HE’S

ONLY

A PRAYER

AWAY

by BURTON BARR, JR.

Kobalt Books

www.kobaltbooks.com

INTRODUCTION

One of the earliest memories of my childhood is my father teaching me to pray. I was about four or five years old.  My parents were going through a temporary separation and, during this time, my mother and younger brother lived in St. Louis.   My father and I lived in Chicago where we shared a two-bedroom apartment with my grandparents, my uncle, Bill, and my cousin, Rose.

Every night, before I went to sleep, Dad would lead me in “The Lord’s Prayer.” I would carefully repeat the words after him. One night, I jumped into bed, anxiously awaiting Dad to lead me in our prayer.  Instead, he told me to go ahead and pray. I was terrified.

“Dad, I don’t know how to pray,” I said nervously.

“Son,” He said, “Prayer is just talking to God. Just talk to Him the same way you talk to me.”

I recited the prayer the way my father had taught me. Then I added a few more sentences. I don't remember what I said, but I will never forget the smile that was on my father's face.

Dad is at home with the Lord now. Whenever I pray, I can see that big smile on his face. Thanks Dad, for teaching me how to pray and for letting me know that God is only a prayer away.

Our prayer time was very important to him. Eventually, it became one of the highlights of my day as well. I have discovered that prayer is just communicating with God. By communicating, I mean it is a two-way conversation. Yes, God talks to us as well. However, instead of seeking a relationship with Him, we sometimes try to turn God into a ‘sugar daddy’.  We are so busy begging Him for stuff or surrounding ourselves with noise that we can’t hear Him.

If you have read my first two books, you know that I have a troubled past. I was a drug addict, an alcoholic, a con man, a liar and a thief. I also went to prison several times. I didn’t realize it at the time, but even when I was at the lowest point of my life, God still loved me. Although I had forsaken Him, He had never forsaken me.

That is the message I try to convey to everyone. It is the message of hope. Too many people have given up on themselves. They look at their situations and wonder if anyone cares about them.

I heard a song heard many years ago that sums up God’s love of man.  I can still remember some of the words:

In a mansion made of stone.

In a shanty all alone.

God cares. God cares. He cares for you.

Whether black or white

You are precious in His sight.

God cares. God cares. He cares for you.

It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you have become, God still loves you. You can be sitting on top of the world or sitting in a prison cell, God still loves you. He not only loves you, He really cares about you.

This book is not a lesson in how to pray. The purpose of this book is to help you realize the importance of having a relationship with God.   When you are ready for God, He is ready for you. It doesn’t matter if you are in the White House, the church house or the crack house; He’s Only a Prayer Away.

I See Dead People

Just before he died, Sam Cooke recorded a song that is now a classic. He said:

I was born by the river, in a little tent

And just like that river, I’ve been running ever since

It’s been a long, long time coming, but I know

A change gone come, Oh yes it will

It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die

I don’t know what’s up there, beyond the sky

It’s been a long, long time coming, but I know

A change gone come, Oh yes it will

Death is something that many of us don’t want to talk about. We are afraid of it. We don’t understand it. It is a mystery to us.

Sometimes we feel guilty and even blame ourselves when someone that we love dies. We say things like, “If only I would have been there.” Or, “Maybe if I would have been a better son or daughter; a better brother or sister; a better father or a better mother.”

There was once told the story of a young man that lived in New York City. One day, he went to the market for his aging mother. While he was there, he noticed a strange looking man staring at him and following him around the store. When he looked closer, he realized that the strange man was actually the angel of death.

It frightened him so badly that he ran out of the store, leaving all of his groceries behind. When he got home, he told his mother what had happened. She immediately took him to the airport and put him on a flight to Los Angeles. Then she went to the market and confronted the death angel.

She asked him why he was following her son around the store and scaring him. The death angel said, “I’m sorry Ma’am. I didn’t mean to frighten him. I was just surprised to see him here in New York. You see, I have an appointment with him tonight in Los Angeles.”

As mysterious as death is, one thing is always certain. We all have an appointment with its angel. It doesn’t matter whether you are young, old, black, white, pretty, ugly, short, tall, big, small, behind prison walls or walking the streets. One day, death is going to come knocking at your door. The only question is; will you be ready?

To some of you, this might sound like a eulogy or a dramatic sermon you might hear at a funeral.  In a sense, it is.

You may not believe this, but I see dead people.  Let me explain.

I once saw a movie called “The Sixth Sense”. In this movie, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, is shot and wounded by a former patient.

Six months later, he finds himself providing much needed therapy for a peculiar eight –year old boy named Cole.  During the course of the movie, Cole reveals that he has an unbelievable secret; He sees dead people.

He said, “I see dead people. They are walking around like regular people. They only see what they want to see.” Then he said something that messed me up. He said, “They don’t know they are dead.”

By the end of the movie, Dr. Crowe learns that he himself is also dead; fatally wounded by his former patient.

I want to tell you something. I have a secret too. I’m kind of like Cole. I see dead people. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the kind of dead people that Cole saw in the movie. I don’t see ghosts. I see people who are dead in their sins. I see people who are lost and on their way to hell. I see people who are separated from The Almighty God. I see dead people.

When I’m driving down the street, I see dead people. When I’m walking through the mall, I see dead people. When I’m in the grocery store, I see dead people. When I’m at the post office, I see dead people. In the jails and in the prisons, I see dead people. In the schools and in the playgrounds, I see dead people. Everywhere I go, I see dead people

Dead people are everywhere. They are walking around like regular people. They only see what they want to see. They don’t know that they are dead. Some of them are reading this book right now and not only are they dead, but they are wandering around in a world of hopelessness.

The Prophet Ezekiel also saw dead people. These people had been dead for a very long time. He described it in the 37th chapter of his book. He said, “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.”

Where is this valley that the LORD led Ezekiel too? The Bible doesn’t say, but today I believe it could be located on any street corner, in any community, be in any school, and in any city. It could even be located in the multitudes of prisons and jails located around the country.  The valley could be anywhere for all of these places contain dead, dry bones.

In verse two, he said, “There were very many in this open valley, and lo, they were very dry.” They had been cast away and long since forgotten about.

But in verse three, God asked the prophet an interesting question. He said, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I don’t know if you know this or not, but whenever God asks a question, He already knows the answer. That’s why he said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy upon these bones. Preach to these dead people. Say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.”

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). He said, “I come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

“Thus saith the LORD God unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live” (Ezekiel 37:5).

If you are one of the walking dead, you can have life. All you have to do is call on the Lord and repent of your sins. It doesn’t matter where you are, He will hear you. Remember, He’s only a prayer away.

A Good Soldier

Christians are often compared to soldiers and Christianity to warfare in both song and scripture. One songwriter came right out and said, “I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord.” Another wrote, “I am on the battlefield for my Lord.”

The Apostle Paul understood that this is spiritual warfare. That is why he told the church at Ephesus to put on the whole armor of God. Approximately four years later, he wrote a letter to Timothy telling him to fight the good fight of faith. Three years after that, he was led by the Spirit to write yet another letter to young Timothy telling him to endure hardship like a good soldier.

What is a good soldier? I’m glad you asked. Some of us confuse being a good soldier with being a soldier who is good.  There is a difference.

I was in the United States Marines for five years. Almost half of those years were during the Vietnam War. During that time, I saw a lot of soldiers and Marines who had received medals for being good.

Being good simply meant showing up for roll call, being at your assigned post, doing a good job and not causing any trouble. For that, they received the Good Conduct Medal because they were soldiers who had been good.

However, in too many cases, the Good Conduct Medal was the only medal these soldiers received. They did not receive a medal for valor. They did not have a medal for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. They did not earn the Medal of Honor nor did they have the Silver Cross.

As a mater of fact, a medal was given to those who went to Vietnam even if they did not fight in the war. It was for those involved in the support units behind the lines, such as the cooks, the medical personnel and the supply personnel. Many of the good conduct soldiers did not even receive one of those medals.

You see, they either felt that it was not their war or that it was not their job. They said, “That’s the Infantry’s job. Let them go.” Others said, “I’m not a Grunt. That’s not my job.” Well I’m sorry to say that we have some Good Conduct Soldiers in God’s Army as well. Our churches are full of Good Conduct Soldiers.

They never miss roll call, meaning they are in church every Sunday. They are always at their appointed post whether it is the usher’s board, the mother’s board, the deacon’s board, the choir, the pulpit, or wherever their designated post may be. They do a very good job and never cause any problems. I am sure that if God were to give out Good Conduct medals, they would certainly receive one. However, that is the only medal that many of them would receive.

When we start talking about taking the city for God, that’s where we draw the line. When we talk about going out on the battlefield and witnessing to the lost, they say, “That’s not my job. That’s the pastor’s job; let him go.” What is worse is that many of the Good Conduct soldiers would not even receive this medal for just being supportive because not only will they not go, they won’t even pray for you while you are out there on the front lines. They are not good soldiers. They are just soldiers who are good at what they have designated themselves to do.

