The MPC Podcast

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.                                                                John 19:30 (NIV)

This scripture is the conclusion of the account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, what we now refer to as Good Friday. However, when you read the story there doesn't seem to be anything good here: Jesus carrying the cross on the journey to the crucifixion, the mocking on the way, the beating, being pierced by a crown of thorns and His ultimate death. We can only imagine the grief and horror of those that had been close to Jesus - His family members, His disciples, His friends. Even though the scriptures had prophesied AND Jesus taught that He would rise again, it was a very dark day, with sadness and anguish. People had lost hope because they believed that Jesus would be their Redeemer and become their Earthly king, freeing them from oppression of the Roman government. His death left many with feelings of hopelessness and despair.

We as believers now call that fateful Friday Good Friday but that's only because we know how the story unfolded. When Jesus said "It is finished", His earthly ministry had come to an end but it certainly was not the end of the story. The prophecies were being fulfilled. The full story is Jesus suffering, death AND resurrection! When Sunday came the gift of Salvation was made available to us all. This was a gift not just for the moment or the season, but for eternity and for us all who would believe!

Now thinking back to what those moments on Friday must have been like and the responses of the people all around. I also think about today when we are going through things, our deepest darkest hours of grief, times of challenge, times of conflict.  

Sometimes it might be difficult to call a day “good” because of what we can see in front of us.

It might be difficult to recognize:

…that later (maybe three days, maybe more or maybe less) that something good is coming

…that God is working out a bigger plan that we can't see in that moment. 

When we remember that on Resurrection Sunday the goodness, and the prophecy, and the promises of Jesus were being fulfilled, then we are reminded that God is continually working out his plan for our lives. We can in those moments (in those Friday moments) remember that Sunday is coming. Deliverance is coming. Resurrection is coming. Salvation is coming!

Lord help us to always remember that your plan is always at work and still at work even when we have confusion, despair, or just not enough information about what's coming next. Help us to remember that your plan is always at work even when we feel uncomfortable, sad or grieved. Help us to remember that your plan is at work and bring us to a place of peace knowing that you are in control and you're working it out for the good of us, those that love you Lord. We thank you, we praise you.

In Jesus name, Amen

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Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation also called Afib at 23 years old which is sometime ago. Afib is an irregular heartbeat. I don’t have it all the time. It happened more frequently when I was younger. Before last year -2022, the last episode was in 2015. When that happened – long story, short – I ended up in the hospital for a week and was cardioverted. Basically, I describe cardioversion as the way they shock dead people. Doctors don’t describe it that way, but…

When I had another Afib episode last year, I decided I didn’t want to be shocked again or be in the hospital for a week. My new cardiologist was on board. She had a drug that could get me back into sinus rhythm, which is a regular rhythm. To make this happen, I needed to spend sometime in the hospital and they would watch me to see if the drug actually worked.

I got to the hospital relatively early. I was hoping that it would be quick. The nurse practitioner told me I’d be out before lunch. Of course, that didn’t happen and I had a great hospital lunch. (I also have jokes.) What I was doing was just lying in the hospital bed waiting. I was checked pretty regularly. My doctor came by a few times too. On her second or third visit she seemed a little disappointed, but not really surprised that it wasn’t working. I gathered that the usual protocol was to try this pill and when it didn’t work roll the patient into the area where cardioversions take place.

The next check on my blood pressure gave a result of 85/40. Clearly, I don’t suffer from white coat syndrome. Hospitals and doctors don’t raise my blood pressure. My normal blood pressure runs from 90/60 – 110/70. This extra low blood pressure is one of the reasons I ended up in the hospital for a week in 2015. After the Nurse Practitioner left from checking on me, I could see my heart rate was bouncing all over the place. 97, 114, 78, 123. This is actually unusual for me. When I’m in afib, my heart rate is typically a regular irregular of less than 60 bpm.

