dead faith

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being head yet speaketh.

Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

As you have already read and if you continue to read you will realize that by every ACTION of faith God had a reACTION. When these men of God stepped out by faith, he was there to lead and guide them. So you need to realize that if God is asking you to do something that you don't see anyway of it happening, take a leap of faith. His hand will be right there to catch you and show you the way.

But as carnal man this is a hard principal to follow. Although God has never failed us and we have been taught faith all of our lives there is still that small voice in our heads saying "there's a chance you could fail, everyone will see."

Believing more in the voices of the enemy rather than the almighty God is definitely not faith. But it is not good enough to have faith alone.



James 2:14
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:15
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

James 2:16
And one of you say unto the, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?.

James 2:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 2:18
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me they faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.

James 2:20
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

What do you do with your faith? Do you simply hide it way in a little box? Hiding it from the world? Or do you let it shine? For all the world to see. Faith is an amazing thing, it can change the atmosphere of a situation. Faith can ignite a flame inside of a group of people that nothing can put out.

Now imagine if he combined that kind of faith with works. The result would be an absolute explosion! James said that you can not have faith without works. So I ask you the question. What are you doing with you faith? Is it dead? If there are no works then you might as well not even have faith.

belief

I recently just finished reading a book by Donald Miller entitled "Blue Like Jazz." The author had many many points that challenged me greatly which is always good, but there is one part that I absolutely can not shake. He is referring to a friend of his Andrew who is a simple person that is takes things really literal. Jesus said to feed the poor so every Saturday Andrew feeds the homeless on the sidewalk out of a make shift kitchen. 

Andrew made a quote to Donald Miller that I would like to share. He said "what I believe is not what I say, what I believe is what I do."

So like any normal human being that is searching to be better in life I began to examine myself, extremely harsh I might add. And after my examination I came to realize that there aren't as many things that I believe that I thought believed. 

I say that I trust God, but yet I find myself doubting the way things will turn out quite often. I say that he is my healer, but yet I take a doctors word over a promise. I say that I'm delivered, but yet I'm constantly afraid that I will fall into the same mess before. And to some of you reading this it may sound a little extreme or over the top, but if what I believe is not what I say, but what I believe is what I do then I'm really going to have to alter the things that I do. I will have to alter the things I say, the way I think, the way I act, the way my attitude may come off, everything!

I have decided that I do not want to known as just another christian that doesn't live any differently than the rest. I want my light to shine above the rest. Not for my own glory because that is not what I believe. I believe that God deserves everything that I have and I will give him nothing less than what he deserves.

//marcus s. beecham

//change your world

For the last week I have not been able to get away from Matthew 12:30 which states "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." 

This could relate to so many different area's of my life. What I take away from this scripture is anything that I'm doing that is not bringing me closer to God is just taking me farther and farther away. I know it's such a simple concept but I believe it's one that my generation has gotten away from. We have all this technology and shortcuts where we can find away around anything. 

But technology and shortcuts aren't getting us any closer to God. In fact I would argue the more technology that we get involved in the farther away we are drawn. Because for a lot of us technology consumes us. 

A man I respected very much made this statement "We are a microwave generation. We want everything quick and easy with no work on our part." Which is probably one the truest statements that I have ever heard. 

We live in a society that proclaims one thing and reacts in another.  Including myself at times. We can stand and sing "all i need is you Lord, is you Lord" but we walk to our cars and click on the iPod and we have "i wanna make love in this club." I am not at all excluding myself. But at that moment how are we gathering? How are we for God? At that moment we are against God and scattering his work. The work he just preformed in us. 

