The Heart Of A Believer

One my favorite songs is by Shekinah Glory is called, "Yes." The lyrics simply say will your heart and soul say yes. The prophet Jeremiah says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)" What's interesting is that in Jewish thinking or Hebrew understanding the heart often times refers to the mind. In fact some translation even translate the passage to read, "The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 Net Bible)" Often times that's how we go through life in our hearts we say yes to God's will and our soul agrees but our minds are often focused on any and everything other than the will of God. A few questions:

· What do you spend most of your day thinking about? Is it the will of God for your life?

· What do you think about when you first wake up? Is it how can your participate in what God is doing in your community?

· What do you think about before you go to bed? Is it an evaluation of how you can grow in your walk with God?

Often times what we feel in our hearts and what we make up our minds to do aren't in harmony with one another. When this happens we been have deceived:

· When you say you love Jesus with everything but fail to support the kingdom of God.

· When you say you believe Jesus is the door but are a proponent of religious tolerance.

· When you say love God but hate your brother whom you see every day.

· When you say God gave you an assignment but you doing everything but that assignment.

Beloved don't be deceived ask God to help your heart and mind to be centered on Him and his purposes.

 Scripture Reference Jeremiah 17:9

 God bless,

Bondservant Hollis

The Day After

The one night stand never gives you anymore attention the day after.  Nobody calls, texts, or writes on your FB wall the day after your birthday.  Nobody checks to see how you doing the day after the funeral. Nobody seems care about the tragedy the day after.  Nobody seems to care about the natural disaster the day after.  Nobody seems to care about the homeless the day after.  Nobody seems to care about the neglected the day after.    Nobody seems to care about the sermon the day after.  We have an innate tendency to move on to the next thing.   So what about today?  Do you still care that HE IS RISEN the day after?  Do you still care that YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN the day after?  Do you still care that OUR HOPE IS STILL ALIVE the day after?  Do you still care that JESUS CREATED US IN HIM TO DO GOOD WORKS the day after?  Do you still care that JESUS CALLED US TO THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION the day after?  Do you still care that the POWER OF THE RESURRECTION is still available to you the day after?  Do you still care that the COMPASSION OF THE CROSS is available to you the day after?  Do you still care that we are in a BROKEN WORLD IN NEED OF A SAVIOR the day after? 

Never forget that true ministry begins the DAY AFTER! 


Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:4

God bless,
Bondservant (slave) Hollis

Slave: A Better Identity

Most of us have some type of emotion when we hear the world slave.  Often for obvious reasons the word slave has a negative connotation.  Contrary to popular belief all slaves didn't have a harsh life it was directly dependent of the graciousness of their Master.  What is interesting about a slave is that a slave doesn't have identity except for the identity that is given to them by their master.  Slaves had no rights, no privileges, their entire identity was granted to them by their master.  That's an interesting concept.  Many of the apostles refer to themselves as slaves.  To be more specific they referred to themselves as a slave of Jesus Christ ( James 1:1, Philemon 1:1, 2 Peter 1).

To be a slave of Christ was a badge of honor!!  When did that stop being the case?  What they were saying was that they were forsaking whatever prestige, status, ambitions, and desires they had to become a slave for Jesus Christ.  They were giving up their identity for a better one.  So stop looking for your identity in all the wrong places.  People look for their identity on the job, people look for identity in a car, people look for identity in a house, and people look for identity in relationships. These things are not bad in of themselves but Jesus offers you a better identity!!  To be his slave but unlike earthly masters who can be cruel listen to how God describes God's identity is Exodus 34:6 The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.  That's the kind of Master with have the opportunity to serve and did I mention God never changes!!


If you hear nothing else hear this: Jesus Gives Us A Better Identity!  We are all slaves to something might as well be slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18)! 

God bless,
Bondservant (slave) Hollis

I Just Wanna Be Successful

Hip Hop Artist Drake recently released his smash hit, "Successful" "he says he wants the money and the cars and the cars and the clothes."  Then he goes on to say I just wanna be successful.  Truth be told the culture we live in breeds this kind of thinking.  Many Christians if they are honest really measure success in the same fashion.  Only difference is there is a # that says God is good at the end of the statement.  However is that really how God measures success? Is God really concern with how much one accumulates?  Is God really concern with you being successful?   Last I checked God does not measure success in the same manner we do:

• Moses didn't lead the children of Israel to the Promise Land but in God eyes he was successful.
• Isaiah preached many years to people who would not listen but in God eyes he was successful.