The only thing for me to do was wait, think…and pray. I remembered Dr. Khaalida Forbes speaking at a Healthy Churches 2030 conference a few years ago. She said something about letting God heal you the way He wants. She was really talking about mental health and how some of us don’t get the help that we need and is available. You know that sometimes we ask God for something and tell Him how to do it too. Not our job. In this moment, I knew this applied to me. I wanted to be healed, my way. I just wanted the pill to fix it. In that next moment I decided that whatever way I needed to be healed, I would take it. If I had to have a cardioversion or any other process or procedure, I would be ok. I’d be healed. Then I prayed that God heal me whatever way He wanted. Almost instantly, I felt my heart go back to a normal rhythm. I looked at the monitor to see if I was just kidding myself. I wasn’t. I saw a pretty steady 64.

I just laid there for a little while and waited for the Nurse Practitioner to come back. She was talking as she walked toward my bed. I could hear in her voice that she wasn’t expecting success. When she finally got close enough to look at the monitor, she said excitedly, “You’re in sinus rhythm.” “I know,” I replied rather coolly. Next she said, “You better praise God.” .

I’m still praising Him.

Btw, my blood pressure was 90/60 on that next check and I was free to go home.

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11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.                                                                                                                                           

~ 1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV

Have you ever been out to a baseball game?  The crowd is roaring the game is exciting, and your team is winning!  People are sitting all around you and various activities are going on. A family with three, energetic kids is sitting near you.  The parents are watching the game, aware of every move of each kid and working to keep their entire family engaged in the game.  Behind you, a group of guys sitting together and yelling across the bleachers at another party of guys for fun and laughs.  Does life sometimes seem just as loud and chaotic as the events surrounding a baseball game?  Like the parents, we try to manage and control people, and things around us. Like the guys, we find time to relax, laugh and let our guards down.  As Christians, we are constantly looking to see where God is in all of this.  It is when we spend time with God that we get to know Him more.  It is when we read God’s word, we get to hear Him more.  God wants us to spend time with Him in prayer and the reading of His word. This will help strengthen you as you go through life.  No matter how loud life gets, God will speak to you.

Lord, thank you for Your word today, a word of life and of hope.  We ask that You continue to guide us in all that we do.  We ask that You reign over every area of our lives.  We thank You for being mindful of us and for Your word that speaks to us.  Thank you that in chaos You continue to speak to us and in peace, we are able to hear you.  Thank You for loving us and for keeping Your word alive in us. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen

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But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.                                                                                                                               

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Acknowledging weakness is viewed negatively by the world. I was always taught and told to be strong and  independent, not to show weakness. However, scripture says‘…God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.’ (1Corinthians 1:20 NLT). God allows trials, temptations, and afflictions, or ‘thorns’ in our lives to strengthen our faith in Him. As we go through our weaknesses, the Lord is waiting for us to seek Him and rely on His divine strength and power, not our own.

The apostle Paul pleaded with Jesus three times to take away his troubling affliction, the thorn in his flesh. Jesus did not remove his thorn. Instead, He told  Paul “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9a). In response to Jesus’s words, Paul said he would gladly boast about his weaknesses so Christ’s power would rest on him. Paul trusted the sufficiency of the Lord’s grace and experienced Christ’s perfect power. Through boasting about his weaknesses, Paul gave Jesus, the source of his abiding strength, all the glory and not himself. Paul knew it was because of the power he had through Jesus’s grace that even in weakness, he was strong.

Jesus said “…Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart,  because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT). Like Paul we can also experience Christ’s all sufficient power and give the Lord the glory by boasting about our weakness. We can break free from fear of weakness due to life’s struggles, temptations, trials, or any ‘thorn’. We don’t have to do it alone, in our inadequate strength. Our weakness becomes the place where we experience Christ’s power. So, acknowledge your weakness, turn it over to the Lord and trust in His divine grace and power. The Lord may not remove your thorn, but He has promised, “...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” (Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV)

Abba Father, when we are faced with the thorns of life, help us to seek you as our ultimate source of strength and power. Help us to break free from fear of our weaknesses and see them as opportunities to experience your perfect power and glorify Your name. Thank you for always being with us and for being our strength. To You and you alone be all glory, honor, and praise. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 

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“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…”

                                                                                                                                  Ephesians 1:4

Before the trees full of leaves swaying in the breeze

Before the wind blowing and swirling in the air

Before the clouds billowy and white

Before the sun flaming bright

Before the grass growing plentiful and green

Before the oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams

Before the birds singing their songs and dreams

Before the ground expansive and strong

Before the flowers unfolding their soft and delicate beauty

Before the stars illuminating in the sky

Before the light of day and the night so deep

Before the water filled with every creature powerful and unique

Before the plants and seeds to nourish and feed

Before the animals walked the earth to roam and lead

Before the foundation of it all, we were all woven together in the Spirit of the Lord.

