February 17, 2023

52 Weeks of Gratefulness #7 – Our Son’s Decision

In Week 7 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness I give thanks for our son’s decision.

Today our son, Chris Luckett, turns 21 years old. And, throughout those 21 years, he has made the conscious decision to share his life with us.

Whatever ignites him: anime, athletics, Pokémon, nature, dancing or people dear to him –he has decided to make us a part of it.

For 21 years it has been a privilege to bask in its glow.

Happy 21st birthday our beloved son.

Thank you for sharing your your life with us.

I’m thankful.

#52WoG

February 15, 2023

Spiritual Roots Produce Real World Fruit

I am grieved by the world. I desperately want to change it, but…

Spiritual roots produce real world fruit.

The suffering I see in the world is due to bad spiritual roots.

If I don’t get the spiritual right, all that I hope to do in the world will just produce more bad fruit.

Therefore, nothing is more important than seeking, establishing and strengthening roots into what is good and perfect.

I believe God is what is good and perfect. I believe Jesus is The Way. I believe when I focus on Him, good fruit in every area of life (government, community, enterprise, family, relationships, physical health, mental health, understanding and resources) will follow*.

*To distinguish this from false health-wealth prosperity gospel or name-it-and-claim theology, (which I hate) these are not things I believe to get but byproducts of the fruit that I produce, by the grace of God, as an effect of believing. The fruit is Love.

I cannot put effect before cause.

For now, as a sapling in Christ, I weather the storm, seeking to be a tree planted by the water, using adversity to drive my roots deeper and deeper into God, trusting Him to make me a mighty tree, that I may shelter others from the stormy blast and feed them with fruit from The Tree Of Eternal Life who’s leaf never fades and is always in season.

I am grieved by the world. I desperately want to change it, and this is how.

I seek to put down good roots and from that bear good fruit.

This is a caution to myself to not allow the pain of the world to distract me, to constantly pray and to maintain the proper order of operations.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
James 1:16-18

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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February 15, 2023

I Have A Plan. Attack.

One of my favorite lines of any movie.

Scene: Avengers (2012)
Members of the newly budding Avengers initiative take Loki prisoner after he steals the Tesseract.
Thor forces his way into the Avengers’ aircraft holding Loki to confront him and then flies away with Loki, their biggest lead to retrieve the Tesseract.

Captain America: “We need a plan of attack.”
Iron Man: “I have a plan. Attack.”

I am naturally more Captain America in my disposition. But, I’m increasingly learning to be more like Iron Man in my approach.

#Attack #Thriveday

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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February 15, 2023

Ministry Begins At Home

No matter how involved in the community I am and all the good works I appear to do, I cannot glorify God if I’m neglecting my home (1 Timothy 5:8).

My ministry must begin at home because anything else is a misrepresentation of God.

Consider how the Godhead relates:

how the Father relates to the Son (Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 3:17, Mark 9:7, John 10:17-18),

how the Son relates to the Father (John 5:30, 8:29, Hebrews 1:3),

and how the Holy Spirit facilitates it all (Genesis 1:2, John 16:13-15).

They are true to Their love and commitment to each other ABOVE ALL (Deuteronomy 6:4).

THEN, They extend this inconceivably wonderful communion to others (John 17:24).

Every relationship, including Christ’s relationship to the Church, branches from that –the love They shared at “home” (John 15:9).

Love branches properly.

Love begins at home.

It’s like fire. It cannot warm those afar off without warming those nearby.

Love seeks incessantly to prosper, purify and perfect all who come in contact with the vessel carrying it, beginning at the vessel’s home (Acts 16:31).

Without that love, all else is just posturing (1 Corinthians 13).

Actually it’s worse, it’s saying God (Love) is something that He isn’t. It’s heresy.

Everything God ordains; marriage, family, ministry, reflects Him.

This informs my responsibility to my wife, children, parents -first.

