Your Alabaster Box

Your Alabaster Box

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster
(CeCe Winans Alabaster Box)

I heard someone do a wonderful rendition of this song at “My First Love” the stage play. It’s amazing how I can hear a song a million times, and then hear something that I had not heard before. To really understand this song, you have to know a little about the lady with the box of oil. As Jesus was about to go to what Dr. Sir Walter Mack Jr. calls “that awful surgery called Calvary”, a seemingly odd event happens. A woman comes and pours oil on His feet, and then wipes it with her hair. Strange, to say the least.

What is your Alabaster box?

Most of the people watching probably did not understand what was going on…but Jesus did. One of the disciples was brave enough to speak up and say “That’s just dumb. We could have sold that oil to feed the poor.” Jesus response should teach us the danger of using “logic” for illogical things. Jesus knew that her actions were about “purpose”. Jesus knew that she was divinely appointed for that moment…preparing Him for the cross.

At a very low point in my life, someone shared with me Psalms 126. The psalmist tries to paint a picture of someone sowing seeds, yet crying as they go. There is an awesome revelation in that….what we go through is for a reason. It is our experience (even the bad stuff) that noursishes the seeds God has given to us to sow.

Again, I ask, What is your Alabaster box? What have you made great sacrifice for? What have you cried for, given up, taken punishment for? In my tough times, God has spoken very clearly to me that I had to go through what was happening. The bible says that Jesus was “acquainted with grief”….He had felt what you are feeling. It is because He experienced this life, that He is able to understand our pain.

God, I pray for hurting people….those that are paying the price…their Alabaster box. God so many, do not understand why their road is so hard….but we know that You do. God we want to give up…we think at times that the price is too high…but You know that we must carry our Alabaster box.

God I pray now that you will strengthen us. Help us to know that we are right on track for the destination you have for us. So we trust You God. As we begin to pour the oil from our Alabaster box…our sacrifice…we trust you. Even as people around us say “it’s don’t take all that”…we trust you.

God I praise you in advance for those that will make the sacrifice.

It is so.

What’s In a Name?

What’s In a Name?

We tend to call people names based on what they do. If someone is sneaking as a child, some people call them “Slick”. If someone is big, we might call them “Tiny” (go figure). If someone drinks, we call them the alchoholic…overweight…heavyset.

Benjamin Floyd Coleman Jr. / Benjamin Floyd Coleman II – When I was getting ready to graduate high school, they gave us forms to submit how we wanted our names to appear on our diplomas. Me (and my wise self) decided to “spice up” my name. Instead of using ‘ Jr.’, it seemed more appealing to use ‘II’. I remembered all the royalty that were none as the ‘II’, and thought I would do the same. What I did not think about, was how my parents would feel about it. Needless to say, they were surprised to see it. So….what’s the big deal? What I did not consider was the effort my parents had put into naming me. I did not fully appreciate it until I was about to have my first son. It was then that I realized that a name is very important. The bible says that we can have what we say, so when we say a name, we are speaking over a child’s ENTIRE life. Wow. Here are a few examples.

Jabez – Most of us have heard the prayer of Jabez…”enlarge my territories…” Many do not know that Jabez mother birthed him in turmoil. His name means born in pain. We do not know the whole story, but it implies that his mother went through a lot to birth him.

Abram/Abraham – One meaning of Abram is “to run”, which fits Abram’s early life. This is a guy that lied and said his wife was his sister…talk about running from the truth! But, as God’s plan for his life began to unfold, God changed his name to Abraham…father of many nations.

Hadassah /Esther – I just heard a great preacher say that Esther had to have a new name to match, not her past, but where God was taking her. Hadassah was her Hebrew name, but to be queen of Persia she had to be Esther. I could spend a lot of time there…I will say that he also said that “a moment of favor is worth more than a lifetime of labor”.

Saul/Paul – Please take a second to read my blog on Paul (http://bencolemanjr.blogspot.com/2009/02/was-paul-ocd.html) . The main thing I want to bring out here is that Paul real was not as much transformed, as much as his energy was redirected. As Saul, he was obsessed with killing Christians….as Paul, he was obsessed with birthing Christians.

Jesus called me friend – In John 15, Jesus is giving final words to his disciples. He makes a very profound statement…that they are no longer His servants, but His friends. He says that a servant is on a “need to know” basis, but a friend knows what a friend is doing.

So what’s in a name? Destiny. I’m not telling you to run downtown and fill out a name change form. I am saying that God has a name for you, that speaks to where He is about to take you. It doesn’t matter what people call you…their name for you is probably based on your past. My God has a name for you that speaks to your future. That’s the one I’m going by!

Why Me?

I have talked to so many people that are in some uncomfortable situations, to say the least. People that are losing homes...losing vehicles...jobs...their wife...a husband....dead loved ones...the list is REAL long these days. You don't have to go far to find someone who is going thru something.

There is something that I have found in common, for many of the people I have talked to. WE all wanna know "why me?" Yeah, the bible tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered, we know about Job and his suffering, King David and the psalm he lived...and of course Christ. But Why me? Why did God decide this is what Ben Coleman Jr. has to go through. Here are a few (but not all) of the answers:

1. Cause God said so. I could really stop there for the most mature christians, because we know God is sovereign...He can do whatever He wants to. But, we are not all there yet...lol. Someone just reminded me of God's message through Moses to the Pharoah....I am that I am. Nuff said!

2. Because you can handle it. So many are falling under huge amounts of pressure. I don't have to list the stuff again..you know what your pressure is. It's something different for each of us, but we all have something. So why do I have to go through this....because I can. Let me explain, Hezekiah Walker said once...summarizing Job...if you got it, you can handle it. Many would not have gotten this far under your load. Many would have been crushed. But you are still here. A friend of mine keeps telling me...Ben, I don't know how you handle it....simple...God.

3. God is teaching you. David realized it was a good thing for him to go thru so much. That was how David learned about God, and God's way of doing things. Not a life of rosey bliss, but of diving steps....some good and some bad...to perfect him, and get him to a point of ministry. That's why God picked you, because you will go back and minister to others. Someone share Ps126 with me and it changed my outlook. God allows me to cry tears, to nourish this seed He has given me to plant. As I walk the crop rows of life, I am dropping seeds and shedding tears. Glory to God!!!!

4. People are watching you. Again, I have to refer to David. I tell people that I'm glad David wrote down all the good AND the bad he went through. I can read it, and get strength from his struggle. My God!!!!!!! What a blessing it has been in my struggle to meet people like you that have said, Ben I know how you feel. I'm going through something myself. I tell people to take good notes...endure hardness as a good soldier. Somebody that thinks they CANT will look at you and say yes I can!

We somehow think that when bad stuff happens...especially when it is one bad thing after another...that there is a problem....we have messed up. No!!!!!!! It's part of God's plan....not for everyone...God will confirm your situation. David said it was good that I was afflicted. Paul said I have some ups and I have some downs...but I learned to be content either way.

Be encouraged, my co-warrior. God has you in this place for a reason.