Radical RevLa: Sometimes You Just Need A "Selah" Moment

I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A "SELAH" MOMENT

Recently I learned a new word...ok let me rephrase that I learned to use an old word in a new way! That great new/old word is "Selah". Those of you who read the Psalm would have seen this word but as we have been taught to just ignore it and keep reading. Why were we taught this you ask? Simply because the Psalms are a collection of songs and Selah is put in for the reader/ singer to pause.

I was the guest preacher for Sunday morning service at a wonderful church last week. While preparing my sermon I asked God to give me what He would have me give to that congregation.

Being the radical preacher that I am I always ask the person that has invited me to preach if they have a theme or something that their pastor would like for the church to concentrate on. This way I don't go into my radical world. Well as my luck has it they did not and being me I just said "oh well Lord give it to me and I will deliver it to them." With that said for a week before the service God began to talk to me and the word "Selah" kept coming up. I thought this is not really a true word. Its just a pause right?....but was I so wrong.

When I read up on the word I found that it meant to: take a pause. to reflect, to absorb, take a pregnant pause, to incorporate.  Wow...this word does have meaning. Now I flew back to the Book of Psalm and began to read. I notice that whenever something very important was said then you would see the word Selah. I discovered that they wanted the person singing or reading to stop, pause, absorb, incorporate, allow a pregnant pause...in other words to get what was just said in your system before going to the next phase.

My eyes opened wide. Suddenly I really understood. We need to have a Selah Moment. There are times when we just have to Stop, and see or analyzes what's going on around us. We have to absorb what is being given to us keep the good parts and discard the bad. We have to incorporate the word or the positive into our present being. We have to pause long enough to become pregnant with the promise of the word allowing that seed to grow and produce the blessed harvest. Can you believe that one little over looked word could mean so much?

Well my sermon was on developing a Selah Moment and the pastor of the church was elated. He stated that not only did he see something new but in his close to 80 years he has never heard anyone preach on the word Selah or develop its meaning to a form that we could adapt. He said "only God Himself could give you that!"

I was happy and humbled but very grateful that our Lord chose this radical lady of Christ to deliver that Word in my own way...(trust me I was every bit of my radical self...ha,ha,ha,)

But really this is what I want you to take away from all of this: I learned that you can have a Selah Moment in everything. There have been times since the sermon that I have been approached wrong...my spirit just yelled "Selah". I automatically paused and took a deep breath. I've been ready to scream at my husband, children, or co-workers...I simply stated out loud "Selah" and I paused and just looked at the moment.

So now I have a new mantra....SELAH!!!...this word is going to keep me from going off on the deep end and loosing it. For I know that if I can just take that Selah moment this Radical Child of God and step back and look at what's in front of me with different eyes.

I leave you with this:

When you read the book of Psalm stop and pause when you see the word selah. Go back and see what was said before the word and see what God is trying to tell you pause on that until you receive something. 

Next when somebody or something gets on your very last nerve then just yell (either out loud or in your spirit) "SELAH" and pause. See if God wants you to bash them....(ok bad RevLa that was sooooo wrong in soooooo many ways let me try again) 

See what God will have you do! (now that was so much better...ha,ha,ha)

Trust me just doing those two things will save you alot!

As always stay blessed in the Lord and know that your radical friend is out there doing His Will......

but doing it with my swagger style to it....gotta love me!

I WILL SING OF THE LORD'S GREAT LOVE FOREVER; WITH MY MOUTH I WILL MAKE YOUR FAITHFULNESS KNOWN THROUGH ALL GENERATIONS.....SELAH

PSALM 89:1 (selah added by Me!)

Radical Love: Repeat After Me A Woman Can Not Be A Preacher!!!

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers"

As we continue with the next part of our series Radical Love and the five problem words this post
will focus on the next problem word
Preachers
I ask that you read the first post in this series so you can understand where we are coming from with
this series. Our focus is on radical ladies who are called as leaders to spread
the Word of God as a minister.
In the last blog we focused on our gender. While we are still talking about our gender
we are now looking at the office itself.

