Perspectives is currently revising ways to improve its content and our methods of communication, for the next three weeks, to broaden its outreach. Additionally, we are exploring the use of Youtube to integrate as a visual aid to meet the needs of our hearing impaired audience. During that period we will continue to offer weekly scripture and prayer. Thank you for your patience.

Without the resurrection Christianity is not a sustainable truth. Absent the resurrection, we would remain in darkness, without the hope of redemption. Lost for all eternity. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith. Without it God's grace is of no consequence. When Jesus rose from the dead, he authenticated his identity as the Son of God, the work of atonement, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation was fulfilled. It was the physical raising of Jesus from the dead.

There are approximately 650 prayers recorded in the bible, of which 450 are presented as being answered. The first ever recorded prayer can be found in Genesis 4:26, And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Of which there are believed to be 10 types of prayers. 1. Prayer of Adoration “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens” (Psalm 148:13). 2. Prayer of Thanksgiving “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, ‘Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise’” (1 Chronicles 16:34-35). 3. Prayer of Confession “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). 4. Prayer of Vows “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head’” (1 Samuel 1:10-11). 5. Prayer of Quiet Reflection “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6). 6. Prayer for Healing “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise" (Jeremiah 17:14). 7. Prayer for Deliverance and Help “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” (Psalm 107:6). 8. Prayer of Intercession “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:9-12). 9. Prayer for Transformation “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 10. Prayer of Blessing “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

This has not been a normal year. This week was unsettling as news spoke of the tragic deaths of eight people in Atlanta, Georgia. I am saddened and heartbroken by the needless loss of life, and yet angered by its occurrence, as it has now become all too familiar. So much so that many shrug in silence and look the opposite direction as if to say; “it has nothing to do with me”, and yet it has everything to do with us. Each of them, without question, woke up that day expecting it to be normal. But it was not. It was not business as usual; it was not just another day, as their pleas for help spread across the airwaves and television. They were completely unaware of the adversity that awaited them. Correspondingly, news would reveal as well, the young man that committed such an atrocity belonged to a church, a body of believers. A statement released by his church said, "We watched Aaron grow up and accepted him into church membership when he made his own profession of faith in Jesus Christ." We pass our days absent of any regard for the things happening around us nor do we consider the same. “Poof!”; and suddenly it is gone. We do not get to choose how we go, only how we live.

I recall growing up, my family lived in a very cold and remote place in Labrador, Canada, called Goose Bay. My father was a DJ for AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Services), and each week he would play R&B, Jazz and Blues music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Before signing off he would use his often-quoted phrase: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about somebody, don’t say nothing at all.”; as the music would fade in the background. I suspect we struggle with that even more so today as media platforms present us with the never ending occasion to without restraint speak our minds albeit right or wrong, without accountability or consequence.

Time is never on our side, too soon and the wait is exhausting; too late, no matter how narrowly, and our entire day is full of angst. Time is not a renewable resource, once lost, we cannot get it back. Of the world’s population, 7,850,458,763, it is estimated that 56 million people died lasty year (2020), that is 4,679,452 per month; 153,424 per day; 6,392 per hour; 106 per minute; nearly 2 per second, and as of March 6, 2021, at 7:06 pm (2021) the count is approximately 10,016,470. As alarming as those numbers are, each of us have a day and hour in which our lives end. Closing is not the issue, preparedness is.

Many of us have played the video game Tetris. Up, down, right, left, upside down, right side up, as we twist and turn each shape to fit in just the right place. The slightest indecision causes the pace of the game quicken, as the themed music warns of the games imminent end. Life often mirrors the game, as the hastened pace causes us to suddenly make decisions that are not in our best interest.

There are those that had close relationships with John Calvin, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and many others, but they, as a basis of their friendship, never became as familiar to the public. As profound as they were, independently and collectively, our relationship with God is greater. As well, the masses that followed Jesus can be viewed in two ways: (1) those that had a legitimate need (ailment or sickness); and (2) those that wanted the power (not to use in a Godly sense, but to exercise its use in judgment and authority over others). The most consequential relationship we will ever have is with God.

Policies and directives in the workplace are used to solve complex issues. The Bible (God’s word), as well, is our authority as Christians. Just as the context of institutional policy is thorough in its expressed detail, we cannot expect to solve our issues or address the extent of our problems within the framework of a singular verse to justify our actions. There are 31,102 Verses, 1,189 Chapters, and 66 Books in the Bible, and they serve in unison to expound upon its meaning. We cannot solely read one verse in a chapter, consisting of many, and assume our limiting interpretation is correct.

There are things that consume our time and distract us from accomplishing the most urgent. We are drawn away by many things, most often it is unintended. But it is an issue when it impacts our relationship with God. He desires to hear us in prayer, and he reveals himself to us most often through his word. But we can neither hear or see, because there is too much noise in our minds and hearts, too many shinny objects that have my attention. While some are necessary, others drain our souls from talking with God.