He imagined what our face, hair, hands, feet, arms, legs, and total being would be.

We were all created in his love before anyone created could see.

What we should see when we look at one another is an amazing sister and caring brother.

God made all of us for His purpose and plan.

All living together throughout the world on every land.

Dear Lord,

We are reminded thankful that you are love and created us before the world began. We choose your way, your will, and your plan. We choose to live together in your love sent from heaven from your heart above.

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"Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with My Righteous Right Hand."                                                                                                                                              Isaiah 41: 10

In this world, there will be trials and tribulations. Burdens of illness, burdens of financial hardship, burdens of Marital problems, burdens of grief and so on. Burdens small or large but one of the ones that affects us the most is the burden of FEAR, specifically fear  of the unknown. In this passage, our God tells us not to be afraid or worry. He is our Sovereign Father and when there is a need, He will help us, strengthen us and uphold us with His Righteous Right Hand.  For this love affair to be complete, we must read His word, believe in His word and pray consistently. 

Lord, Your finished work on Calvary by faith has awarded us the freedom, knowing that we can come before your throne at any time without FEAR but with boldness and humility.  Even our Savior was afraid of the unknown on the cross but He gave it all to His Father who was with him to the end.  Heavenly Father, give us the grace to know that we are not alone. We have a loving Father who is always ready to carry our burdens if we allow Him to.  In Jesus’ Mighty name l have prayed. AMEN AND AMEN. 

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Rejoice in hope; Be patient in tribulation; Be constant in prayer.

                                                                                                   Romans 12:12 ESV

Do you feel defeated and helpless? Are the trials of this life, beating you down...

such as trials with unexpected failing health, sudden loss of a love one, lack of finances to meet your needs, disobedient children, and the list can go on and on?  But there is good news.  Our consistent prayer and daily scripture readings, in the presence of God, can strengthen and uplift our downtrodden and crushed spirits and give us a spirit of hope and victory, rather than hopelessness and defeat.

Consistent prayer with God and daily scripture readings allow us to see the heart of Jesus.  God has a divine purpose for those who love him. He wants His children to be victorious over the trials of this life. The scripture tells us to cast all our burdens upon the Lord, for He cares for us. Consistent prayer with God allows us to build a strong and intimate relationship with him.  This is where we meet him early morning or at any time of the day, to lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus.

Please join me in a few affirmations:

Affirmation #1: I will acknowledge my faith and trust in God. I am sure of this: God is with me always, even unto the end of the earth.

Affirmation #2: I will praise the Lord for the help of my countenance when my soul is downcast, because I trust He will help me to have victory over defeat in my life.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, our service is committed to you. Heal our broken hearts and rescue our crushed spirit from the cares of this world. Show us how to overcome defeat and be victorious through Christ Jesus. IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE PRAY, AMEN.

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But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 NIV

Surviving chaos is a burden that many of us live with today. When you turn on the news, you see the direction the world is headed. A war in Ukraine, earthquakes in Turkey, shootings in schools, men convicted of murdering their families and unyielding racial social unrest. As witnesses to the pressures of the world, we not only carry the burden of caring for the well-being of ourselves but for our loved ones as well. We struggle to imagine a day when peace will prevail and we will be free from hurt, pain and calamity.

In Micah chapter 7, we see a similar type of chaos unfolding around the prophet, as the Israelites are surrounded by dishonor, evil and confusion. The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes... (Micah 7:2-3) Nevertheless, Micah, a man of God, leaned into his faith, and was assured that if he waited on the Lord that his desires to be delivered would be heard. Micah teaches us a valuable lesson in how to Break free from the burden of surviving chaos. Put your hope in the Lord. Wait for him and he will hear you. It is the same blueprint that Christ would come to use as he followed the path to salvation. As we reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross, may we be encouraged to break free from the burden of surviving chaos, by laying our burdens at the feet of God and trusting that God will hear and answer.

