“Duck Behind God, When The Crazy Starts Flying”

D (Dodge) U (underdeveloped) C (consciousness) K (kindly) – Iyanla Vanzant

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Excerpts from Christianity Today

Last month, three Long Island students were suspended for “Tebowing” — mimicking Tebow’s signature one-knee kneel — in the school hallways. According to the school, the sheer number of students who would mimic the move created “a safety hazard.” This says a lot about Tebow’s status in pop culture, as does the fact that name-checking Tebow has become a common practice in contexts as diverse as GOP presidential debates to progressive talk radio.

But Tebow’s name is synonymous with more than just football (and stunning fourth-quarter wins). His signature move started as a bow to God. Tebow himself defines “Tebowing” as “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”

As Tebowing and Tebow himself have exploded into a nearly ubiquitous pop culture reference, he has attracted plenty of criticism, ranging from the ignorant to the outrageous, with conclusions about the larger meaning of the phenomenon ranging from bullying to unwise to maddening to sacrilegious.

Christians who aren’t in the public spotlight might be tempted to dismiss Tebow as an exaggerated witness: maybe he is among the few in the kingdom “called” to start an Internet meme or command the attention of a football stadium.

Tebow is brave. Although he’s not the only Christian in the NFL, it is not a workplace known for incorporating Jesus. Tebow created that space, and made it a place of praise. And he started long before he played for the NFL or the Broncos reached the playoffs.

Often, it takes courage and conviction to demonstrate Christ in the workplace. I can’t imagine “Tebowing” every time I score a professional achievement in my office, but I can imagine blessing my food in public, refusing to make a decision without praying first, and talking to coworkers about my faith when the timing is appropriate.

True, just because everybody’s talking about something (or someone like Tebow) doesn’t mean it’s having an impact. But I believe the very presence of God, in pop culture and elsewhere, brings unplanned benefits. For example, John 3:16 became the top Google search following Sunday night’s surprise overtime win. As Tebow said of the Tebowing phenomenon, “It’s not my job to see people’s reasons behind it. . . . At least it’s being talked about, and that’s a cool thing.”

There’s a lot to respect about a Christian unafraid to make everything about him represent Christ, so that whether there is one eye on him or a thousand, not one can fail to notice, whether they react with hatred or adulation or interest.

Can I get an Amen?

God’s had a pretty big NFL season this year. I don’t know if he was on strike last year, but this year, he’s all over the place.

“Tebowing,” the act of bending down on one knee to pray like Tim Tebow, became a trend.

Saturday Night Live did a skit in which Jesus visited the Denver Broncos locker room.

Media headlines credited or discredited God for NFL victories or losses. (Sunday’s Broncos game for instance. Tebow threw for 316 yards. Hellooooo John 3:16 comparisons.)

The Denver Broncos quarterback — a fervid evangelical with more devotion than downfield passing skills — took 11 seconds to rip off the longest overtime touchdown pass in the shortest overtime in playoff history Sunday night, lofting his team into the second round of the NFL playoffs.

Now, Tebow talk has swept the nation.

•His against-all-odds heroics brought CBS a mind-blowing 25.9 overnight rating, the best for a wild card football game in almost 25 years.

By Barry Gutierrez, AP

U.S. Marines ‘Tebow’ before the start of the New York Jets and Denver Broncos’ game on Nov. 17.
•Sports websites staggered under an onslaught of hits. NFL.com reported views of videos in the hour after the game up 385% over Wild Card Sunday last year.

•Tebow hit more than 1 million mentions on Twitter. Sunday night, the rate of tweets announcing the victory hit 9,420 per second. The all-time record was set last month when a TV screening of Japanese movie drew 25,088 tweets-per-second. But Tebow still beats the 8,868 tweets-per-second rate reached when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy during the 2011 MTV Music Awards.

