Jay Gamble

To everything there is a season……. Ecclesiastes 3:1

 Lenten Season is upon us! This is a season filled with fasting, sacrifice and denying oneself. This year our church started 2010 with a 21 day Daniel fast. Our corporate fast set us up for the season that we are walking in now. Ministry seems “easier” and I can see God moving in worship service and in the lives of the great people at Life Change. We are having to set up additional seats, seeing our praise team moving into new levels, people flooding the alter and God touching lives.

I remember when Life Change first started. There were times I thought to myself, “why does God have us here?” Even in the lean times God has always has his hand on the ministry and people of Life Change. One Sunday I thought I preached my worst sermon ever, it was about God being the God of another chance, I was glad when service was over, I was on my way to climb under a rock when a young brother came up to me after service and said “Rev. Gamble thank you for your message, it meant so much to me, can you pray with me, tomorrow I am going to check into a substance abuse facility.” I prayed with him and then I repented for being so selfish and self centered. Afterward I thought to myself, “I guess God knows what He is doing after all…”

I am thankful for every season because they make us value and appreciate the goodness of God. As you are reading this email, know that whatever season you’re in, God is working it all out for your good. God will not fail you, He holds the seasons of your life in His hand.

       Here in the DC Metro area, we are in a season on snow. Snow everywhere, white snow, brown snow, black snow, I have even seen orange snow. While I am thankful for a warm home, I am looking forward to the season changing. Green grass, 75 degree days, I’ll even welcome mosquitoes back into my life (smile). Seasons are seldom permanent; they change often from month to month and sometimes even day to day.

            I was glad to see the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl. I mean hey, if the Redskins can’t win, I might as well pull for the Saints right? On the streets of New Orleans, “Mardi Gras/Carnival Season” just ended yesterday.  Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” and “Fat Tuesday” represents the last night of eating calorie rich foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten Season which begins today February 17, 2010.  Today is also known as “Ash Wednesday”, the first day of Lent which occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. You may remember seeing a minister mark the head of a fellow Christian with the mark of the cross symbolizing that they are covered under the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

            So today we enter into a season of repentance, or turning our hearts back to God, to seek guidance, wisdom, provision, mercy and grace. Just like I am looking forward to a warmer season, I am thankful that our spiritual seasons change as well. I am personally looking to God for so many things; I am just excited to know that God’s goodness remains the same even when the seasons of my life change.

Lots wife looked back…….many who followed Jesus turned back. Are you looking at what you HAD or focusing on what you HAVE? So many of us are paralyzed by our past mistakes that instead of accepting the OPEN door that God has chosen, we are STUCK looking at the door that God has closed many years ago. My prayer for all of us is that we will have the COURAGE to look to the future and let the past go.

Let us turn our text to the book of wonder…….. Stevie Wonder…..where it says…..

They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They’ve been wasting most their lives
Glorifying days long gone behind
They’ve been wasting most their days
In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise
Tell me who of them will come to be
How many of them are you and me

Dissipation
Race Relations
Consolation
Segregation
Dispensation
Isolation
Exploitation
Mutilation
Mutations
Miscreation
Confirmation…….to the evils of the world

They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They’ve been looking in their minds
For the day that sorrow’s gone from time
They keep telling of the day
When the Savior of love will come to stay
Tell me who of them will come to be
How many of them are you and me

Proclamation of Race Relations
Consolation
Integration
Verification of Revelations
Acclamation
World Salvation
Vibrations
Simulation
Confirmation…….to the peace of the world

They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They’ve been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
We’ve been spending too much of our lives
Living in a pastime paradise

Let’s start living our lives
Living for the future paradise
Praise to our lives
Living for the future paradise
Shame to anyones lives
Living in a pastime paradise

Taken from Pastime Paradise from Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life

Hey I admit it, its cool to have a lot of “friends” on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace…..you look up and have all these friends and if you are not careful you can begin to think….”people really like me!”

What I have experienced with these social networking sites is that people become who they want to be and not necessarily who they are. For example, about 10 % of the American population struggles with depression, yet none of my 1500 plus (combined) Facebook, Twitter or Myspace friends seem to have this issue. I mean I never read a post that says “I am just so depressed”. Here’s another example, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that 1 out of every 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. However none of my social networking “friends” seem to have this issue either.  I have never read a post that says “my boyfriend is yelling at me and he just hit me.”  Ok one last example, sexually transmitted diseases are out of control, but none of my friends has ever posted “Just got back from taking my test, yep it’s Gonorrhea”. And although the Washington DC community has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rate for African Americans, in the nation, no posts from any of my friends on this issue. Not even a post encouraging others to get tested and know your status. I read posts that ask me to take quizzes, play games and join network marketing organizations. None of which are necessarily bad by the way.

Every now and then, on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace someone will “Unfollow” or “Unfriend” me. I have done this myself when I see that people’s posts are getting negative or raunchy. After I posted my thoughts on Dr. Gates being arrested in his home, several people “un-followed” me on Twitter. Not to re-hash everything, in short I think that Gates was probably ticked and rude to the officer, but I don’t think the officer should have arrested him. The officer was the one with the power that day, he stated that he knew Gates lived there, I think the situation would have been better served if the officer would have walked away.

So in closing let me share with you what really matters as we keep things in perspective. The people who matter to  me the most are my beautiful wife and three wonderful sons. I hope that they will always “follow me” and never “un-friend” me. It is a heart breaking thing when families are broken and too many of our families are broken in some way. I am doing my very best to ensure that I build strong loving relationships with my family that will last a lifetime and even after I am gone they will have fond memories of the times we shared together. This may surprise you but let me be the first to say that I don’t have life all figured out. I am a fragile man depending on God to make a difference in my life each day. I have good days and bad days. My wife is being healed from breast cancer and anyone who tells you chemo isn’t hard is flat out lying. Walking beside my wife during this time is a unique experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. As crazy as it sounds, my wife’s cancer has brought me closer to my wife, family and God, so for that I am grateful.

So if you are reading this because you are connected to me, don’t get caught up with your social networking friends, focus on the people God has placed directly in front of you, be yourself (online and in person) and above all else, trust God. Now that is keeping things in perspective.

This week our Bible Study Topic was Stop Looking Back…….

We looked at the Story of Lot’s wife in the Old Testament…(Gen 19:26)

Our Study is best described in the song “No Looking Back” by Gospel Artist Damita Haddon…….

 No Looking Back

Damita Haddon

 I am leaving this place now

Letting go of all my fears

Saying good-bye to the memory I hold dear….

I can finally breathe again

It’s a new day fair well past

as I close this chapter I set free at last….

 CHORUS

I made up my mind

There’s no turning back-the past is behind me

There’s no looking back

I’m looking forward not behind

I’ve made a decision

I give you my life

Every step I take is new

I found courage to go on

though it’s rough sometime I still have to be strong

I may have to walk alone

but the One who lives inside me is always there to comfort and to guide

 CHORUS

I made up my mind

There’s no turning back-the past is behind me

There’s no looking back

I’m looking forward not behind

I’ve made a decision

I give you my life

I can see the sun breaking through the clouds

Lifting my hands cause I’m all right now

I can shout about it, I can laugh about it, I can talk about it