When someone angers you at work. And you attack back. Scattering and against. All I'm really trying to say is in everything we do, "we" as children on the most high God, must gather. 

where are they?

as i lay here eyes closed and mind focused on the ones i see the most, the church; i begin to wonder where are they?

where are the raped? where are the molested? where are the taken advantage of? where are the broken? where are the bruised? where are the busted?

where are the depressed? where are the fugitives? where are the crack addicts? where are the alcoholics? 

where are the hippies? where are democrats? where are the lame? where are the sick? where are the uncool? where are the whores? 

where are the cancer filled? where are the lonely? where are the homeless? where are the hopeless? where are the helpless? where are the simple minded? 

where are the ones searching for truth, salvation, trust, mercy, grace, redeeming power, and everlasting love?

i know some of you are reading this and are thinking well i have some of those people at my church. or they used to be like that!

these are the people that we see or come into contact with everyday. they business woman walking past us with a smile and a blackberry and going home to drink her problems away. or the clerk at the grocery store that works nights at the strip club to support her child. 

these are the people that need to be filling our pews. not the ones that have it all together. those people are not interested in what we have. we have a mandate from God to care for these people.

proverbs 31 tells us to speak for the ones that have no voice. stand up and judge fairly. 

so where are they? well find them and share your story!

//marcusbeecham

//changeyourworld

dreamers

//a visionary creation of the imagination.

a dream can be many things. it can encouraging or discouraging. it can create passions or kill burdens. it's powerful enough to unite people together but destructive enough to rip them apart. it brings hope as well as fear. not everyone is a dreamer. 

dreamers face extremely difficult obstacles throughout their entire lives for one single dream. most will risk everything because the price is worth the sacrifice. 

lets take joseph for an example. he was the last born unto jessie and loved my everyone in the land because he was born when his father was of late age. but his own brothers were jealous and despised him. 

he was  dreamer. he dreamt that one day all of his brothers and even his father would bow to him. that he would have reign over them. and dream after dream after dream.

eventually they planned to kill him but one brother changed their minds. so they sold him into slavery instead; telling their father that he was murdered by an animal.

although joseph was in slavery he found favor with potiphar and he was placed in control of all the food in egypt.  later thrown in jail because he would not sleep with potiphar's wife. but eventually find favor with pharaoh and is put in charge of all of egypt. 

i believe that joseph was blessed because he never let go of his dreams. he knew what God had promised him and held on to it even when times were not so hot. he believe God heard his cries.

another dreamer is dr. martin luther king jr. we all know about his great accomplishments and famous speeches that eventually paved the way for african americans today.

but his road was not an easy one. he was arrested over 20 times, and never held a violent protest. was assaulted at least 4 times. his home was bombed and his children and family threatened. but still he pressed on. he understood that violence was not the answer to peace. 

dr. king had a dream. a dream that no matter what circumstance's came his way he would not let die. and eventually was murdered because of his dream. but his legacy lives on today because of his dream. 

throughout history every man or woman that you will read about had a dream. something drove them to accomplish what they set out to do. there is somethings that drives to live of out their dreams.

i wonder what would happen if all of us united, with hearts as one set out, to complete a dream. a common goal. how many lives would be affected? how many people would be saved or revived because we would not let anything nor anyone suffocate our dream.

are you a dreamer?

i am a dreamer. i dream to see my world saved. i dream to see the lost welcomed home. i dream to see every homeless individual with a place to call home. i dream to see every person involved with ethnic genocide brought to justice.

i dream to conquer my world!

//marcusbeecham

//changeyourworld

//beadreamer

break me

Oh God here I am again
Begging for strength, but no longer
God I want you to break me
Into millions of mold less pieces
That people will look at and say that he will never amount

But Lord break me so far
To where I have no direction
No guide ness, completely confused and no hope
And then Lord the process will begin
After I am humbled and completely submitted
To you and your kingdom

How my heart long for the place where
I feel you every second of everyday
Completely consumed by your presence
So deep in love with you
A memorial in my life

God this is the hardest prayer that I have ever prayed
And will be my roughest times that I have ever seen
But God mold me into a mighty man of God and submission
Bruise me, Beat me, and Break me

lay down your crown

revelation 4
8. each of the four living creatures had six wings, and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
holy, holy, holy is the lord God almighty was and is and is to come.
9. whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
10. the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11. you are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.
i believe that when God reveled this vision to the apostle john there was obviously a motive behind it. and i don't believe that it was to just show us a glimpse of what heaven is going to be like. but yet what our daily lives should be like.
think about it. at all times there at the VERY least 30 things praising God. no stop. in verse 8 it says "day and night they NEVER stop saying." i wonder what our lives would be like if we united together and throughout whole day just praised God. in everything we did. in everything we say. we thanked him. we cried holy holy holy.
if we would just lay down our crown. our carnal and worldly possessions and praised God. would we change our situation? would we change our world? would the world know about our saviour? yes. yes. yes.
//changeyourworld
//marcus s. beecham

dance through your circumstance

in the world today there are many chains that bind people. chains both big and small. some are seen. some are not. some are eventually broken after a season or a well fought battle. some are not. i have had many battles in my life. some won. some lost.