LORD, you are our hope, our joy and our peace. You love us and have called us to release our burdens to you. As we go through our burden of survival, help us to remember that You will never leave nor forsake us. And even in our pain, if we put our hope in You, that You will NEVER fail. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:3-6 NLT

Have you felt alone, lost, confused, unwanted, depleted, annoyed with others or self, experiencing financial hardship, loss of life, sickness, loss of job, self-confidence, feeling JUST stuck? Fear Not ‼️  REST IN HIM 👆🏾

GOD reminds us to trust HIM and do good and  continue on our journey in spite of obstacles. HE is El Roi – the GOD who sees us, knows us and got us.

What is the spiritual meaning of trust?

Having faith is having trust. You have to trust with your entire being that God has your back that he will help you and take care of you. He knows what is best, but to truly embrace what He has planned for you, you have to fully trust. Our trust is not foolish, for our God is both faithful and good.

The enemy wants us to stop praying because it seems as if nothing is happening or taking place in our lives especially for complete healing of infirmities, mental illness, diseases and sickness.

BUT, don’t stop‼️  Trust HIM ‼️ Keep pressing through. Be vigilant and focus on and in seeking HIS face.

Brothers and Sisters, let us call on HIM at all times and release our thanksgiving with a grateful heart. HE forgives our sins - intentional and unintentional, our laziness, those crunchy moments with others and self, our unwillingness at times to let go and allow HIM to lead and grow us, when we are slow to make time to sit in HIS presence and listen, replacing our Bible study time with the tv, shopping or, social media, when we can go to the club, pub, picnics, our school homecoming, or choosing bedside Baptist over attending our church service on time and in person or YouTube. Please forgive us GOD.

Resting in HIM allows us to quiet ourselves before GOD and revives our mind, body, and spirit.

Resting in HIM is when we recuperate, rejuvenate, and re-center ourselves so we can better serve HIM and HIS very own.

Again, I encourage all of us to begin and for others to continue to Trust HIS word and process. Trust that HE will make all things new.

Father, we humble ourselves before you to thank you for your greatness, loving kindness, favor, protection, discipline, direction, blessing of life and calling us into your assignments each day. Thank you for calling and equipping us, allowing us to reflect and pause to share our concerns and ask you questions. Your constant presence gives us strength, life and assurance which is needed for renewal, repentance and revival. Even in the midst of challenges and hardships, You, dear GOD, are there to whisper, embrace, direct and carry us through. You have turned our sadness into gladness and unspeakable joy, those cloudy thoughts into clarity and great faith.  We honor and love you richly. Have your way in us and through us.  In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen

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When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?

                                                                                                                                    Job 34:29a

When we look around us, we find so much trouble. Trouble in our bodies where we, who have been healthy our entire lives, are now experiencing aches and pains that we don’t recognize. Trouble in our homes in which spouses are at war with one another, parents can’t seem to stay on the same page as children and in-laws have become outlaws. Then we turn on the radio or watch our televisions or open our newspapers and we find trouble in our communities where the constant refrain has become, “Things like that have never happened in our neighborhoods” but the increase in gun availability, illegal substances and lack of resources have caused spikes in violence, unusual behavior and upticks in crime. Then we hear about trouble in our government where politicians are lacking civility, inciting violence and speaking without thinking. Yes, we can find trouble in so many areas of our lives. And that may be bad news to some of us. But I’m so glad that we have a Lord who liberally dispenses peace in the midst of our storms, calm in the middle of our tornadoes and quiet in the center of our noise. And even when trouble seems to be in every corner of our lives, God makes sure to place us in the eye of the storm so that if we just depend on Him, that trouble, though present, won’t cause us to lose focus or be completely overwhelmed.

Let us pray:

Gracious Lord, we bring the trouble in our lives to You. We ask You to address all of these challenges and grant us Your peace that transcends all human understanding. Thank you for giving us quiet in the midst of the white noise and making us able to keep our eyes on You, in Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen!  

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