How do you become a good soldier? Once again, I’m glad you asked. Like anything else, becoming a good soldier takes proper training. The Army and Air Force call it Basic Training. The Marines and the Navy call it Boot Camp. The church calls it Sunday school, Sunday Morning Bible Study, or Mid Week Prayer and Bible Study. The bottom line is you cannot become a good soldier without proper training.

Let us examine how the military goes about training their soldiers. The first thing they do is change your appearance. They cut your hair, take away your old clothes, and give you a uniform. Now, you don’t look the same. You are beginning to look like a different person. You are beginning to look like a soldier.

That is what happens when you join God’s Army; you become a new person. Paul said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”(2 Cor. 5:17).

I used to hear some of the old saints say, “He picked me up, turned me around, and placed my feet on solid ground. I looked at my hands and my hands looked new. I looked at my feet and they did too. I started to walk.  I had a new walk. I started to talk and I had a new talk.” All I am trying to say is when you have enlisted into God’s Army; somebody ought to be able to see a change in your life.

The next thing a soldier learns is to depend on the military for their basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. I believe that Christians ought to learn to depend on God. “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

We have to learn to trust God and depend on him. However, some of us depend on everything except God. We depend on our jobs, but jobs have been known to close down or move away. We depend on our families, but family members sometimes fail you. We depend on our friends, but friends might turn their backs on you. We ought to learn to depend on God.

Another thing soldiers learn is called military bearing. That is when you learn how to act like a soldier. You learn how to walk like a soldier walks. Talk like a soldier talks. Live like a soldier lives. Give like a soldier gives. Think like a soldier thinks. Go where a soldier should go, and not go where a soldier should not go. Some places are off limits to soldiers.

It is the same in God’s Army. When we are led by the Spirit, we learn how to act like a Christian ought to act. We walk like a Christian walks. Talk like a Christian talks. Live like a Christian lives. Give like a Christian gives. Go where a Christian should go, and not go where a Christian should not go. Some places should be off limits to Christians. How can you tell somebody about Jesus on Sunday morning if you are staggering out of the club with him or her on Saturday night?

The Marines have two phrases that are drilled into every trainee’s head. The first one is Semper Fidelis. It is a Latin phrase that means “always faithful.” That is their motto. They strive to always be faithful to the Corp.

I believe God’s soldiers should have the same motto:

Semper Fidelis.

Always faithful.

Faithful to God.

Faithful to your church.

Faithful to your pastor.

Faithful to you family.

Faithful to yourself.

Faithful to your job.

Faithful in your school work.

In all things, be faithful.

The other phrase is “Aye, Aye.” When you are given an order by someone that is in authority, your response is either, “Aye, Aye sir”, or “Aye, Aye, ma’am.”

What it means is, “I understand and I will obey.” What you are saying is that you understand the order. You are not saying that you understand why the order was given. It is not your place to understand why every order was given. It is your duty to say, “Aye, Aye,” and then carry out that order.

We ought to learn to say, “Aye, Aye Lord. I understand and I will obey. Lord, I don’t understand why you want me to love this person that has done me wrong, but you told me to love my enemies, so aye, aye Lord. I understand and I will obey.”

“I don’t understand why I have to respect these prison guards and CO’s, and you know they don’t respect me. However, you told me to do good by those who despitefully use me. So aye, aye Lord. I understand and I will obey.”

“Lord, I just can’t understand why you don’t want me to have sex outside of marriage. Nevertheless, you told us not to commit adultery, so aye, aye Lord. I understand and I will obey.”

Every soldier is given a guidebook. They call it their knowledge because it tells them everything they need to know to become a good soldier. Every evening before bedtime, we would hear the drill instructor say, “Break out your knowledge.” That meant it was time to study our guidebook.

God has given us a guidebook as well. It is called the Holy Bible. It is truly our knowledge. It tells us everything that we need to know to become good soldiers for the Lord, but we must study it. Therefore, some evenings when you get home, instead of turning on the television set or logging onto the internet, break out your knowledge.

Next, you go to the rifle range where you learn to use your weapon effectively. God has given each one of us weapons, but we must learn to use them effectively. We are witnesses for Christ, but we must learn to witness effectively. We all have a testimony, but our testimony is to no avail unless we use it effectively.

Finally, you are ready for the battlefield. However, to get there, you have to get off the ship. Often, the journey from the ship to the battlefield is long.  Many soldiers have become too comfortable on the ship.  They are unwilling to leave the safety and camaraderie they feel amongst their peers. Needless to say, it’s not always possible to fight a battle without setting foot on the battlefield.

The church building is the ship. Some of you have been sitting in there for a long time and you have gotten too comfortable. You feel safe on the ship. You know everybody on the ship. However, you cannot fight the battle while sitting on the ship. You have to go to the battlefield. Your community is the battlefield. Your job is the battlefield. Your school is the battlefield. Wherever there are lost souls, that is the battlefield.

You have to get off the ship, get onto the battlefield, dig yourself a good fighting hole, climb down in there and start fighting. The Army calls them foxholes, but I like the Marine term better. They call them fighting holes, because that is what you do down there. You fight.

They never send you to a fighting hole by yourself. They always send someone with you to watch your back. I just want to let you know that God will never send you to a fighting hole by yourself. He will send the Holy Spirit with you to watch your back.

While the soldiers are leaving the ship headed for the battlefield, the Navy is still on the ship firing the big guns over their heads, clearing the way for them. That’s what the church ought to be doing. You see, not everyone can go to the battlefield. Some may be too sick to go. Some may be too old to go. Some may not be strong enough to go. Therefore, they should be on the ship, on their knees, in intercessory prayer, firing the big guns over the heads of the saints that are going into battle and clearing the way.

The last thing you must learn to do is to stand guard. Jesus said to watch as well as pray. If you don’t have someone on guard duty, the enemy will sneak into the camp.

One day, a man decided that he was going to find Satan. He went every place that he thought Satan would be. He went to the taverns, liquor stores, casinos, crack houses, shooting galleries, and all up and down Sin Sick Boulevard, but he couldn’t find Satan anywhere. Eventually, he gave up his search.

The man decided to go to church one day, and guess who he saw sitting on the front row with his legs crossed and arms folded. That’s right. It was Satan.

The man walked up to Satan and said, “I have been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing in here?”

Satan smiled at the man and said, “I already have everybody that’s out there. I’m working on the ones that are in here now. These are the ones that got away from me and I want them back.”

If you want to know where Satan is, he’s in the church now, and he has you on his hit list. Just remember, you’re in the army now. If you happen to fall, you can call for the medic. His name is Jesus, and He’s Only A Prayer Away! If you call on him, he won’t just pick you up. He won’t just patch you up. He will make you brand new. So don’t give up and don’t give in. Get up. Get back on the battlefield and fight on like a good soldier.

It Ain’t That Kind of Party

I have discovered that people who know little or nothing about the Bible, know little or nothing about heaven and hell. They have seen movies and cartoons that have been made on the subject; therefore, many of them believe that they know what lies ahead for them when their lives are over. Many of them believe that hell is going to be just one big party.

I can still remember some of the misconceptions that I once had concerning this matter when I was still living a life of sin. I had always said that I didn’t want to go to Heaven when I died. I honestly thought that Heaven was going to be the dullest place imaginable.

I mean, what was there to do for a player like me? There are no night clubs up there, and there are no wild parties or loose women running around. There are not even any drugs up there, so I couldn’t get high, kick back on one of the clouds and just chill out. So what was there to do besides walk around all day and sing a bunch of church songs that I didn’t even know? Besides, I figured that once the angels heard me sing, they weren’t going to let me join the choir anyway.

Why would I even want to go to heaven? I wasn’t going to know anyone there, at least not anyone that I wanted to hang out with. I figured that heaven was going to be full of squares. You know... people that had to work for a living, went to church on Sundays and went to bed at night. You know… those kinds of people.

No, heaven was not for me. There was not going to be any partying there either. The real party was going to be in hell where all of my friends were going to be. I could just see it, all of us down there together: Fuzzy, Tadpole, C.J., Red and all of the other players and hustlers. We would all be there, together again, smoking the best weed, sipping on some Johnny Walker Red and partying with some of the finest women in hell. What a good time that would be. It would be the ultimate party.

Although it might be a little warm and uncomfortable down there, I’d get used to it. Besides, you should see some of the hell holes that I have been in while here on earth.

I know that some of the things that I just said might be funny or  unimaginable to some of you, but that was how I really felt. You would be surprised at the number of people who are lost, know they are on their way to hell, but think it is no big deal. In their eyes, hell is nothing they can’t handle.

