In the book of Revelation 2:8-11, Jesus gives John a message for the church Smyrna. He tells John that he knows their works, He knows that they are serving Him with works that are pleasing to God. He goes on to say that He also knows their tribulation and poverty, and that times are hard for them. Jesus knew that the church was going through tribulation because there were people among them that said they were His people, but really they were a synagogue of Satan. They said they served God but their works are completely against Him, and now they are serving Satan by persecuting God’s people.

Does this sound like you? Are you troubled in your life sometimes because you are serving God, but yet you still continue to run into trouble in your path? Why I am being persecuted for living right, is the question we all will ask at one point of our walk towards Jesus. Persecution comes from the enemy because he hates all who follow Jesus and he wants to destroy their lives. He is also the accuser that wants to find fault in your life, and make you look unworthy to serve God. God warns us in His word about the roaring lion named Satan who will try to throw us in prison, to be tested. (Revelation 2:10) Jesus wanted John to take this message back to the church of Smyrna to let them know that they are not alone, their suffering is not in vain. The Bible tells us in (Romans12:12) that we shall rejoice in our tribulation for Him in prayer. In John 16:33, it tells us that we should be of good cheer during tribulation because Jesus has overcome. God promises us during these times that He will never leave us nor forsake us, that if we would not fear but have Faith in the promises of God that we will have the victory over every life tribulation. (Deuteronomy 31:6-8) Those in Christ Jesus can rest assured that every tribulation will be seen through by God. He promises us that He will work everything out for the good of those who love Him and serve Him wholeheartedly. (Romans 8:28) He will use what the enemy intended to destroy us, to help us to grow, bear more fruits, and ultimately to become more like Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 tells us that We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed: we are persecuted, but not forsaken: struck down, but not destroyed. Jesus tells us to be faithful until the end, because those who are found faithful after tribulation will receive the crown of life in the paradise of heaven. He who overcomes persecution faithfully will not be hurt by the second death of fire for the wicked.

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I was returning a DVD at the outdoor kiosk last week, and a boldness overcame me. There he was, again, the same guy, standing outside the convenience store asking for handouts. I saw him there often, working the odds: ask enough people for a little and maybe he’ll accumulate enough for a meal. Or a fix. Hopefully both. I had about twenty minutes before my next appointment, so I approached him and asked him bluntly, “what’s your deal?” He stared at me blankly, evidently wary of my intentions. I rephrased my inquiry: “how did you end up out here in the cold?” He dropped his shoulders, picked a spot on the ground to fixate upon, and explained that he had lost his green card, and that his life “spun out of control from there.” He explained that the loss of his wallet several years ago left him in need of several hundred dollars in order to replace the card. Since the loss left him without identification, he explained, he had been unable to obtain employment, and ultimately landed on the streets, first in Harlem, New York, then New London, Connecticut, and now Lynn, Massachusetts.

Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

The cognitive science of linguistics. Smooth studied every emcee he came across. At the age of sixteen, Smooth got a job to be able to cop the latest album or to pay for shows, even though he was well provided for. You know the type of kat I’m talking about. His hip-hop education made him well respected amongst his peers.

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

The DJ is playing the hottest track to hit the club in a minute. The beats are hittin’ hard, every head is bouncin’ and everyone is feelin’ the scene inside. Outside, people are lined up for blocks, waiting to get inside. In his confidence, the DJ decides this is his opportunity to make his name known. Reaching into his crate, the DJ grabs the next vinyl and throws it on the set

I sat there in my car and wept. I was done. Done, done, done. And I hadn’t even started yet. The summer was what you might call “winding down,” and September was approaching. I had a knot in my stomach, as I knew what was on the horizon. My daughters would return to school and daycare, my wife would return to work, my social worker caseload would “explode,” as it does every fall, graduate school would resume, I’d begin recording a new music project, and I’d squeeze in nine concerts. I was overwhelmed just looking at my September calendar.

Things took a turn, however, as my ever-so-important list of obligations would take a back-seat to a series of emergencies taking place all around me. First, my closest childhood friend was hospitalized and subsequently had a death scare due to an allergic reaction to the treatment he received. Then, I learned that another close friend lost a family member to a violent murder/suicide. To top it off, a day later, I learned that a young woman, whom I had pastored when she was a teenager, lost her three-year-old son due to a seizure disorder. Although none of these scenarios directly affected my nuclear family, I felt overwhelmed and, of course, obligated to be at my friends’ disposal.

Over the years, I’ve had quite a few of those “that’s not supposed to happen” moments. I’m referring to those moments to defy human reason; the ones that, whether negative or positive, leave you, well, dumbfounded.

In 2004, I started losing my voice during concerts. When I finally had it checked, an otolaryngologist informed me that I had a paralyzed vocal chord, and that singing was out of question. He reasoned that one vocal chord just was not sufficient, and that I’d be better off switching gears regarding my aspirations. I disregarded his advice, hired a vocal coach, and kept it moving. I’d like to boast my unwavering faith in God’s healing touch, but truth-be-told, I was simply being stubborn. Shortly thereafter, I encountered a fellow believer with the gift of intercessory prayer. In the midst of the Nashville GMA mayhem, he grabbed me out of the crowd in order to pray for my voice to heal. He’d never met me, nor did he know anything about me. He simply prayed that God would enable me to continue to minister, and to heal my voice. I was floored. I agreed to pray, and that we did. I never lost my voice again after that remarkable encounter. I confirmed just a few months ago that the vocal chord remains paralyzed, however, it hasn’t hindered me one bit. Since that time, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the country and world, and my voice has remained strong. My human reasoning told me, “that wasn’t supposed to happen…but it did.”