another man that i have read about and read many of writings experienced many battles and troubled times as well. most of you know him as david. he was a mighty king, great worshipper, and an example to many. but david lost battles as well. but one thing that he realized is that worship was greater than himself. that God was greater than his situation that he was in.
psalm 63: 1-4
1. oh God, you are my God. earnstly i seek you; my soul thrists for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
2. i have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3. because your love is better than life my lips will glorify you.
4. i will praise you as long as i live, and in your name i will lift up my hands.
david wrote this why he was in the desert of judah. and it is quite possible that he was there because he was fleeing from his own son absalom who was trying to take over his throne. his own son was after his life. he was king in a desert. in a hiding fearing for his life. YET he danced through his circumstance.
most of us know the story of job. but i will give you a run down. in a matter of hours job lost every worldy thing that he had besides his wife. the bible says that he was one of the richest men in the world. his messengers ran to him telling him of his cattle, camel, and sheep were stolen or destroyed. a mighty wind killed of his sons and daughters and he was struck with an awful illness. God gave the devil complete reign on jobs life. to test job. to test his faithfulness and trust in God. when jobs friends and own wife asked him to curse God. so that God would take his life; jobs response was, " THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST HIM." job had the concept that he was going to dance through his circumstance. no matter what came his way. God was still worthy of all his praise.
i pray for the heart of david and job. i pray that i have so much faith and trust in God that no matter what the devil or this world throws at me i lean on the fact. that GREATER is he and is in me, than that is this world.
and i pray that no matter what you are going through and you DANCE THROUGH YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE!

romance

i'll take your hand, as you lead me to this mysterious land
we romance, as the rivers dance around us
so clean, so pure
my soul thirsts for that love that only you can quench
i lift up my hands in praise, only you will I raise
in total adoration i surrender all to thee
all that i am, all i desire to be
i feel the romance, as we dance
around and around, neither making a sound
enjoy the presence of this silent love
that is more pure than the whitest dove
hold me tight
with this love we shall conquer this life called a fight
i lay my life at your feet
you can hear my heart beat
it's the beat of love's lost before
but this love last for evermore
let us romance, as all creation will dance

hold your brothers hand

Exodus 17
8. The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
9. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
10. So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up one on one side, one on the other so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
13. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14. The Lord said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
15. Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my banner (Jehovah nissi).
16. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
When I first read this chapter it really stuck out to me. I begin to read it over, and over, and over again. It was like there was something there, but I just wasn't getting all of it. Finally I began to understand the importance in these few verses. It deals with submission to authority, the power in worship/surrender, foundation, support, and built alters of remembrance of your victorious battles.
In verse 9 Moses commands Joshua to gather men and prepare to fight the Amalekites. Joshua did not question the man of God. He simply did what was asked of him. Joshua was submitted to the authority that God placed in his life. He understood though I can not see what is ahead I will trust my leader and my God. He had faith that Moses heard from God.
In verse 10 Moses begins to go UP. In my personal belief, I believe that not only did Moses go up physically but he begins to go UP spiritually. Exalting and worshiping God. I do not imagine that he just simply stood there hands raised with no worship releasing from his lips. Because we are victorious through our worship and praise. "And when he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning." So in the battle your praise can not cease, in order for victory praise and worship must be offered to God. David said in Psalm the 63 chapter that "because your love is better than my life my lips will praise you." Praise him in your battles and you will leave victorious because ALL things are working for our good.
Verse 12 speaks of Moses becoming tired but he was not willing to let his praise cease because the battle was not yet won. So Aaron and Hur set a ROCK underneath him. I do not it accidental that it was a rock. A rock is a FIRM foundation. The Lord built his church on a rock. A rock is not moving. It is solid and firm. It will not break until pressure and will not sway with the wind. As Moses exampled on the mountain.
Same verse it says that "Aaron and Hur held his hands up one on one side, one on the other- so that his hands remained steady till sunset." Sometimes we become tired in our battles. We become weak and our bodies ache. That's how we were created. But that's the reason for the church. To help the needy, the broken, the tired, the helpless, and that's exactly what Aaron and Hur did. They saw the need that Moses had. They saw that he began to grow weary and physically could not do did by himself any longer. So they held his hands. Until the battle was won. They were not going to let an entire tribe be defeated because of their lack of worship!
And lastly, Moses built an alter in remembrance of his victorious battle over the enemy. He gave God all the glory for the defeat over the enemy. He would not let it be forgotten what God did for him. How we delivered him once more. I believe that he visited that alter daily thanking God for the victory.
So you may be wondering how all this ties together? Just know that if you see your brother struggling to be victorious hold his hand. Worship and rejoice with him. That's all I got. Peace.
//change your world
//marcus s. beecham

