Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

"This Christmas”

A SPOKEN WORD PRESENTATION

How does that song go?

You know from that Christmas movie

Oh yes, This Christmas

Hang all the mistletoe,

I’m going to get to know you better

This Christmas

As we,

Prepare the meals, let’s prepare for spills.

As we clean the kitchen,

Let’s also clean the closet.

Every skeleton and bone of this family

That’s been buried for years shall have the

Opportunity to heal.

As we,

Say grace, let’s not forget to extend it.

I know your son’s not the man he’s supposed to be.

Flunked out of college, the only Mathematics he

knows is multiplying his seed,

and dividing his time between the ladies.

Paying child support

but there’s no child support.

Now, another child feels rejected and is left

Unprotected.

I know your daughter wears her clothes way too tight

and her choices in men just ain’t right.

One only wants to use, the other only wants to abuse,

and the one she really wants doesn’t even want her.

She’s been living off the system

because she never developed a system

or took advantage of grandmama’s wisdom.

As we,

Pass the peas, cousins can we please

Let bygones be bygones,

That money she borrowed is long gone.

Is $300 bucks worth not extending memory lane together?

Come on y’all,

Think about all the good times y’all used to have.

See y’all used to play dolls together

Do hair together, roll dice together

Shoot hoops together,

and because that was fam you would

Jump through hoops forever.

When did forever end

and that family bond becomes so singed?

Now, go ahead and butter these biscuits

because we need to lighten the mood

and end this family feud.

It was with this ring that you be-wed

and in her bed, you betrayed her trust

because you gave in to passion and lust.

Now, her heart is crushed

because she played the fool but she can’t

help but remember you were her first

crush.

Now, go ahead, get the hot sauce

and pour it on these chitterlings

and if you can’t stand the heat then

Get out the kitchen.

If you can’t stand the smell, just remember

You brought it in when you took us through hell.

Did I forget to mention

How drug addiction

Almost tore this family apart

Or how one sister was treated like royalty

because her skin was high yellow and hair down her back

and the other made to feel like Dark & Lovely was just

a myth.

This Christmas

Will be a very special Christmas

This Christmas

We will see just how good my God can be.

As we,

Gather together

We can see how we made it through all that mess

and the darkest weather.

As we,

Cut in this heavenly ham

Heaven will remind us of how far we’ve come

From scraping at the bottom

and being on food stamps and public assistance

to praising at the top because you got good credit

and money in the bank

Ayo shorty what you think!

See the world may say loving you is wrong

because you are the reason I can’t sleep at night.

Family secrets are reoccurring nightmares

But this Christmas will be a very special Christmas

Because instead of saying grace, We will receive it.

Unto us, a child is born

a son is given

and He is the reason we all are forgiven.

He stands at the door and He knocks

and with a tick and a tock

He will turn back the clock

This Christmas will be a very special Christmas

See the prodigal son will come home because

he’s been gone way too long.

I may not be my brother’s keeper but

I will no longer be his grim reaper.

No more putting his name to shame talking about the dreadful things

he did at night.

We will hug the sisters we haven’t seen for years

and maybe even shed tears.

Uncle John is finally going to get some help

and Aunt Joyce will never feel alone, again.

We will come to visit you at the nursing home and make sure we

right all our wrong.

This Christmas will be a very special Christmas

Because the King is here. It’s time for the best part

Cakes and pies

as far as the eyes can see.

Something for you and something for me

Over a slice of pecan pie, that stuck up Aunt will say Hi

and she will realize

Her money don’t make her any better than

anybody else.

Then,

We will smell something even sweeter than big Mama’s cakes.

It is the sweetest name I know.

Something about that name

Jesus.

Nails in His hands. Nails in His feet

A crown of thorns on His head.

This Christmas

We will see you in all your glory as you restore the family once more.

Mothers won’t feel stressed

Children will feel love

Fathers will feel like they’re enough

Cousins will hug

Brothers won’t fight

Sisters won’t hate

Outside children will be embraced

Wounds will heal

Hearts will forgive

But still.

Ain’t nobody eating Aunt Bessie’s cooking.

We’re still gonna ask ‘Who made the potato salad?!!’

Oh yea

Make sure there’s no raisins in the Macaroni and get the dogs and cats

out the kitchen

Laughter is good for the soul.

This family is now made whole

This Christmas! Will be a very special Christmas!

Minister Courtney Reed

I Can Fly Ministries & Trinity Temple Church, Vicksburg, Ms

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

"ShareThe Gift”

Can you imagine being young, innocent and ready to enter the world as many would use in today's vernacular, "your best life"?  The excitement and anticipation one must feel believing they have the perfect plan to live out their dreams; only to discover that God has a greater plan orchestrated.  A plan which would become the avenue for all to not just live their "best life" but to live life more abundantly. 