•Both Tebow and his favorite Bible verse, John 3:16 (proclaiming Jesus’ promise of salvation), were in the top three Google Trends throughout most of Monday. Many people noted he threw for exactly 316 yards, an unintentional allusion to the Bible verse he etched into his eye back while winning national championships at the University of Florida.

•NFL sales of Tebow’s No. 15 Broncos jersey are second only to those for Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who won the Super Bowl last year.

I think He cares about your faith. He cares about where your heart is. And if you can live your faith out on the football field then yes, God cares about football because He cares about you. He sent His son Jesus to die for us so we could live for Him. That’s why we’re here. But see, it’s not just on the football field; we’ve got to honor Him in our relationships, our respect for authority, in the classroom, and when you’re at home alone surfing the internet.

Point being, God reaches our hearts through whatever he can find. If it’s death, hunger, blindness, or football probably makes very little difference in the scheme of things.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me–
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home (Luke 1:26-56).

[Jesus'] mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of

David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus (Matthew 1:19-24).

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:1-38).

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:1-23).

Merry Christmas from the Elev8 Staff!

We claim all these things in the name of the Divine take a moment a give yourself a huge stretch, and wake up. The first thing you want to do is say thank you for this day. Be thankful for the people in your life and that you woke up. We have so much to be thankful for, we don’t even realize it because of the daily grindstone. Anyway, when you get ready in the bathroom, do the same thing as the night before, look at yourself in the mirror and say “I am going to have a great day, and nothing is going to get me down” I can do anything, with a smile!!

Prayer for a Good Day

Dear Lord,as I arise
And bend my knee to pray
I ask please place your guiding hand
Upon this busy day

All my yesterdays are said and done
Tomorrow may never be
But I give you full reign over this day
To make the best of me

May each little word I speak
Be filtered through your love
May all my thoughts be connected
To the heavenly courts above

And use my feet to take me
To where you want me to be
Guard my eyes that they would only
See what you want me to see

Give me a heart that longs to show
Others the way back home
And with these two hands help me
Fashion glory for your throne

From the great expanse of eternity
One day is all I can borrow
So help me Lord to take care of today
And we’ll talk again tomorrow Amen

May this day be great for you!

Watch the following video, as a 5 year old prays an unforgettable prayer, at Potter’s House – Bishop Jake

What is your favorite scripture, prayer or affirmation?  Let us know in the comment section below.

Sending positive and prosperous vibes to Elev8 – Robin Downes

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YOGA FLAVA VIDEO: Enjoy This Guided Meditation To Bliss

A City In The Midwest That Black People Love

Former Iowa state Rep. Danny Carroll of Grinnell spoke on behalf of these conservative Christians on Tuesday (December 13th). “She fears God, and she hates dishonest gain,” Carroll said during a press conference surrounded by Iowa faith leaders and pastors.

New Poll Says Americans Want A Religious President

According to Carroll, “The Bible says we are to choose those who are men of truth, who hate covetousness and fear God. I believe that (Bachmann) is guided by principles, not political calculations. I believe that the leader of our nation has to be a person who will always tell the truth and do the right thing.”

President Obama Shuts Heckler Down With Jesus [VIDEO]

Check out the rest of this story here, and let us know if you believe Bachmann is “biblically qualified” to be the next President of the United States of America.

Everybody Loves Tim Tebow Here!

With Tebow being the most vocal supporter of God in the NFL, how could God not love Tebow a little more? The degree of God’s love is not debatable, and it’s not likely that God actually loves Tim Tebow more than any other football player or human being for that matter. But if God did love Tebow more, here are some reasons why we’d understand…

Christianity Now Trendy?
Tim Tebow has literally made praising God trendy by “Tebowing” before each game. This probably wasn’t his intent, because Tebow just kneels down to pray briefly. However, the more the Broncos won, the more people took notice. Striking a prayer pose on one knee in random places became known as “Tebowing,” and people often share these images on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

4 New York Teens Suspended For Tebowing

Give Thanks
During his post-game interviews, Tim Tebow thanks his Savior for the victory before he acknowledges anyone else. Instead of focusing on stats, or his great performance, Tebow gives all praise to God.