Ministry of Love begins at home.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” -1 Timothy 5:8

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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#perfectourlove

February 9, 2023

Surprise Luncheon Honoring Dr. Placid and Dr. Athelia Eze

Members of a local black professionals network hosted a surprise luncheon to celebrate Dr. Placid and Dr. Athelia Eze, two living legends of black history in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.

The Eze’s opened a medical clinic and pharmacy in Starkville, MS and grew it to one of Starkville’s largest practices -with additional satellite offices in Columbus, Mississippi and East Point, Georgia.

The Eze’s medical practice culminated with the building of a million dollar facility in Starkville that became a pillar of a new growing medical corridor on Stark Rd. that has recently added facilities such as Columbus Orthopaedic.

In addition to providing a safe and welcoming space for blacks to receive healthcare, Dr. Athelia and Dr. Placid Eze identified, recruited, educated and produced more black medical professionals than anyone in the area. They gave minorities a chance and an onramp into medical professions when no one else would.

After 22 years of service, the Eze’s closed their practice.

On their last day, members of the local black professionals network hosted a surprise luncheon in their honor.

It was truly a community effort.

Bonnie and Robbie Coblentz provided a wonderfully intimate and elegant meeting space in their newly opened L’uva Wine Bar.

We presented an awards plaque that was custom created by Josh Herrington at Dunkington.

All of the Eze’s staff and some of their previous staff attended and offered tributes.

Alderman Henry Vaughn honored them on behalf of the City of Starkville.

Supervisor Orlando Trainer honored them on behalf of Oktibbeha County.

Rosa Dalomba honored them on behalf of all the up and coming black entrepreneurs that the Eze’s cleared the way for and for being shoulders on which we stand.

There were laughs.

There were tears.

But above all there was thankfulness and honor for these two paragons of black excellence.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. It was truly wonderful.

#blackhistory #blackhistoryisstillbeingmade

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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February 8, 2023

52 Weeks of Gratefulness #6 – Alex Romanov

In week 6 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Alex Romanov.

This guy loves me.

How do I know?

I just know.

There’s something about his spirit and approach to me that conveys it.

The first time I met Alex was at the gym. I’m trying not to die on the bench press and he walks up, handing out these little strips of paper with Scripture on it.

That’s right. Our first encounter was him “Bible thumping” as some might call it.

But Brother Alex could and should teach a class on witnessing.

His spirit and approach was that he was sharing someone dear to him with someone dear versus giving something to someone that he thought they lacked.

His example is how we should all witness:

Love God.
Love people how God loves you.
Then witness (share Him with them), because it’s not witnessing until I’ve done the first two.

I am grateful for his witness. So much so, that I now I seek him out asking, “What’s the Word, Alex?” (VeggieTales insider joke)

I am delighted to share the dear gift of Christ with such a dear brother. Thank you Brother Alex for the rare and precious gift that gets better the more you give it away. I love you too.

I’m thankful.

#52WoG

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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February 6, 2023

True Riches

God is doing a wonderful and difficult work of tearing down and building up in my life.

He’s making an all out assault against things that separate me from Him (many of which I’m still clinging to, but day-by-day am learning to let go) and He is building up those things that make for my peace.

Here is a beautiful and unexpected revelation from Luke 15-16 that cuts me deeply. I pray it blesses you and draws you nearer to God as it is presently doing for me.

Family reunion.

This is what makes God happy.

The heart and desire of the Father is to be with His children, regardless of how they were lost:

whether they were lost because they wandered (Luke 15:4-7),
whether they were lost due to a failure of those who were supposed to keep them (Luke 15:8-10),
whether they were lost because they rebelled (Luke 15:11-24),
whether they were lost because their hearts were hardened due to self righteousness (Luke 15:25-32).

The heart and desire of the Father is to be with His children (Luke 15:20,32).

Everytime even one is restored, there’s a party in heaven (Luke 15:7, 10, 22-24).