Many of them feel that they have no choice in the matter. It is too late for them so they may as well make the best of it. Some of them think they might even enjoy it. It can’t be any worse than life has been for them here. We have to reach out to them and let them know that hell is not what they think it is. We have got to let them know that it ‘ain’t that kind of party’.

Some people believe that hell is a state of mind. Others think we make our own heaven and hell right here on earth. Carlton Pearson now teaches that no one is going to hell, but that is not what the Bible says.

Jesus said, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

If we are going to snatch sinners from the gates of hell, we must launch an all out offensive against Satan and his disciples. In order to do that, we must be prepared for warfare, and believe me when I say that this is definitely warfare.

As you can tell by my other books, I used to watch a lot of cartoons, movies and television programs such as Superman, Popeye, Mighty Mouse, and The Lone Ranger. Batman was another favorite. I really like the way that Batman prepares for battle. I truly believe that if we as Christians were to prepare for battle the way Batman prepares for battle, we would be awesome warriors for the Lord.

The first thing that he did was go to the Bat Cave. You see, Batman felt the need to get away from everything and everyone. He had to get away from Alfred. He had to get away from the mayor. He had to get away from all of the distractions of Gotham City, so he went to the Bat Cave where he could meditate and concentrate on the task at hand.

Sometimes Christians need to go the Bat Cave. We need to get away from our spouses. We need to get away from our friends. We need to get away from the television, the stereo, and all of the other distractions of the world. We need to go to the Bat Cave so we can meditate on God’s word, seek His guidance, and concentrate on the task at hand.

Jesus called it the secret place. “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6: 6).

While Batman was in the Bat Cave he would do something that was very important. He would get on the Bat Phone. The Bat Phone was a very special phone because it was the main line that went straight to the commissioner. The Bat Phone was never busy.  He always got through; no matter what time he called, day or night. When he got off of the Bat Phone he was ready for battle.

Let me tell you something. You cannot go to the Bat Cave and just sit there. You have to get on the Bat Phone. The Bat Phone is a very special phone because the main line goes straight to the commissioner, who is God Almighty. My grandmother used to sing a song that said, “Just call Him up and tell Him what you want.”

Something else that I noticed about the Bat Phone is it was a two-way line. Therefore, Batman did not always do the calling. Sometimes the phone would ring and it would be the commissioner wanting to discuss something with him.

Sometimes God wants to talk to you. Sometimes He wants to tell you something. Sometimes He doesn’t want to wait for you to call Him, so He will call you. That’s why the songwriter said, “Can’t sleep at night. That’s all right. Maybe God is trying to tell you something.”

So the next time you are having a sleepless night, it might be your Bat Phone ringing. Don’t just lay there tossing and turning. Get out of bed, go to your secret place, get down on your knees and answer your Bat Phone.

There was something else that I noticed about the Bat Cave. Whenever Batman went in there, he was not the same when he came out. He went in as Bruce Wayne, an ordinary citizen who had a lot of material things but no power. He went in dressed like everyone else. He walked like everyone else. He talked like everyone else. He acted like everyone else. But when he came out he was no longer like everyone else. He came out with his battle clothes on. He had on his cowl, his Bat suit, and his cape.  He was ready for battle because he was wearing his uniform.

It is time for the Church of God to put its battle clothes on. You know what your battle clothes are, don’t you? The old saints used to call them war clothes. It is the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the Gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit.

There is something else that you need to know about Batman. After he went to the Bat Cave, spoke on the Bat Phone, and put on his cape, he got into his Bat Mobile and went on the mission of taking back the streets of Gotham City. He took the streets back from The Riddler. He took the streets back from The Penguin. He took the streets back from Cat Woman, Mr. Freeze, and The Joker.

We must have the same mind set. After we have spent time in the Bat Cave, spoken on the Bat Phone, and put our battle clothes on, we have to go into our communities and take back the streets of our cities. We have to take the streets back from the gang bangers. We have to take the streets back from the drug dealers. We have to take the streets back from the pimps, the players, the slum lords, and the crooked politicians. We have to go to them with the love of Jesus Christ.  We have to let them know that God loves them.  We have to make them understand that they don’t want to go to hell because it ‘ain’t that kind of party’.

If we get discouraged while delivering the message of salvation to our brothers; that is when we must remember to fall on our knees and ask the Lord for strength. He’s Only a Prayer Away.

Players

When I was a child, my father took me to Soldier’s Field in Chicago to see Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I can still remember sitting in the bleachers, hanging onto his every word as he spoke to the crowd. It was not until I saw what he and so many other people of color were going through in the south that I realized just how special this man really was.

I saw the news reports on television about George Wallace, Bull Connors, and the Ku Klux Klan. I heard about how they killed, lynched, and terrorized black people all over the South.

I heard about how they beat, shot, and gouged out the eyes of 14 year old Emmett Till before throwing him into the Tallahatchie River because he whistled at a white woman. I heard about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and how four little girls lost their lives because they went to Sunday school one morning.

I watched in horror as the police loosed vicious dogs on young black children because they wanted an education; how black men and women were savagely beaten with nightsticks, and how they were sprayed with powerful water hoses because they wanted the right to vote.

I watched Dr. King being punched, spat upon, and pelted with stones as he led marchers down southern streets. I read the letter that he wrote while sitting in a lonely jail cell in Birmingham. The Klan was doing everything they could to shatter the dreams of Dr. King and an entire race of people.

I’m telling you, I was afraid to go Mississippi or anywhere else down south for that matter. I didn’t even want to go to the south side of Chicago. The KKK had me terrorized.

I want to tell you something. There is a new kind of Klan in America. They don’t wear white sheets that hide their faces, and they don’t carry burning torches anymore. Now they wear baggy pants that expose their behinds, and they carry AK47s. There is a new kind of Klan in America.

They don’t lynch our young boys for whistling at white women anymore. Now they just drive down the street and shoot them because they are standing on the wrong corner. There is a new kind of Klan in America.

They don’t kill our boys today because of the color of their skin. Now, they kill them because of the color of their clothing. I’m telling you, there is a new kind of Klan in America today.

This new Klan does not terrorize our people by burning crosses in our front yards. Now they terrorize us by disfiguring our neighborhoods with gang graffiti. They don’t destroy our churches with bombs anymore. Now they destroy them with burglaries.

This new Klan’s theme song is not, “I wish I was in the land of Cotton” or “Look Away Dixie Land.” This new Klan is singing, “It’s hard out here for a pimp.” And their philosophy of life is “Get Rich or Die Trying.”

This new Klan still disrespects our women by calling them B’s and H’s, and they still disrespect the rest of us by calling us the N word.

The new Klan I speak of is made up of some of our young black men. They don’t call themselves the Ku Klux Klan. This new Klan calls themselves “players”. They are destroying our communities in ways that George Wallace, Bull Connors, Jim Crow, or the original Klan never could.

In the days of the Civil Rights Movement, it was Dr. King and the black churches that stood up and fought for our people. Today, many of our preachers and churches have retreated to the safety of our sanctuaries. As a result, we are losing more and more of our young people to drugs, prison, or an early grave.

Many of our ancestors lost their lives fighting for the right to vote, however, today more than one million African Americans cannot vote because they are in prison and another three million have lost their right to vote because they have felony records.

African Americans are only 12% of this nation’s population, but we are more than 50% of the prison population. In St. Louis, Missouri, 97% of the Youth Detention Center’s population is African American children.

There was a time when our young people filled the jails because they loved one another. Now they fill the jails because they are killing one another.

Many of our young men are following in the footsteps of the seemingly tough guys they see on television. They want to be hard. They want to be tough. They want to be players but instead, they are getting caught up in the game of death and destruction. Sadly, they are taking many of our young women right along with them.

Now, I know that some people have been in church for a long time and might not know what players are. Let me give you a brief definition: Players are the people that live the fast life. They are the people that live on the edge.

I once crossed paths with a well-known pimp that operated on the West Side of Chicago. I met him one Saturday afternoon in a barbershop, called Freddy’s. Freddy’s was a place where many of the players got their hair done.

While sitting in the chair, he talked about the flamboyant lifestyle of the players. Because of his reputation and notoriety, everyone in the shop was hanging on his every word.

He said, “You know, there are two kinds of people in this world, the players and the squares. The squares have to get up and go to work everyday because that’s the only way they can make any money. They don’t know how to play the game. They are too busy living their dull, boring lives and trying to stay out of trouble.

But us players, we know the game. We drive the baddest rides. We’ve got the prettiest women. We’ve got all the money and we do whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it.” Then he said, “I don’t know about y’all, but as long as I live, I’m gonna be a player.”

The Bible is full of stories about players. You don’t have to take my word for it. Read the stories about David, Samson, Solomon, Jacob, Rahab, and Paul. Those are just a few.

Some of them were players before they accepted God’s call. Others strayed away from Him and from everything they had ever been taught. Unfortunately, many of our jails and prisons are full of them too.