God measures success differently than the world does.  God measures success based on your faithfulness to his precepts and His word.  God measures success based on your obedience to the various things he has gifted and call you to do.  Being successful in God eyes may mean forsaking your comfortable lifestyle and foregoing the riches of this world however there will be a great reward for you on the other side glory.   The question we must really ask ourselves is whose success do we really want?  What does our actions say about whose success we are trying to obtain?

P.S. God is not anti-success but God is anti-idolatry that is to say when you desire success more than Him therein lies the problem.


Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 4:7-8

God bless,
Bondservant Hollis

Amazing Generosity: Craigslist Joe

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Acts.  It tells the story of the early church as they try to deal with life after Jesus The Christ and remain faithful to the task that He set before them. In a world full of individualism and self-pleasing people I watched a refreshing documentary entitled, "Craigslist Joe"  it tells the story of a guy who wondered if he could survive for 30 days based on the generosity of people utilizing only Craigslist. This reminds me of the latter part of Acts 4 where it says that nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,  and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The church was built on generosity!  That's an interesting concept to give up some possessions to help those in need.  I wander if the Church could be considered generous today? Craigslist Joe discovered that there are still some generous people out there in the world!  I encourage you today to be a generous giver.  Give up something that someone may have what they need.  Jesus THE Christ gave up his life that we might have what we needed and that is fellowship with God.  Let us follow this example and give up something this Lenten season so that someone else can have what they need.

We cannot be the church and not be generous its apart of who we are!  The interesting part about that passage of scripture is that the greatest witness the early church gave to the world was that they valued Christ more than anything the world could offer and that's why they could give away the things the world valued.


Scripture Reference: Acts 4:34-35

God bless,
Bondservant Hollis

How Social Media Can Cause You To Lose Your Reward

We live in a day where you can't go to the bathroom without social media.  I mean literally people Instagram and Twitter pic from the restroom.  People's lives have become consume by this social media frenzy.  To the point that you really have to wonder where it will end?  One of my favorite post was when someone said, "Praise the Lord I got new I-phone 5 # God is Good."   Really?  Is God an accessory who is only good when we get what we want?  Does God really care you got the I-phone 5?  Okay enough of that but you catch my drift. 

From what I can see social media has taken boasting to a whole new level!  Sad to report that has infiltrated the church as well.  Last I check the Bible says, give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you (Matthew 6:4 NLT).   First thing Jesus says as chapter 6 begins is be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by then.   However if you look at social media all you see is the exact opposite people cannot wait to tell you what they doing for others, how many people joining their church, etc. 

Maybe it's just me and maybe I am bugging out.  However through the lens I see the gospel narrative it is clear that social media could be causing many to lose their reward!  I am sure I will get some push back on this one.


Scripture Reference: Matthew 6

God bless,
Bondservant Hollis

Now That The Pressure Is Off.

The gospel frees us from the pressure of trying to earn our way into heaven!  Hallelujah!  This means that we can now focus on living the gospel (implications).   True understanding of the gospel gives us the gift of gratefulness.  Truth is we deserved to die and the penalty for the sins we have committed, are committing, and will commit is death.  Jesus paid the price for our sins and the proper response is gratitude!  Here are three characteristics of a grateful heart:

1.  A grateful heart is a willing heart.
2.  A grateful heart is a loving heart.
3.  A grateful heart is a serving heart.

The question becomes what does that look like in my day to day life?  For today we will take a quick look at doing the unexpected.  As I study the gospel I discover a Jesus that did the unexpected.  For example the children of Israel expected a militant and conquering Jesus (Messiah) instead they got a loving, compassionate, and serving Jesus (Messiah).  This means for you and I that we are to do the same. Here are a few tangible examples of how you can do the unexpected:

1. You can call someone who you never called but have their number and give them an encouraging word.
2. You can buy someone a meal who doesn't have the ability to pay you back.
3. You can visit someone who has no else to visit them.

Simple things like that can make a major impact on the lives of individuals and when we do those sort of things the gospel goes from being a set of beliefs about Jesus The Christ to power of God in our daily lives.

Scripture Reference:  Deuteronomy 6:5

God bless,
Bondservant Hollis