This is what makes God happy.

Then Jesus makes a point about leadership and the religious establishment (Luke 16).

We can make God happy by pointing His children to Him, but we won’t because we’re lost!

We won’t commit ourselves to the work that pleases the Father because we’re enslaved to another master: our love of money (Luke 16:1-13).

As a result, we embezzle the resources the Father gave us for His work and spend it on ourselves to our own hurt, forfeiting the “true riches” (Luke 16:1-13).

Even in that there’s grace. In this series of parables, Christ is being about the Father’s business. He is working to please the Father and His admonition is to restore us to Him!

He is teaching what makes for our peace (Luke 19:42).

What I’m learning is that I’d be richer, more at peace, by laying down my life (possessions, power and position) to secure brothers and sisters in Christ, resulting in me having less materially but us having everything together, sharing Christ in God forever –gaining the true riches (Luke 16:9-11).

Jesus clearly teaches:
to love God, I must hate money (Luke 14:26, 16:13),
that we are to trade in our earthly treasures for heavenly treasures (Luke 12:33),
that we are to use money for eternal purposes (Luke 16:9).

But what does the scripture say of Christ?

The Father loves the Son because He lay down His life for the sheep. (John 10:15-17)

Consider Christ.
Repent.
Follow Him.

This is the journey I find myself on in the footsteps of Christ. I am striving to finish the race and endure to the end.

Please pray for me.

#TrueRiches #PerfectOurLove

February 4, 2023

Faith Is To Go Before

So much of faith is
going in spite of,
in spite of my desire,
in spite of my instinct

My INSTINCT IS to wait on God to provide then GO WHEN the path is clear

When FAITH IS to GO BEFORE the path is clear and watch God provide in the process

Faith is to go in the direction of God’s will before it makes sense

to go before I see it,
to go before I’m ready,
to go before I think I can,
to go before I’ve figured it out,
to go before others understand,
to go when I don’t want to,
to go before I feel like it,
to go before it’s easy,

to go believing God (God’s way is better than my way),
to go seeking His will,
to go forsaking my will (until His will becomes my will),
to go making all I am and all I have available for His purposes,
to go trusting Him to achieve His purposes (with all things, including what I’ve given to Him) –even if I don’t live to see it

Faith is to go, believing God, that He is good, His Way is good and that He wins.

Joy is the evidence of my confidence.

#faith

February 4, 2023

We Get To Fight

God merely needs to think it,
the war would be won,
His kingdom established.

But God has ordained the struggle,
He is giving us an opportunity to fight,
to grant us a part in His kingdom.

As descendants of the second Adam, proven by war, we will not sell our birthright and just hand over what we’ve fought for unlike what the first Adam did with a kingdom that was just given.

God gives us the ability to take it
and keep it.

I don’t have to fight.
I get to.
Rejoice.

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
-Luke 12:32

February 1, 2023

How I Experience God

God is different.

So, we experience Him differently, not the way we experience things in the world.

He is not material that can be perceived with the five senses.
God is spirit.

How do I explain this Spirit?
To what do I liken Him?
It’s like explaining color to sound, when vibration is all it has known.

Experiencing God is knowing, but much more than that.
More like the fellowship of knowing, yet even much more.

I don’t feel God in a physical or chemical sense, primarily.
However, knowing does very often elicit very real and intense feelings.

I experience God primarily, purely and most powerfully by knowing and being known.

Cause precedes effect.

Everything begins with God making Himself known.

When I receive what He reveals about Himself, He gives me Himself and then reveals some more.

At times, we disagree and He helps me see where I am wrong.

I have a real, living, growing relationship with a real, living God.

One of the evidences of the reality of this relationship is that it’s changing me in ways I could not have imagined.

This is how I experience God.

Knowing and being known.

Knowledge of Him that perfects me.

Love.

#perfectourlove

-1 Corinthians 13:8-12,

“Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”