What causes people to stray? How can someone that grew up in church get so far off track and wander off into the wrong direction?

One day, Jesus told the story of the lost sheep (Luke 15: 1-7). How did that sheep end up getting lost? I believe he nibbled himself away. There might be a herd of sheep that are just walking along, following their shepherd and the rest of the sheep. At the same time, some of them will be nibbling at the grass. They will nibble a little and then look up to make sure they are still following the shepherd and the rest of the sheep.

Sometimes there is that one sheep that gets so engrossed or caught up in his nibbling that he does not look up. He’s just wandering along with his head down, enjoying the grass so much that when he finally does look up, he doesn’t see his shepherd or his fellow sheep anywhere.

He is lost. He has wondered off in the wrong direction and he cannot find his way back. He didn’t mean to get lost. He just nibbled himself away from the fold.

Our jails and prisons are full of men and women who have nibbled themselves away from God. They have nibbled themselves away from the church. They have nibbled themselves away from everything they have ever been taught. They are not bad people. They were just distracted.

Some of them started looking at the players that were hanging out on the street corners and they became so fascinated with their fancy cars, their designer clothes, their grills and their bling, that they lost sight of their dreams, their goals and their ambitions. They started nibbling at a lifestyle that wasn’t meant for them.

They started nibbling on alcohol. They started nibbling on marijuana. They started nibbling on crack. They started nibbling with the gangs. They just nibbled, and nibbled, and nibbled until one day they looked up and realized they were lost.

People start nibbling at different stages of their lives. Unfortunately, some of them start nibbling while they are still in church. That’s what I did. I started nibbling because I wanted to be like the players.

Just like that lost sheep, I had my head down and I was nibbling, and nibbling, and by the time I looked up, I had nibbled myself completely out of the church, into a drug habit, and then, into prison.

I will never forget the night that I walked down 115th Street in Chicago in search of a victim. When I walked the street that night, I saw something that really scared me. I saw myself and how far I had fallen.

That was the night I realized I was just another lost soul. That was the night I realized I was just another player living in a world of hopelessness. That was the night I realized just how much I hated the game. All I ever wanted was to be a player and make my mark in the game of the streets. Ironically, when I played the game, I lost.

There are so many men and women who are tired of the way that they are living. They are tired of drinking. They are tired of drugging. They are tired of prostituting. They are tired of jailing. They are tired of playing the game. They want to quit but they just don’t know how. Sin is the game that Satan has tricked them into playing.

I have a message for the players as well as the player haters. It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you have become. God loves you and He’s always available to listen. He’s Only a Prayer Away!

The Corner

There once was a dance called “The Funky Four Corners.” I bring up this dance because there are four street corners that I want to talk to you about. They are all located in Chicago.

The first corner I want to discuss is at 13th and Christiana. That was the corner closest to my childhood home. I have a lot of memories about that corner. My friends and I hung out on the corner of 13th and Christiana when we were teenagers. That’s where we smoked our cigarettes and used our filthy language. That was where we drank our beer, our whiskey, and our wine. That was where we met up with our girlfriends and did our hugging, kissing, and smooching.

These were the things that we knew we couldn’t get away with if we tried to do them on the street where we lived.

My mother and a group of her friends, who also lived on our block, were known as “the heads”.   We called them the heads because their heads were always sticking out of their windows, watching everything that was going on in the neighborhood.

When we got ready to do the stuff that we knew we were not supposed to be doing, we got away from our parents. We got away from the neighbors. We got away from “the heads”. We left the view of our houses and hung out on the corner.

The next corner that I want to talk about is 16th and Kedzie. There was a tavern and liquor store on that corner called, “The Bucket of Blood.” I don’t know how it got that name but it could be because of all of the fights that went on and all of the blood that was shed in there.

There were always a lot of people standing around on the corner outside of the tavern. Rain or shine, day or night, summer or winter, hot or cold, it didn’t matter. They would be there. The alcoholics would be there. The drug addicts would be there. The gang bangers would be there. The pimps and the prostitutes would be there. The players and the hustlers would be there. They would all be there, standing on the corner.

The next corner that I want to tell you about is 15th and Drake. On the southwest corner, there was a court way building. Court way buildings are very large building with lots of apartments. Sometimes they have entranceways that resemble yards or courtyards.

This particular building was like a mall…a drug mall. Any drug you wanted could be purchased there. In one apartment, they sold heroin. In another apartment, they sold cocaine, and in yet another, crack was sold. If you wanted a bag of marijuana you went to this apartment. If you just wanted a joint or two, you went to that one.

They even had an apartment where they sold bootleg liquor after hours. To the players and the hustlers, that building was one-stop shopping. On Sunday mornings, from 6:00 AM until noon, they had a sale. If you bought one bag of drugs, you got a second one for half price.

The last corner that I want to talk about is at 26th and California. Anyone who is familiar with Chicago knows this is where the Cook County Jail is located.

You might be wondering why I am talking about those particular street corners. Well, those are some of the corners that Jesus was talking about when He said, “Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” Matt. 22:9 NIV)

There is something else those street corners had in common. All of them were completely surrounded by churches. However, I don’t remember anyone from any of those churches going to any of those corners telling any of us anything about God, or about His love, or about His saving power. There were some people that went to the Cook County Jail, but most of them were unknown ministries.

One day, Jesus was speaking to some of the chief priests and the Pharisees after his authority had been questioned. In other words, he was talking to the preachers, deacons, and Sunday school teachers of that time. They were already jealous when they saw Jesus ride into town on a donkey, and how some of the people were laying palm branches in his path while Kirk Franklin and some of the young people were dancing around and singing, “Hosanna - Forever.”

The preachers, deacons, and Sunday school teachers got mad at Him when He went into the sanctuary and started throwing around pews because they were using the church for everything except what it was supposed to be used for. It had gotten so bad that people who were blind, crippled, or crazy couldn’t get any help because the church folks were too busy selling chicken dinners and raffle tickets, or playing bingo.

When Jesus came in and started healing people, they got mad at Him and wanted to see his preacher’s license, but He started talking to them in parables.

He said, “The kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come” (Matt. 22:2-3).

Most of the time, when someone gets married, after the wedding ceremony is over, there is a reception or a banquet. However, everybody that goes to the wedding does not necessarily go to the reception.

There are different reasons why people decide not to attend the reception. Maybe they felt obligated to go to the wedding. After they witnessed the couple taking their vows, and they shook their hands and offered congratulations, they left feeling satisfied because they had met their obligation.

Maybe they didn’t go to the reception because they were uncomfortable about being there. They didn’t want to be part of all the singing, the dancing, and the noise that would be going on. So they said, “It don’t take all of that.”

Maybe they didn’t go because they didn’t have the right kind of gift. They knew that everyone else would have a gift for the happy couple and they didn’t want to feel out of place because they didn’t have one.

Whatever the reason, they missed out on all of the festivities. They missed out on the food that had been prepared for them. They missed the celebration. They missed all of the fellowship and fun. In other words, they missed an important part of the wedding.

It is the same with some of the Christians of today. They are satisfied with just joining church. They repented of their sins and now they are saved, but that is all. They don’t go to Sunday school, Sunday Morning Bible Study, or mid week Bible study. They never attend any training classes.  They never join the choir.  They never get involved in anything that the church is doing.

Therefore, they never grow in the Lord and, consequently, they cannot share their faith or their testimony with anyone. In other words, they attended the wedding, but they didn’t go to the banquet.

I know they didn’t go to the banquet, because Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

They are not witnesses to anybody, not even to the people that are in their own homes. I don’t know why they don’t want to grow in the Lord and be His witnesses. Maybe they are like the people that went to the wedding, but didn’t go to the banquet. Maybe they just felt obligated to join the church. After they shook the preacher’s hand, they were satisfied and felt they had met their obligation.

Maybe they see people singing, and shouting, and making “all that noise”, and they say, “It don’t take all that.”

Perhaps, they think that in order to be a witness for the Lord, they have to have a certain gift. They have to be a preacher, a teacher, or an evangelist. Whatever their reasons are, they don’t realize what they are missing, because the banquet is ready, the table is spread, and the feast of the Lord is going on. You have to get into the Word of God. Go to Bible study. Get involved in whatever training the church has so you can be witnesses for the Lord. You have to feast on the Word of God.

The Bible says that the king sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. In other words, they were too busy doing other stuff to go to the banquet. Maybe they were watching the ball game or their favorite program. Maybe they just didn’t feel like going. Many of us can relate to these feelings.

He told his servants to tell those who had been invited, that the dinner had been prepared. The oxen and fatted cattle had been butchered, and everything was ready.

He said, “Come to the wedding banquet”, the Book says, “But they paid no attention and went off, one to his field, another to his business”,     ( Matt. 22:5).