Case in point: Mary the mother of Jesus.  Young, engaged and planning a life and future as she awaits her marriage to Joseph.  What a pivotal moment in her life as she is informed of God's decision to include her on a course that would impact all of humanity.   The innocence and virtue God saw in her life as she was chosen to give birth to the King our Savior Jesus Christ.  This wasn't an ordinary birth but an extraordinary one.  A birth that would cause the word to become flesh and dwell among us; a birth that demonstrated healing, forgiveness and love even in the face of adversity.  More importantly, a birth that ushered in the good news, the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

As we embark upon the season in which the world chooses to recognize His birth through gifts and celebrations, as believers, let us be mindful of the gospel and what it signifies to us.  The gospel signifies that Christ came to settle a debt; a debt that was created before any of us were born.  So, for believers, it’s not about a season, but a reason!  God gave the ultimate gift in Jesus Christ! Therefore, as believers, it’s up to us to ensure the reason doesn’t last for a season. It is incumbent upon us to share the gift of Jesus Christ to all who are yet to believe. 

Minister Kathy Hughes

Mt. Carmel Ministries, Vicksburg, Ms

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

"The Message”

Now, platforms are all the rage. Whether it's a social media influencer, politician, or professional athlete, they are all vying to garner our attention with messages that cover an array of topics.  Without a doubt, many of their messages may have been beneficial to our well-being and existence, and others may have provided a wealth of information to help us make informed personal decisions.  Although this may be true, we must admit that their message(s) aren’t consistent, may be exclusive in nature, and are plagued with ulterior motives. 

However, there is a platform that was established at the beginning of time in which we can trust with a message that has consistently remained the same and it is fully inclusive.  More importantly, this message is rooted and grounded in love.

It is the message of Jesus Christ, and how the Father so loved each of us that He sent His only begotten son to this earth.  Isn’t it so wonderful to know that despite our human frailties, the Father so desires to be connected to us and offered an extension of His love through the birth of His son Jesus?  In fact, Luke 4:18 says, he was sent to proclaim the good news, proclaim freedom, and to relieve oppression! 

He sent Jesus with only one proposition, and that is for us to believe in Him.  To believe in Him simply means that we trust Him and in His word.  When we do, we are guaranteed His continual presence, peace, and protection.     

As believers we must understand, regardless to how prevalent other messages may be, there is only one message that will remain relevant.  It is the message of Jesus Christ.  He is the good news and a message that will never disappoint, love in spite of, and will always forgive.  More importantly, it is a message that was established on a platform, God’s word, which is the truth and when all things fade away it will still stand!

Minister Kathy Hughes

Mt. Carmel Ministries, Vicksburg, Ms

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

“A Prepared Table”

Psalm 23:5 (NKJV), "You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies"

This often quoted scripture has been heard throughout the years of a believer's time in the faith. Psalm 23 is the assured presence and provision of the Good Shepherd and His sheep. As we are in the season of preparing tables, I would like to explore the Father's intent in preparing a table for us. Firstly, there must be an admission that a lot of emphasis has always been placed on what God does in front of our enemies, haters, and the like. However, I would like to shift your focus to the point of the Father taking the time to prepare a table for you and in front of you.

The word "before" is a preposition, which is a word that signifies location, relationship, time, direction, position, and the introduction of an object. The preposition before is telling us in which direction to place our attention, in front of us. When we are so busy taking notice of what is happening around us, we lose sight of what God is doing in front of us.

In the midst of our sight, right in front of us, God is preparing a table. This preparation that the Father does is His activity of laying out and arranging His word before us. He is ordering His promises and instructions that would allow us to consume and digest without being so full to the point we are incapable of forward movement. The Father is creating a spread that speaks of who He is and what He desires of you, from you, and with you. He prepares a table before you, but it isn't just for you. It is a table for two. The word prepare does not only mean to lay out, arrange, and order; it also means to join in battle.

It is not God's design to bless you and then leave you. He has plans to sit with you and meet with you. He has plans to strategize with you so that when you leave the table, you leave with step-by-step instructions to take victory; you leave assured that the battle that awaits you is already won. The table of God is not a place of feasting for your own self-gratification and pleasure; it is the spread-out invitation of the Great King and Commander in Chief.

The problem that we have is that for too long we have been taught to prepare a place for God. Through this passage of Scripture alone, along with so many others throughout the Bible, we see that God has prepared a place for us. In this moment, He is doing it right in front of you.

Will you stop the constant movement, the busyness, and gather your displaced focus, and place your attention before you? Will you meet with the King at the spread He has laid out so that you can secure your next place of destiny? Will you take your seat at the prepared table?

Jazmine Cole

New Beginnings Training and Equipping Center, Vicksburg, Ms

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

"Will You Rejoice?”

