CHAPTER 1
STRUGGLE
Struggle – What is struggle?
It's not being broke.
Struggle is not trying to just survive in the world paying bills.
Struggle is spiritual.
For some when you have not one person to talk to.
Struggle is when you know you coming against demons and think you're losing a spiritual fight.
You're getting attack after attack and think you can't pray.
That's struggle.
When you struggle to find a way to pray.
Struggle is hard.
When you know what's right, you see what's right, but you feel alone.
But you got God there sitting back waiting on you to call Him.
He's not going to call you in your struggle.
You will come out of your struggle if you get right and just talk to God.
He will help you.
Struggle is not just gonna go away the next day.
Stay on the path to get to be the God-fearing person you're supposed to be.
Struggle is when you have someone in your face, but you keep cool because that's God's way.
Struggle will never go away especially if you trying to walk with God.
But think Jesus struggled a long time so stay strong in prayer.
Don't do what you used to do and try to not do anything you know God won't like
And really
You never know when you come across an angel (and yes they're real).
So struggle can make you stronger spiritually.
But struggle is to not turn back to what you used to be.
It's what you are walking into to be great!
REFLECTION
CHAPTER 2
FAMILY
Family is not just people with the same blood you have or not even wife and kids, but family is people you miss and people that miss you and need you.
Not for money
But they might need your smile
Or just your hello.
Don't think because you're not here you're not thought of, just because you don't get a call you're not loved.
So stay strong because you never know who misses you or even considers you as family.
Truthfully we're all supposed to be family because we are all God's children.
You're supposed to consider everyone brother or sister.
We are all God's children and church is our home.
So always come home and stay close to your family, your church family also.
REFLECTION
CHAPTER 3
TO SHAKE A DEMON
When you know God has a calling on you, demons come strong and fast on you.
But you have to learn how to shake them demons.
Not just going to church Tuesdays and Sundays are you going to shake them demons.
No! You must stay prayerful.
Not just before you go to bed but stay in a prayerful mind, set all day, every day.
That is still not the only way you shake a demon.
You must wear blessed oil from the man of God.
What we have to do to shake a demon is to call on the Name of Jesus in time of your hard moments.
No money, call "Jesus"
No car, call "Jesus".
Those demons want you to think you won't make it.
Demons play mind games to make you feel lonely, depressed, broke.
But God says different!
Shake them demons off smoking.
Pray, call on Jesus.
Shake them demons off.
Depression
Call on Jesus, shake them demons off.
Drinking
Call the Name of Jesus, shake them demons off.
Anger
Call Jesus to help you, stay humble. Shake them demons off.
You call the Name of Jesus and stay prayerful.
Feed your soul with the Bible every day, gospel music.
Them demons will run but don't think they won't be upset.
Oh, they will but call the Name of Jesus.
Them demons going to be mad but
Remember you must keep your mind on things that will please God
Every day not just some days
That's how you shake them demons.
Keep a Bible in your pocket and you shake demons.
Read the Word, play gospel music every day, pray all day.
Stay happy even when you think you can't be happy.
You will shake demons.
But remember to shake a demon you better know you will shake demons every day.
It's like playing basketball. If you're a guard, you have to shake the defense. Just like if you are a running back, you have to shake that linebacker.
Shake them demons off you!
The devil didn't want me to write this, but I shook my pen and said God's Name and it worked to shake a demon and I started writing so I could shake some demons off.
Them demons can't keep a hold on you unless you do the opposite of what God says.
Demons can't keep a hold of you.
Shake them demons off you.
Them demons will make you feel heavy like not fat but like weights holding you down.
Shake them demons off you and see how lifht you feel.
Them demons will even make you think life is over.
But shake them demons and live for God.
REFLECTION
CHAPTER 4
THE STORY OF A MAN OF GOD
A man of God is a man that walks in faith even though he was told you won't live past 16 or 21.
A man of God walks in faith when you have something like a bone infection you're supposed to die from, but you live and it goes away.
A man of God repents for his past. Just because you drank liquor, doesn't mean you're not a man of God.
Just because you've been involved in street activity, doesn't mean you're not a man of God.
You might have had to see something and be involved in things to know its wrong and not of God and to find out a man of God is not of this world, He's just in it.
A man of God might go through things that the average man can't handle, but that man of God knows how to talk to God and trust God will bring him through.
Like Pastor Shelby said to me, "You have a target on your chest so you're going to get attacks, but you have to trust in God."
Like Elder Clifton said before, "You will be lied on, talked about. Your family might not talk to you. Your friends might turn their back on you. But, you're still a man of God. You might be dragged in the mud. But, you're still a man of God."
Just because he didn't show he was a man of God, he knew but was running.
You have to remember, he's human, he's made mistakes in the past, but they made him stronger in God and mentally.
It was and is a process. Nobody's perfect like Pastor Shelby said once. If we were perfect we would be in heaven, but none of us are in heaven. So don't judge a man of God by his past, judge him if you must on how he conducts himself in the now as Pastor Shelby says in the now.
But truthfully you shouldn't judge anyone. You're not God and as Pastor Shelby said before we're not living by a law, an old law, so don't judge a man of God.
It's not easy to do things to only please God, but you are a man of God.
Just because you had to lose everything you had doesn't mean you're not a man of God.
If you remember Pastor Shelby said you might have to lose your house and some things, but you're a man of God.
It might help you write your sermon, so don't judge a man of God because he had to struggle to get to where he's at now.
A MAN OF...