Some of our churches invest a lot of time and money in an attempt to educate and train their people. They are trying to teach them how to be good soldiers and good stewards for the Lord. They bring in preachers, teachers, and evangelists that are certified to teach every course imaginable. In other words, the oxen and the fatted calf have been butchered, and everything is ready.

They’re saying, “Come on over here where the table is spread and the feast of the Lord is going on.” God is looking for a church that knows that He is only a prayer away and is not afraid to go to a lost and dying world and tell them that the wages of sin is death and payday is coming. We have to let them know the gift of God is eternal life. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we will be His witnesses.

We will be His witnesses to the people that are on the corner. We will be His witnesses to the people that are in the taverns. We will be His witnesses to the people that are in the drug house. We will be His witnesses to the people that are in the jailhouse. We will be His witnesses to the players. We will be His witnesses to those who are lost and hurting.

There are too many church folks who don’t care about the people that are on the corner. They don’t care about the people that are in the taverns. They don’t care about the people that are in the dope dens. They don’t care about the players, or the people that are in prison.

They keep telling me that I’m just wasting my time preaching to a bunch of convicts with their jailhouse religion.

However, I hear the God of the universe saying, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, in the jail house, and in the dope house.”

Just because you don’t want to go to the banquet, don’t try to stop me from going.

The king said to his servants, “That’s all right. They don’t have to come to my banquet. Y’all go out there to the street corners and tell everybody that you see to come to the banquet.” The Bible says the servants went to the street corners and told all of the good people to come to the banquet, but that’s not all. They told the bad people to come to the banquet too (Matt 22: 10).

They told the gamblers to come to the banquet. They told the liars to come to the banquet. They told the thieves, the murders, the players and the hustlers to come to the banquet. They told the pimps, the prostitutes, the dope fiends, and the convicts to come to the banquet.

God is doing a new thing. He will rise up a nation of people who will obey Him. If the church folks don’t want to reach out to those who are lost, they don’t have to. God will save the people who are standing on the corner and He will use them to do His work.

He will go to 13th & Christiana, get those nappy-headed boys that are up to no good, and use them. He will go to 16th & Kedzie, get the players and the hustlers from in front of the Bucket of Blood, and use them. He will go to 15th & Drake, get the dope fiends that are coming out of the court way building, and use them. He will go to 26th & California, get the men and women that are in the Cook County jail, and use them. He will go to the worst corners, in the worst cities, and tell everybody to come on, let’s go to the banquet.

Jesus is saying, “Come on over here where the table is spread and the feast of the Lord is going on. Whatever you need, it’s at the table. If you need love, it’s at the table. If you need peace, it’s at the table. If you need joy, it’s at the table. If you need grace, it’s at the table. If you need mercy, it’s at the table. If you need salvation, it’s at the table.”

Whatever you need is at the table. Come over here where the table is spread and the feast of the Lord is going on.

The Closet

When I look back on my childhood, I cannot help but think about the apartment I grew up in. I think about the living room where I used to watch all of my favorite cartoons and television programs. I think about the kitchen where we had our family meals. I think about the bedroom where my brother, Ralph, and I had a lot of fun playing and fighting. I think about the back porch where our dog Rex lived, and the bathroom where I got into trouble one day for trying to baptize Ralph and Rex in the bathtub.

For some reason, when I look back at that apartment on Christiana Ave., it is the closet that holds many of my memories. In many ways, that closet was my favorite room. Sometimes I wonder just what it was about the closet that fascinated me so much. Well, it could have been my discovery that the closet has so many purposes. One of the first things that I realized about the closet was that it served as a good hiding place.

When we played games like “hide and seek”, the closet was one of my favorite hiding places. There were other good places in the apartment to hide, such as, under the bed, behind the couch or behind the shower curtain, but the closet was my favorite.

The closet was not only a good place to hide when we were playing, but it was also a good place to hide when we were afraid. There was always a lot of stuff on the floor in our closet. That was where Ralph and I used to throw all of the stuff that we were supposed to hang up or put away. I would go into the closet and get all the way back in the corner, get up under all of the clothes and toys, all of the other stuff that was in there, and nobody could find me.

However, I’ve found out that the closet is not just a good hiding place for children. It is a good hiding place for some Christians too. It must be, because there are a lot of them that are hiding there. They are “Closet Christians.” They are closet Christians because nobody knows they are Christians.

Nobody on their job knows they are Christians because they laugh at the same dirty jokes everyone else laughs at. Sometimes they are the ones who are telling the jokes.

They are closet Christians because nobody at their school knows they are Christians. They don’t know they are Christians because they use the same filthy language everybody else is using.

They are closet Christians because nobody in their home or community knows they are Christians. They don’t know they are Christians because they act just like everybody else. They walk just like everybody else. They talk just like everybody else. They disrespect others just like everybody else.

When people see you and how you live, do they see a Christian? When they see how you act, how you talk or how you treat others, do they see a Christian or are you hiding in the closet?

The closet is a good place to hide stuff. Anything I didn’t want my parents to see or didn’t want them to know I had, I hid in the closet. I hid my cigarettes in the closet. I hid my dirty magazines in the closet. I hid my zip gun in the closet. Anything I was not supposed to have, I hid it in the closet.

There are Christians who are hiding stuff in the closet everyday. There are sins that they are either struggling with or they are not ready to give up yet, so they hide them in the closet. There are closet drinkers, closet smokers, closet gamblers, closet drug users, and closet homosexuals. There are closet adulterers and fornicators. What about you? What’s in your closet?

Some people hide their problems and their worries in the closet. You worry about what people would think of you if they found out that you are not as smart or as tough as they think you are. You worry about them finding out that you are not as “holy” as you want to be. You don’t want anyone to know how much pain you are in, so you hide your feelings in the closet.

The closet is a good place to store things. During the summer, that is where we store our winter clothes. During the winter, we store our summer clothes in the closet. The problem is we keep many things in there that we no longer need. Some of us have clothes in there that we don’t wear, won’t wear, can’t wear, or don’t dare wear.

We have stuff in our closets that we should have given away, thrown away, or just gotten rid of a long time ago. Some of us have two or three closets full of stuff. Bell-bottom pants, platform shoes, zoot suits, and mini skirts. Some of that stuff has been in there so long it, went out of style, came back in, and then went back out again.

Instead of cleaning out your closet and getting rid of that stuff, you pull it out every once in a while and start reminiscing and saying “I remember when.”

I remember when I bought this, or I remember the last time I wore that.

Christians have things stored up in their spiritual closets too. Things they should have gotten rid of and given to the Lord a long time ago. Some of you have anger in your closet. You have hatred in your closet. Pride is in your closet. Grudges are in your closet, and the spirit of unforgiveness is in your closet.

Every once in a while you have a pity party with yourself. You go to your closet and you start pulling out some of the stuff you have stored there.  You begin reminiscing and saying, “I remember when.”

“I remember when he did this to me.”

“I remember when she said that to me.”

“I remember what they said about me.”

It’s time to clean out your closet.

I’ve also learned that there are people who never use their closet. When we were kids, my mother had the hardest time trying to get Ralph and me to hang up our clothes. There are some people, at this very moment, that are reading this book who don’t hang theirs up either.

You come in and you take off your clothes, but instead of hanging them up, you throw them on the bed and say,

“I’ll hang them up later.”

You start watching TV, talking on the phone, or playing on your computer until its time to go to bed. Then, you head toward the bed and you see all of those clothes there.

Now you’re too tired or too sleepy to hang them up or put them away, so you say,

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

With that said, you throw them on the chair in the corner of the room. The problem with that solution is that is you still have the stuff in the chair that you put there yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that.

As a result, one day you’ll go to your closet looking for something to put on and there will be nothing there.  There will be nothing there because all of your clothes are either on the bed, in the chair, or on the floor because they have fallen out of the chair, off the bed, or because you have thrown them there. Then, you’ll look around and say,

“How did my room get so messed up?”

Some Christians don’t use their closets either. Jesus said, “When you pray, enter into your closet” (Matthew 6:6). Too many of us never find the time to pray. You get up in the morning, at the last minute, and rush off to work or to school. When you get home, you turn on the TV, talk on the telephone, get on the computer, or hang out with your friends until its time to go to bed.

Now you are too tired or too sleepy to pray, so you mumble out, “Now I lay me down to sleep,” or you just don’t pray at all.

You say, “I’ll pray tomorrow,” but when tomorrow comes, you do the same thing.

Then, one day you look around and say, “How did my life get so messed up?”

Your problems start to overwhelm you. Your worries start to overwhelm you. All of the stuff that you should have taken to your spiritual closet and hung on the cross overwhelms you. The cross is big enough to hold any problem that you might have.

A songwriter said, “All of my burdens, I take them to the Savior.”

You have to bypass whatever it is that is keeping you from your closet. If it’s the television, turn it off. If it’s the telephone, hang it up. If it’s the computer, shut it down. If it’s a magazine, close it up. Go into your closet and get down on your knees.