A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of that God restored my voice all of those years back for the purpose of His glory. In times of doubt and confusion, I have reverted back to those remarkable moments. They have served as a reminder that God wants us to be sensitive to His calling on our lives. Instead of starting at closed doors, trying to will them open, we need to look around and see all the windows of opportunity opening around us.

Just a few weeks ago,I was playing at a music festival at a minor league baseball game with some very popular artists, and the crowd was growing as we waited for our mic check. I was excited because I had been practicing with a full band for months, and this was an opportunity to show what we had rehearsed. As the crowd grew, I realized that no one had actually done their mic check, and start time was rapidly approaching. I asked around and discovered that the production company had been called in due to a suspected short circuit somewhere in the sound system. One of my hype man, Good Friday, is a competent electrician and promptly offered up his services while they waited for the tech to arrive (on a holiday), but it was an equipment issue that could not be resolved that day. A small backup system was brought in, and Phil Joel, Stellar Kart, and more all prepared for acoustic sets without their bands. My new band stood there, admittedly disappointed that they would not be performing. As I took the stage with my loyal hype-men (Good Friday and Meccanism), we quickly rearranged the set (now running from an iPod.) Over 700 people enthusiastically applauded as we got them moving…until the sound shut down 15 seconds into the set. Here was the moment of truth. It was ninety degrees and humid, and we were baking in the sun. 700 music fans awaited a show that I could no longer execute. I have one moving vocal chord, after all, so an full set was out of the question. I felt compelled to keep going, however, as a peace came over me and I realized my squad hadn’t stopped hyping! So we kept going, the crowd gave us a hand clap, and we blazed through a full accapella set. It was a brilliant moment. My voice didn’t falter once, and, physically, it should have died after a couple of minutes. I recall thinking, “that wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did.”

God knows no boundaries, does He? He simply wants us to rely on Him, and disregard reason. He’ll use us in circumstances we thought impossible. Letting go and casting our cares upon Him is not always easy, but it is necessary if we are to be intimate with Him and sensitive to His voice.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

You can learn more about Bobby Bishop on Facebook.

Greeting friends,

This past weekend was a very special weekend for me and I give all glory to God. You know when God has purpose for you, many obstacles will try to delay you from doing what God has created you to do. I am not a perfect person and definitely have not lived a perfect life. That is why I thank God everyday for His extended grace & mercy on my life.

I just want to be transparent with you. Born in Columbus, Mississippi, I am the eldest of 7 children. My mother was 17 when I was born so it was basically a child having a child. She did the best she could as an inexperienced mother & till this day I love her for it, that will never change. How many believe that true love goes far beyond any hurt & it will allow one to overcome any pain? I do, and I am a living witness. A victim of domestic abuse from mother to son, verbal abuse, emotional abuse; I know that I have purpose. Now you have some people who claim they were abused because they didn’t get what they wanted or that they received a spanking for their mistakes, well let me describe the abuse I endured at the age of 6:

1. Torn skin on my back, legs and arms due to heavy whips from a thick leather strip (many times)
2. Multiple head injuries with reminding scars from the injuries
3. Deprived meals for days
4. Constant verbal reminders that I would never be anything and I was almost aborted
5. Scared to sleep at night not knowing if I would get a random beating

These were just some of the things I endure as an adolescent yet that does not compare to what Jesus endured. I do understand what it is to love someone so much yet have them abuse you, misuse you and forsake your existence for no reason. This is what Jesus endures and more. All He wants is from us is to accept Him, love Him & allow Him to love us like only He can.

Just think about some of the things you endured as a child of God that seemed like great pain. Know that Jesus paid the ultimate price so that you can survive what little you & I went through, are going through or may go through. I say little because Jesus took that much.

Guess what? I have done so much even after being blessed to survive abuse, rejection and abandonment. Yet through it all (homelessness, gang activity, drugs/selling & using, womanizing, prison, others attempt of physical death on my life, divorce, attempted suicide and others) God still saw me fit to receive His grace & mercy to live this life as His vessel to do His will.

Isn’t God amazing? Wait, amazing doesn’t even describe how I truly feel about Him. God is FANRIFFIC!!!

In 2003, I put away all that and rededicated my life as a man of God and continued my journey to destiny. In 2005, God allowed me to marry my “Deborah”, “Proverbs 31 wife” who fights with me & not against me. In 2008, God gave us our legacy, Solomon Bernard and in 2010, God allowed us to break ground on the new foundation of our lives as the Mitchell Family. The story continues…

This past weekend I accepted the ordination/validation as His watchman on this earth. I thank God because He ordered my steps and He gave me the chance to follow. I am not going to lie to you and say it’s a rosy life. No, it’s a God spear-headed life in which we are shown pitfall by charged angels. You can live your life with joy & peace even in the storm. Tests & trials do come but allow the Word hidden in your heart to spring forth like a running river and speak peace.

My friends, I pray you look over your life and give God praise for how He has allowed you to overcome many obstacles and most of all for being the light to help others become over-comers.

I just wanted to share this with you. Please remember this: Don’t count anyone out. As long as there is a heartbeat, there is hope. You are not the underdog, you are the over-comer!

Find out more about S. Bernard Mitchell here.