Not Too Preachy
Tebow received a great deal of criticism last year for appearing in a pro-life commercial with his mother. The ad ran during the Super Bowl, and pro-choicers criticized his decision to stand on this side of this faith/political issue. Tebow consistently speaks of his faith in interviews, but he hasn’t received a wave of backlash, because he’s celebrating his beliefs instead of imposing them on others.

The Story Behind Tim Tebow’s Controversial Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad

Building A Following
The more Tim Tebow leads the Denver Broncos to victory, the more people wonder how he helps his team win games that they seemed to have no way to win. Commentators and fans recognize that there must be a devine force, and that’s slowly and effectively showing people the power of Christ.

On A Mission
Tim Tebow is the son of missionaries, and earlier this year he followed in their footsteps by spreading Christianity in the Philippines. While some NFL players spend their off time getting into trouble, Tebow preaches to others by talking about what means the most to him.

Here are five ways you can exercise it:

1. Stop ignoring the evil you encounter. The older I get, the easier it is to close my eyes to poverty, pain, injustice, and evil. I can order my life, so that I am never put in a position of seeing anything unpleasant. I can look without seeing. I’m continue to pray daily that “God gives me eyes to see and ears to hear.” You can’t be a change agent if you don’t perceive the needs around you.
2. Stop over-thinking your response to it. I have an author friend who has a policy about giving to homeless people. He told me, “Every time I used to encounter a homeless person, I would go through all kinds of mental gyrations. If I give money to this person, will they just use it to buy alcohol or drugs? Why don’t they just get a job? Maybe it would be better if I offered them some work rather than just give them money?”Then he read the words of Matthew 5:42, “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” He then decided to make a deal with God. Now, whenever he encounters a homeless person or a beggar, he gives them all the cash in his pocket. Sometimes that’s two dollars. Sometimes it’s a hundred. Regardless, he decided to stop over-thinking it and start living the Gospel. The money he gives is his gift to God. While I may not be able to do everything, I can do something. And something is usually better than nothing.
3. Stop complaining about your lack of resources. Erin couldn’t get the school to give books to her students. So, she got a second job and bought the books herself. The students wanted to bring Miep Gies, the Dutch woman whose family hid Anne Frank and her family, to the school to lecture. The school didn’t have the budget, so the students held a series of fund-raisers to come up with the money.What’s my excuse? No matter what my station in life is, it’s easy to think I don’t have enough resources. My guess is that even Bill Gates feels inadequate in the face of the needs he encounters. Resources are never—and I mean never—the problem. The biggest challenge is simply my will to act.
4. Start asking, “What is the right thing to do?” Let’s face it. The world needs heroes. It needs people who will be courageous and act on principle. But where can we find such people? Maybe the answer is closer than we think. The truth is it can start—and must start—with us.God has providentially put each of us exactly where we are. We need to ask, “Why am I here?” “What does God want me to do in this situation?” “What is the right thing to do?”
5. Be in the moment and act. I can’t afford to wait for my circumstances to be perfect. I will never have enough experience. I will never have the resources I need. I need to stop whining and just do it! Someone else is waiting for a hero. I may be the best opportunity they have. I may be their answer to prayer.

So, you may not be able to help everyone. But you can help someone. You have more power than you can imagine.

Here are stories about people  “Doing Something” in their world this  year.

• Walmart Gives Back: Huge Gift To Catholic Charities To Reduce Poverty
• Cable Companies To Offer $9.95/Month For Internet To Poor Families
• Community College Of Philadelphia Creates Center To Help Black Male Students
• “Courageous” Calls Men Of Honor To Stand Up In New Movie
• What You Can Do To Support Black Marriage?

“In the silent times : seek God”

“In the painful times : praise God”

“In the harried times : hallow God”

“…and in the terrible times : trust God.”

And at all times — at all times –

Thank God!!