Too many times, instead of taking our problems to the Lord and depending on Him, we depend on ourselves or other people. Often times, they are the wrong people.

I used to buy cocaine from a friend in Chicago named Maurice. Maurice was not only a drug dealer, but he was also a fence. A fence buys stolen property. Maurice was a high roller. He owned two nightclubs on the West Side and was into a little bit of everything.

In September of 1985, detectives came to my house and carried me off to jail. My bond was $50,000. I needed $5,000 cash to get out. The only person I knew that had that kind of money was Maurice, so I called him.  He wasn’t there.

A week or so later, I called him again, but again, he wasn’t there. I tried calling him again and again and again, but every time I called, they said he was not there.  Eventually, I gave up.

When I finally went to court, I received a two year prison sentence. When I was on my way to the bus that would take me to the penitentiary, guess who I saw? That’s right, I saw Maurice. He was getting on the bus too. I had been trying to call him because I was in trouble, and he was in more trouble than I was.

What I’m trying to say is, sometimes you put your trust in the wrong people. You put your trust in your family. You put your trust in your friends. You put your trust in your classmates. You put your trust in politicians. You put your trust in lawyers or parole boards when you should put your trust in the Lord.

God loves you. No matter where you are, God loves you. No matter what you have done, God loves you. No matter what you have become, God loves you, and He’s only a prayer away!

Justice and Mercy had scheduled a meeting for 12:00 one afternoon. Justice arrived at the appointed place exactly on time and he was looking good. He did not have one hair that was out of place and his robe was so white it seemed to glow. Even his sandals were spit shined. He paced back and forth, glancing at his hourglass as he waited for Mercy to arrive.

When Mercy got there, he didn’t look anything like Justice. His hair was all over his head, his robe was dirty, ragged and scorched, and his sandals had holes in them.

He said, “I’m sorry for being late, Brother Justice, but I have been on one assignment after another. Three young boys were in a fiery furnace and I had to see about them. Then, there was a young man that was in a lion’s den and I had to see about him. After that, there were two men that were in a Phillipian jail, and God was so impressed with their prayer and their praise that He sent me to see about them.”

Just then, Mercy’s cell phone rang. When he finished with his conversation, he turned to Justice and said,

“I know that we have a lot to talk about, but we will have to do it at another time. Someone is in trouble. They are saying, ‘Lord, have mercy’ and I have to go and see about them”.

I was sinking deep in sin,

Far from the peaceful shore.

Very deeply stained with-in,

Sinking to rise no more.

But the master of the sea,

Heard my despairing cry.

From the waters, He lifted me,

Now safe am I.

Love lifted me. Love lifted me.

When nothing else could help, love lifted me.

Is There a Lad Here

I love to tell stories. Although I always want to give credit where credit is due, I have come across so many of them, it is sometimes hard to remember where I heard or read them all. One of my favorite stories is about a boy named Little Leroy. I think someone sent it to me on the Internet.

Little Leroy came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this would be a good time to tell her what he wanted.

He said, “Mom. I want a bike for my birthday. A red one.”

But Leroy had been a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into trouble at school and at home. So his mother asked him if he thought he deserved a bike for his birthday. Of course, Leroy thought he did.

Leroy’s mother, being a Christian woman, wanted him to reflect on his behavior over the last year.

She said, “Go to your room, Leroy, and think about how you behaved this year. And then I want you to write a letter to God and tell Him why you deserve a bike for your birthday.”

Little Leroy stomped up the stairs to his room and sat down to write a letter to God. He wrote:

Dear God,

I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. A red one.

Signed: Your friend, Leroy.

Leroy knew that wasn’t true. He had not been a very good boy this year. So he tore the letter up and started over.  He wrote:

Dear God,

This is your friend Leroy. I have been a pretty good boy this year and would like a red bike for my birthday. Thank you.

Signed: Your friend, Leroy.

Leroy knew that wasn’t true either. So he tore it up and started over. He wrote:

Dear God,

I have been an “OK” boy this year. But I would still like a red bike for my birthday.

Signed: Leroy.

Leroy knew he couldn’t send this letter to God either. So he tore it up and wrote another one. He wrote:

Dear God,

I know I haven’t been a good boy this year. And I am very sorry about that. But I promise I will be a good boy next year if you just send me a red bike for my birthday. Please.

Thank you,

Leroy.

Leroy knew that even if it were true, this letter was not going to get him a bike. By now he was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mother he wanted to go down the street to the church.

His mother thought her plan had worked because Leroy looked very sad. She told him to go ahead, but to be home in time for dinner.

Leroy walked down the street to the church on the corner. He went inside and walked up to the alter. He looked around to see if anyone was there. When he didn’t see anyone, he reached down and picked up the statue of the Virgin Mary. He slipped it under his shirt and ran out of the church. He ran down the street, into his house, up the stairs, into his room and shut the door.

He took out a pen and a piece of paper and began writing another letter to God.

He wrote:

OK God,

I’ve Got Your Mama. If You Ever Want To See Her Again, Send The Bike. A Red One.

Signed: You Know Who!

In many of the movies, storybooks, and cartoons, little boys are often portrayed as being naughty or mischievous. I can still remember the old adage that said little girls were made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. The rhyme went on to say that little boys made of snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails.

I was speaking to a local funeral director and he told me, that one year, almost 70% of the African American funerals they handled were for people 35 years old and under. Many of them were victims of Black on Black crimes.

Jesus asked Philip an interesting question.

He said, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

Instead of answering, Phillip started giving Jesus reasons why they couldn’t feed all of those people.

Whenever people start talking about going out into the community and reaching out to the lost and hurting, there is always somebody in the church that can tell you why it’s not going to work.

They can tell you why the ministry to feed the hungry is not going to work. They can tell you why the ministry to the people in war torn Liberia and to the victims of Hurricane Katrina is not going to work. They can tell you why all of the ministries that our youth and our young people want to start are not going to work. They can tell you why anything that you want to do in your church or in your community is not going to work.

Jesus asked His boys, how they could feed all of those people.

In response, they said, “We can’t. There’s just no way we can feed all of them.”

Just then, Andrew stepped up and said, “Wait a minute y’all. There is a lad here.”

Some people think a lad is a little boy or a young man. In this text, that is absolutely true. However, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, The Fourth Edition, defines a lad as, “A Youth.” It has nothing to do with gender.

He said, “There is a lad here. And he brought his lunch with him. He’s got two fish and five loaves of bread. But what is that among so many?”

Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”

I repeat, Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”

In other words, “Just give it to me.” Young people need to hear that because sometimes they may believe their age will limit their contributions to the ministry of the Lord.

I can hear Jesus saying, “I don’t care what it is that you have, it can be a lot or it can be a little bit, as long as your heart is in the right place, just give it to me, and then stand back and watch me work.”

The Bible says that there were 5000 men there, not counting the women and children

The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about this lad so I’m going to use my sanctified imagination and tell you how I think the story unfolded.  The Bible doesn’t tell us the lad’s name so; I think I’ll just call him Little Leroy. Little Leroy grew up in a nice Christian home. His mother made sure that he went to church every Sunday. One day, Little Leroy and his friends heard that Jesus was going to be in the area. They had heard a lot about Jesus. They heard about how he had healed the sick. They heard about how he had raised the dead. They heard about how he had given sight to the blind, and how he had changed water into wine. Fascinated with these stories, they wanted to go and see Him.

When Leroy asked his mother if he could go, she said, “Yes. But be sure to take your lunch with you.”

Leroy started protesting. He said “Dog Ma. Ain’t nobody else taking no lunch.”

His mother said, “I ain’t nobody else’s momma. If you want to go down there where Jesus is, you take this lunch with you.”

So, Leroy took the lunch that his mother had prepared.

When they got to the place where Jesus was, they were astonished by the number of people that were there. Even more astonishing to them was the condition of the people that they saw. Some of them were sick. Some were blind. Some were crippled. Some of them were homeless, and some had been drinking. As they looked around, they saw thousands upon thousands of hungry people.

Then, Leroy heard Jesus ask one of His disciples, “Where can we get food for these people?”

When he heard that, Leroy remembered the lunch that his mother had given him. When he looked around, he realized that he was the only one that had brought his lunch with him. He went up to Andrew and said, “Excuse me sir. I don’t have much. All I have are two small fish and five barley loaves, but if Jesus wants it, He can have it.”

Let me ask you something. What are you willing to give to Jesus? Are you willing to give Him your time? Are you willing to give Him your talents? Are you willing to give Him your everything?

We like to tell our girlfriends and boyfriends that we are going to give them the world, but what are you willing to give to Jesus?

Andrew went to Jesus and said, “There is a lad here. He doesn’t have much. But he is willing to give you everything he has.”