willing generation

Thomas Jefferson stated "Every generation needs a new revolution." The first time that I read that quote I remember it moving me. But not in the degree that it has this week..
I began to review my life. My daily routine if you will. I thought about all the things I do for myself or my bosses or anything or anyone else that we are responsible for in this lifetime. Then I began to review the time that I spent with God and the that I spent being a disciple. I looked at how much I really I mean REALLY help others. Where I just do it knowing that no good will come out of for me. In fact knowing that I could lose something so someone else might gain.
I was was extremely disappointed with myself. and then I thought of that quote by Thomas Jefferson "Every generation needs a new revolution." But every revolution needs a willing generation. Because without a willing generation the revulotion is hopeless. It is lost. A waste of time.
That's why I believe that we need to be a willing generation. Not willing to preach the biggest conference or do the music at the sweetest live recordings this year. But willing to witness to that homosexual at work and invite them to church. Or that hooker that you pass everyday on the "wrong" side of town. Or the girl that sits at her desk at work and speaks to no one. Or the girl at school that no one will talk to because she's not popular or maybe a little to heavy.
Or willing to move chairs or vacccum after church. Or pick up the elderly that can't drive anymore. Or pay for that person's meal that might be having a hard month. Or even really caring enough to actually listen to what someone has to say and care.
All I ask is that we become a willing generation with a servent's heart. Not for the betterment of ourselves but for the betterment of others.
Thank you and Goodnight.
//be you//be different//be willing//be ONEMOMENT

//marcus//beecham

hold on to the promise

Many times in the bible you can find where many different people were promised by God many different things. I believe that one of the most known would be Joesph.
You know the guy with the coat of many colors that his brothers sold him into slavery and they told his father that he was killed.
Then through time he was awarded by being one of the kings right hand men. But as you all know he was tempted by the kings wife and she claimed that Joesph raped her.
Didn't go over too well with the king as you can imagine. So Joesph was thrown into prison but even in prision God still used Joesph because he was willing. Although he didn't have the most ideal circumstance's at the time he was n't willing to put is situation in the way of his anointing.
He knew that God had something special for him. Something that was far greater than being in prison bound and captive. He had a promise. And he didn't lose sight of that promise even when falsely accused. I believe that Joesph knew that even in the wilderness time when it seemed like no one was around and no one cared that there was something in the work.
There was something greater than him happening in the spiritual world. As we all know Joesph finally was released from prison because of his ability to understand dreams.
I wonder how much we could change our world if we could all grasp the concept that Joesph did. You know my situtation isn't really dieal right now. I was just raped, or my parents divorced, or my wife just left me, or I lost my best friend or parent. No matter the circumstance we have to udnerstand that there is something bigger than us that is in the work. Because of that death you might be able to save your entire family. Or because you were raped you might be able to reach a special group of young women that no one else can reach nor understand their pain and hurt and shame.
We all have our promises. We all have our own dreams. I am just asking you today do not give up on your promise just because you situation isn't ideal right now. Hold on to your promise. You will come out of the fire gold. God never meant for any of us to fall. That's not his will or wish. Hold on.