Those of us who have been called into the ministry know that its one of the hardest decisions that we
ever had to make. I for one didn't want to do it and attempted to run from my calling.
I didn't want the attention that being a preacher would bring into my life.
Yes I had a very strong belief and faith in God.
I didn't have a problem doing church work. Teaching Sunday school. Writing and directing
church plays. I could jump into the women's ministry and do whatever I was called to do.
But when my Lord called me out of my safe place I must say I hesitated.
Not only did I hesitate. I ran as fast as I could to the hills.
I didn't even pass "Go...nor did I collect my $200 dollars"
I just ran!!!

What a waste of time that was. How can you run away from God?
He didn't beat me into it however His call never stopped.
I knew that I would have to get real with who I proclaim to be.
The problem was that I didn't want to deal with all the negativity.
I kept saying "God if your intentions for my life was to be your spokesperson then why did you
make me a woman???"
His answer was just plain and simple.
"I NEED YOU TO GIVE MY WORD TO MY PEOPLE IN THE WAY THAT ONLY YOU
CAN DO. THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU!!! THE CHOICE IS YOURS."

So I said yes and as soon as I went to my senior pastor I got my first taste of what was to
come.
There was another person and myself that went to our pastor on the same day. We sat
outside of his office waiting our turn to speak to him.
While sitting there we started talking and became very excited because he was telling
me that he had been called to preach. I said me too. He gave me a funny look
but didn't say anything else.
I was on cloud nine. You see I finally excepted the call on my life.
He went in first.
While he was in the pastor's office the first lady (his wife) of the church came and sat down
beside me.

So we started talking. I didn't know at the time that she was sent out to talk to me about what
I was about to convey to her husband.
She asked me what I was going to see pastor about.
Being very naive and excited I started telling her that I had been called by God to be a minister.
She allowed me to talk and talk and talk.
Then she just took my hand and said
"Repeat after me....women should not be preachers and they can not be pastors"
Pulling my hand away I just looked at her. Her eyes had no life in them.
She had a pasted smile on her lips and for the first time she appeared ugly and false to me.
My heart broke and I said nothing. I just sat there waiting my turn.
She soon got the message and got up and went back into her husband's office.

The pastor and the man that was with me came out. He gave first lady a hug and the men
shook hands.
My pastor was saying to him that he would start his minister's class that following Thursday.
The man smiled and turned to leave. He would not look at me. My heart sunk and I knew now
why God had really called me.
I was determined right there and then I was not going to let anyone turn me around. God wanted me
and I said yes. This was no game or joke. I got ready for the fight to come.

That was over 14 years ago. It has been an up hill battle ever since.
God has given me strength and comfort.
I have never looked back over all I had to do to get here. I was made to do 10 times
more than the men and still catching it from men and women alike.
But I have a peace that I know its not my own.
I know that this was what I was created to do.
So who is to say who is and who is not a preacher?

Only God can call you!
And only you and He know that you were called.
He does not look at us in genders. He does not feel that one office is for men only or women only.
A preacher is a person that goes out and proclaims about the gospels of the Lord.
That He is, that He had been and that He is coming back!!!
IT'S THE LORD'S CHOICE AS TO WHOM HE WANTS TO REPRESENT HIM!
I didn't call myself. This is not a job that I would want. I don't like controversy.
However once I said yes and believed in my heart that this was what I was to do
then nobody was going to get in my way.
Not only that I would do it my way using every part of my being.

So I end with this.
If a preacher is one told by Christ to go proclaim or go and tell.
About Him and His coming
then really the very first preachers were two women by the name of Mary.
Don't throw the stones!!!
For those that believe in the bible then I suggest that you read the four gospels
Right now I'm only going to quote from the book of Matthew 28:1-10 is what you can
read however I will be referring to Matthew 28:10
"THEN JESUS SAID TO THEM, DO NOT BE AFRAID, GO AND TELL MY BROTHERS TO
GO TO GALILEE; THERE THEY WILL SEE ME"

Jesus Himself sent those ladies to proclaim to them that He was and is and where to
meet Him.
IS THIS NOT THE ROLE OF A PREACHER TO PROCLAIM THAT HE WAS AND IS
AND WHERE TO MEET HIM.
Lord Jesus gave the first preaching job to the women because they were there.
They wanted to take care of Him.
They saw Him and believed that he was raised from the dead.
They gladly ran and proclaimed Him to His disciples.
So if Lord Jesus gave the first preacher job to the women
who can say that we can not give the Word of God in the office that He gave us?

Who can be a preacher???
ASK JESUS!!!
I REST MY CASE!!!