So I ask you. Is there a lad here, who is tired of seeing the hopelessness in our communities? Is there a lad here, who is tired of the drugs that are destroying our neighborhoods? Is there a lad here, who is tired of seeing our young men hanging out on the corners? Is there a lad here, who is tired of seeing our young women being disrespected, and our young men being drug off to jail? Is there a lad here, who wants to make a difference in this world? Is there a lad here who brought his lunch with him?

I once read a story about two men that owned farms that were right across the road from each other. They had been friends and neighbors for as long as either of them could remember. One day they had a disagreement that led to a very heated argument. When it was over, they both vowed to never speak to each other again.

One day a stranger knocked on the door of one of the farmers. He said that he was a builder by trade and he was looking for work. He asked the farmer if he needed any help around his property.

The farmer said yes, he did have some work for him. He pointed to the road that divided his property from the property of his former friend. He said, “I want you to build a huge wall right there at the end of my land. I want the wall to be so big that that I will never have to see that man over there, his house, or anything that belongs to him ever again.”

Then he said, “I have a few errands to run. There should be enough wood in the shed for the wall. I’ll pay you whatever I owe you when I get back.” He then got into his truck and drove off.

When the farmer had finished taking care of his business, he couldn’t wait to get back home so he could see his new wall. But when he got home, what he saw completely blew his mind. Instead of a wall that divided the two properties, there was a bridge that connected the two properties.

He ran over to the builder as he was putting away his tools. He said, “What is this? I told you to build a wall, not a bridge.” While he was talking, he saw his neighbor running towards him, laughing and crying at the same time.

His neighbor was saying how sorry he was about their terrible misunderstanding. He said, “When I looked out of my window and saw the bridge that you had built, as a symbol of peace, it made me realize just how valuable your friendship really is, and how much I missed fellowshipping with you. The old farmer looked at his friend and realized how much he had missed their fellowship as well.

He turned to the builder and said, “Thank you for bringing two stubborn old friends back together again. There are a lot of things that need fixing around here. I’m sure there’s enough work to keep you busy for a long time. Please stay. You are welcome here.”

The builder looked at the two friends and said, “Thanks. I appreciate your offer, but I’ve got to be on my way. You see, I’ve got some more bridges to build.”

God is looking for bridge builders seek Him in prayer, and build a bridge between the Crips and the Bloods. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between the Blacks and the Whites. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between the Republicans and the Democrats. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between the haves and the have-nots. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between adults and young people. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between the players and the haters. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between hip-hop and old school. God is looking for somebody that will build a bridge between the church and the community.

Jesus was a bridge builder. He was nailed to an old rugged cross. They hung Him high, and they stretched Him wide.

They should never have hung Him high because He said, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I’ll draw all men unto me.”

They should never have stretched him wide, because when they stretched His arms out, He put one of His hands into the hands of God. And with the other hand, He grabbed hold to a sinful world and became a bridge between God and us.

He died for a sinful world. They buried Him in a brand new tomb but they never got a chance to write His epitaph on it. For early that Sunday morning, He got up from the grave with all power in His hands. Now, He is sits on the right hand of The Father, making intercessions for us.

I’m Not Henpecked.

I Just Met the Right Hen

During my teenage years I had a close circle of friends. It seemed like we were always together. Most of us went to the same high school. Therefore, we either walked or rode the bus together to and from school. Unlike many of the students today, we rode public transportation. The bus rides were, often times, the highlight of our school days, but that is another story.

As I was saying, we were together almost all of the time. We sat at the same table in the cafeteria during lunch period. We went to the movies together. We pitched pennies together. We played baseball, basketball, and football together in the alley because the park was too far away and the playgrounds were always too crowded.                                Since there were no malls back then, our hangout was the alley. We called it “Christiana Stadium” because most of us lived on Christiana Avenue and the alley was behind that street. You could always find us in Christiana Stadium. We would play ball in that alley all day and half of the night.

One day, a young lady named Armese moved into the neighborhood; that was the beginning of the end of life, as we knew it. You see, one of my best friends, Jerry, became infatuated with Armese. We began to notice a distinct change in Jerry.

He didn’t stop hanging out with us, but we could tell that Jerry was not the same. He didn’t sit with us in the cafeteria anymore. He started sitting at a table alone with Armese. He didn’t ride to school with us anymore but we would see him standing at the bus stop with Armese.

Sometimes, we would all play basketball in the alley, but after playing just a few games, Jerry would say he had something to do and then, leave. We would try to talk him into playing just one more game, but he would say,

“Naw man, I’ve got to go.”

Eventually, I started sneaking behind him, trying to see where he was going and what he was doing that was so important. Jerry would walk around the corner to a drug store that had a row of telephone booths in the back. You see, in those days, they had telephone booths where you could step inside and sit down. When you closed the door, a little light would come on allowing you to sit and talk in private.

So Jerry would step inside one of the phone booths, sit down, and call Armese. I would be hiding behind one of the counters and peeking at him. I could always tell when Armese answered the phone because a big smile would spread across Jerry’s face. Then, he would open the door just enough for the light to go off. He would light a cigarette, sit there, and they would talk, and talk and talk.

I discovered something else about Jerry that, to me, seemed strange.  The rest of us always tried to stay outside as late as we could. Jerry started going home early so he could call Armese again. He was not ashamed to talk about Armese and let everyone know how he felt about her.

Sometimes, we would tease and call him ‘henpecked’. He would just smile and look at us as if to say, “If you only knew, you would wish that you were in my shoes.”

No, I couldn’t understand Jerry

One day, another young lady moved into the neighborhood. Her name was Betty Jean. That was when I began to realize why Jerry wanted to spend so much time with Armese. It started to make sense to me why he loved talking to her so much. It became clear to me why Jerry spent so much time in that phone booth, because I was in the booth next to his. I was even able to understand why it did not bother him when we teased him and called him ‘henpecked’. They were saying the same thing about me and it didn’t bother me either.

I simply said, “I’m not henpecked. I just met the right hen.”

I realize that everyone does not know what being henpecked means or where the term originated.

The term ‘henpecked’ is taken from the analogy of a rooster meeting a hen. It is said that when she pecks him, he becomes so infatuated with her, that all he can think about is how to please her.

To be henpecked is to allow yourself to be dominated by someone else. It is when you allow them to control your life. You let them determine where you go, what you do, what you say, and how you act. In essence, you become their slave.

There are a lot of people who are ‘henpecked’ and they don’t even realize it. It is mighty sad when a person is a slave to someone or something and does not know it. Some of us are slaves to sin.

Jesus said, “Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34).

In other words, Satan has them ‘henpecked’. Or, you might even say that they are ‘sin-pecked’. Satan has control over their lives. He calls the shots. He determines where they go, what they do, what they say, and how they act.

That is why some people’s language is so filthy. Satan has them henpecked. That is why so many women, and men, will sell their bodies for money or drugs. Satan has them henpecked. That is why murder is so prevalent in our society. Satan has them henpecked. That is why drugs and alcohol have taken control of so many lives. Satan has them henpecked.

It has gotten so bad that we have to keep adding new words to our vocabulary. Words like drive-by, car jack, and home invasion just to name a few.

Many of our young men don’t mind going to jail. They think it is a badge of honor. I have heard a lot of young men say, “I ain’t scared to pop that thing” (shoot someone).

I used to do a lot of crazy things. Some of them were criminal. Some of them were just ill advised. My grandmother used to say, “Boy, I don’t believe you are in your right mind.”

The rate of recidivism is unbelievable. Society says that many of the inmates have become institutionalized, meaning they are more comfortable being in prison than walking the streets. That is why when they are released, they will commit another crime and return to prison.

They are not institutionalized. Satan has them henpecked. No one, in his or her right mind, would choose prison over freedom. When you are henpecked, you are not in your right mind. Satan will trick you into doing some things that you would not ordinarily do.

Let me tell you about a few other people who were not in their right minds. Adam and Eve were not in their right minds when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden on Eden.

Noah was not in his right mind when he got drunk after the flood. Moses was not in his right mind when he killed the Egyptian and hid the body. Aaron was not in his right mind when he made the golden calf. Samson was not in his right mind when he went to Satan’s barbershop. David was not in his right mind when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed.

The prodigal son was not in his right mind when he left home. His brother was not in his right mind when he came back home. Peter was not in his right mind when he denied Jesus. Paul was not in his right mind when he persecuted the Christians.

Satan had Paul henpecked. That is why he was there when Stephen was being stoned. That is why he went from house to house arresting the saints. That is why he was on the Damascus Road. Satan had him henpecked.

Ironically, when he was on that road he met the right hen. In other words, he let the right person take control of his life. He was no longer henpecked. He was finally set free.

The Bible says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

When Paul met Jesus, his friends probably started feeling the same way about him that we felt about Jerry after he met Armese.

They were probably saying, “Hey Dog, Paul has changed. He doesn’t hang out with us like he used to. He is always hanging out with this Jesus now.  And he don’t run the streets and shoot the breeze with us like he used to. He is always off somewhere talking to Jesus.  And when he is around, he is always talking about Jesus. I’m telling you, that boy has gone crazy.”