This time of year, we find ourselves wanting to take stock of all the things we are grateful for. We examine the blessings we have in our health, our families, our jobs, our salvation, and so on. But what happens when the things you should be grateful for are the things you complain about the most? We see it daily in the form of such statements as:

• Man, I don't want to go to work today!

• My husband/wife get on my nerves!

• These children make me sick!

• I'm tired of spending so much money on these bills.

The list can go on.

As believers in the Earth, we are faced daily with frustrations, tiredness, anger, etc. We find ourselves confronted with the choice of gratitude or giving into emotion. It goes without saying that we have heard enough of dying to our emotions, but what happens when your emotions are louder than anything else around you? What happens when the blessings feel like burdens? Is this normal?

The answer is a resounding yes! Not only are these feelings normal, but the Father has already made provisions for this. Let's explore Scripture for an moment. The Apostle Paul admonishes believers in Philippians 4:4 to "rejoice in the Lord always." Always is a constant, unceasing, moment of time. We are to find ourselves taking joy and delighting in God. This is the first step in overcoming the weight of our blessed reality. If any point we rejoice in the good times of our marriage, the success of our children, the promotions of our career, the sales we find in the grocery store, and anywhere else, we remove ourselves from the place of eternal rejoicing. It is in God, where we take our delight knowing that "every good and perfect gift comes from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.." (James 1:17 NKJV)

The next vantage point we have is understanding that we don't have to escape our human emotions in order to be grateful. We have already established that gratitude is a matter of divine posture. However, there are times our human emotions make getting into that divine posture difficult. This difficulty shouldn't be ignored, but it should be addressed, and our Messiah does so in Matthew 26:36-46. We know of the Christ's Garden of Gethsemane experience. We know all too well of his prayer to the Father, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." It is seen throughout the testimony we have of Jesus Christ, that He served at the pleasure and will of the Father, but in this particular passage of Scripture, we see the Son of Man who is feeling the human weight of the assignment God has given Him. Christ knew that the end result yielded much good in the restoration of mankind back to God and His original intent, yet it was the Messiah who prayed THREE times, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Christ did not escape or hide what He was feeling in His emotions, but it is was in His vulnerability of His human emotion that led to His glorifying of the Father. The latter half of his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

As we move forward in this holiday season, let us not seek to escape our emotions orcover them up. Instead, let us endeavor to be vulnerable before the Lord in prayer about where we truly are in our soul with the assured promise that we have a "High Priest who understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do.." (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). After we present our humanity, may we emerge realigned to the divine posture and position as sons of God who know that all that we have is because of our Good Father, and in Him, and in Him alone, can we rejoice always!

Jazmine Cole

New Beginnings Training and Equipping Center, Vicksburg, Ms

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

The Gift of Gratitude

Psalm 95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs and praise


With Christmas fast approaching, there’s always a sense of excitement around this time of year. We become ecstatic about the decorating of our home and even the gift shopping for our loved ones. We can’t wait to come together to laugh and fellowship with each other! But when was the last time we showed a sense of Gratitude and Gratefulness to God?

We sometimes get so caught up in the holiday that we forget the real reason for it. Let us this year take the time out to show true gratitude to God and for Christ who was born on purpose and with a purpose.

Without Him we wouldn’t be possible for the holidays that we celebrate so graciously. Real Gratitude is honoring the one who paves the way for our lives to become a reality.

Let’s take the time this year instead of going through traditional ways of doing things, to come together Praising and Worshipping a True King (Christ) who was born.

This may be the only invite we get to share the real reason for the holiday we look forward to each and every year. So let’s do it with Gratitude and Joy Honoring God for His LOVE for Us and Christ for His obedience to the Father. This is definitely the time of the year where Gratitude should be Exemplified.

Let your Gratitude for the King be known and shown worldwide. ( 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 NIV)

Cedrick Davis

Becoming U Mentoring and Life Coaching

Perspective In Him: A Holiday Devotional Series

The Gift of Hearing

Matthew 11:15 NIV Whoever has ears, let them hear

This is the time of the year that we get so busy planning flights to travel, and prepping to have a feast with our loved ones. We can get so consumed with our own agendas that we neglect to acknowledge though it is a time of Thanksgiving, it’s also a time when God is speaking to Us and to Our Hearts.

Have you gotten so busy (occupied) to the point you can’t hear God speaking to you? Thanksgiving is not only a time to gather, but also a time to have listen ears to what God is saying to you( Matthew 13:13-16)NIV.

Let us not miss the voice of the Holy Spirit in this season, who’s speaking to us on God’s behalf about what He wants us to do in this season. Your Thanksgiving this year can come through being a blessing to someone else or spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to those that haven’t come to know and receive Him ( 2 Timothy 4:1-5 NIV)

Question: Have you Pre•Pared your ears to hear God in this Season?

Cedrick Davis

Becoming U Mentoring and Life Coaching