Prayer is one of…if not thee most important and powerful tool we have in our arsenal, it’s why the enemy tries his best to keep us distracted and wrapped up with mundane and trivial activities. We always appear to have so many things to do all of which distract and deter us from taking the time to pray first. We must do better!

Are you seeing success in your endeavors? Stagnate in your growth? Wherever you are currently make the decision today to develop a “red hot” passionate prayer life…keep an open direct line to the Throne because not just your success is riding on this..but our success as the Body depends on it as well! As always think on it fam…

Da Ridaz