Paul wasn’t crazy. He was just determined that he was not going to be henpecked any longer. That is why he was able to say, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

My friends, don’t let Satan control you any longer. The reason you are henpecked is because you haven’t met the right hen. Let me introduce you to Him. His name is Jesus Christ and He’s only a prayer away. I dare you to try Him. Relinquish the control of your life to Him. Hide the words of this song in your heart.

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to thee, my blessed Savior

I surrender all

IT IS FINISHED

On Good Friday afternoon, in 2004, I sat in the back of Scruggs Memorial C.M.E. Church in St. Louis listening to my pastor, Rev. Dr. Ronald L. Bobo preach one of the seven last words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was the same word that I have chosen to conclude this book with. “It is finished” (John 19:30).

As he was nearing the end of his sermon, I felt my cell phone vibrating. When I peeked at the caller I.D., my heart sank. I recognized the number because I had called it many times during that week. It was the number to Forrest Park Hospital, where my mother had been in hospice care for several days.

As Pastor Bobo talked about how Jesus’ earthly mission had been completed and how the suffering and the pain of Calvary and the cross had come to an end, I thought about my mother. I thought about all of the sacrifices that she had made while raising my brother and me.

I thought about all of the pain and suffering she had endured over the past few months while she was in a nursing home. I thought about the gut wrenching cries and moans that tore my heart to pieces when I’d visited her on the previous day. Then, I heard my pastor say, “It is finished.”

Although I politely waited until the seventh and final word of our Savior had been preached and the benediction was given before I stepped outside, I didn’t hear anything that anyone had said. All I remember was standing on the steps of that church and listening to the message that had been recorded and left on my phone’s voice mail. It was the nurse saying, “Mr. Barr, I am calling to inform you that your mother, Mary Jane Barr, has expired.”

I thought to myself, “It is finished.” Her work down here on earth was completed. Her commitment as a loving mother, a faithful wife, a dedicated worker, and a loyal friend had come to an end. It is finished.

As sad as I was on that fateful afternoon, I was also encouraged because I knew that because of the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I would see my mother again. It is finished.

My friends, when Jesus spoke those powerful words while He was hanging on that cross, they were not words of defeat.

If you notice, He didn’t say, “I am finished.”

He said, “It is finished.”

You need to hear that. Those were words of victory. It was not only victory for Christ, but it is also victory for all of us who choose to follow Him and to know Him as our Lord and Savior. It is finished.

Here is another thing. I don’t believe that those words were whispered. No I don’t. I believe those words were shouted. I believe they were shouted because Jesus wanted Satan and all of his demons to know that the battle was over. Satan had been defeated. Jesus had successfully completed His mission, so, before He took His last breath, He shouted, “IT IS FINISHED”. It is finished.

Let’s examine the words of Jesus, “It is finished.” Exactly what was it that was finished? When He received the vinegar and uttered those famous words, what was He saying?

Over the years, I have done a lot of research on this subject. I’ve read a lot of books and utilized the Internet.

One of the things I learned is what Jesus meant when he said, “It is finished”.

First of all, it meant that His life on earth was finished. Although He is God, while He was here on earth, He was a living, moving, breathing human being. He ate. He slept. He walked. He wept. He preached and He prayed. When he uttered those words; all of that was finished.

His holy hands that had healed so many, given strength to the lame and sight to the blind would soon be cold and motionless.

His feet, which had walked on so many missions of mercy, would soon become rigid and unmoving. His voice, that had spoken countless words of grace and love to so many, would soon become silent. His body, which had carried Him through three decades of life, would soon become lifeless. It is finished. Yes, Jesus’ human life had come to an end.

It also meant that His work on earth was finished. All of the Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled. Death and the grave were defeated. Everything that He had been sent here to do was finished.

Let me personalize this thing for you. When I was nine years old, I sat in the back of the Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago and listened as my first pastor, the Reverend James A. Murphy, preached a sermon about Adam and Eve. It was the first time I had ever heard the story; so I sat there somewhat spellbound as he talked about the fall of man and the consequences that we all had to suffer because of the fall.

Although my brother and I were in church every Sunday, I think that was the first time one of Rev. Murphy’s sermons really hit home with me. I loved to hear him preach Sunday after Sunday. It was through him that I first heard the story of the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion’s den.

There were so many sermons that Rev. Murphy preached that made me feel good. The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, and Lazarus being raised from the dead were just a few. I guess you could call them shouting sermons.

But the fall of man was not a shouting sermon, not to me. Because the only thing that my little nine-year old mind could digest was that because of Adam’s sin and disobedience, I was going to die and go to hell someday and there was nothing that I could do about it.

I felt when Adam fell, I too had fallen. I was a sinner. I didn’t want to be a sinner. I didn’t even know what a sinner was. I was just nine years old.

Rev. Murphy didn’t let the story end there. He told me about Romans 5:19, where it says, “As by one man’s disobedience” meaning Adam, “many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one,” meaning the finished work of Jesus Christ, “shall many be made righteous.” Jesus took a sad story and gave it a happy ending.

Because of His finished work on Earth and on the cross, when we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God forgives us for our sins.  Man’s problem is that we have a hard time forgiving ourselves.

“It is finished!” was His cry. His work was finished. It was complete. It was ended.

“It is finished,” however, refers only to Jesus’ redemptive work. We know from Scripture that His work as Lord continues.

Christ is in heaven right now as Lord of the universe and head of the church. Jesus is hard at work on our behalf and for our good; preparing a place for us, pleading for us before the Father, defending us, and keeping us safe from the attacks of Satan. It is finished.

Jesus has completed the work that God sent Him to do on Earth. What was started when Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, was ended on Golgotha. Christ’s salvation work was done. It is finished.

This means that Christ’s work of suffering was done. Oh, how our Lord suffered. Think of Gethsemane, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, and then Pilate again. Think of the brutal soldiers, the journey to Calvary, the nails of the crucifixion, those three awful hours of darkness when God forsook Him physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our Lord suffered so very much.

But now it was finished. The cup of wrath has been drained. The wages of sin have been paid. The disgrace and shame, the suffering and the agony are past. Never again shall He experience pain. Never again shall He endure the taunts and the slaps of those who hate Him. Never again shall He be in the hands of His enemies. Never again shall He be in darkness. Never again shall God’s presence be taken from Him. It is finished.

It is finished means that nothing more could be done or would be required to secure the salvation of sinners.

I read the story about a young man that came forward in a Gospel meeting asking, “What can I do to be saved?”

Knowing the man thought he had to do something dramatic to be saved, the pastor responded, “You are too late.”

“Please don’t say that,” exclaimed the distressed seeker. “I really want salvation. I will do anything or go anywhere to obtain it.”

“I’m sorry,” replied the pastor. “You are too late for that. Your salvation was completed many hundred years ago at Calvary. It is finished. All you have to do now is accept it.

In 1975, after my third court martial, I was given a bad conduct discharge from the United States Marines. That meant I didn’t have any benefits. Whenever I filled out applications for employment or was asked if I was a veteran, I had to say that I was not.

In 2008, I went to the veteran’s administration office and got a copy of my military records. To my surprise, I learned that the major charge that I was convicted of had been overturned on appeal in 1979.

Therefore, my bad conduct discharge had been thrown out and I was given an honorable discharge; but for almost thirty years, I had been living with the guilt and shame of a sentence that had been dismissed.

Man sold himself into sin, but Jesus paid the price to redeem mankind. He became a propitiation for our sins; appeasing God’s wrath and judgment; fully satisfying the demands of a righteous God in respect to judgment upon a sinner.

I’m not worried about anything because I’m a child of God. He adopted me a long time ago when Jesus hung on the cross and said, “it is finished.”

It is finished because the Father was satisfied. It is finished because the Son was crucified. It is finished because the Saints were edified.

At last and did my Savior bleed

And did my sovereign die

Would He devote that sacred head

For sinners such as I

At the cross – At the cross

Where I first saw the light

And the burden of my heart rolled away

It was there by faith

I received my sight

And now I am happy

All the day

It Is Finished.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for His love and mercy. He has blessed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

I thank my friend, Rev. Dr. Wilbert H. Goatley, Jr. for his friendship and leadership. He is a person of integrity and humility. He is an example of what a Christian is.

I thank my big sister in the ministry, Rev. Jean Hardge. I didn’t know what a prayer warrior was until I met her. Whenever I need someone to pray for me, she is one of the first people that I call.

I thank my cousin, Rev. Lee Howard Ivy for being there for me over the years. He was not only the first preacher in my family. He was the first preacher that I ever knew and wanted to be like.

I thank my wife, Charlotte, for being by my side over the years. She is always there when I need someone to talk to, and she gives me my space when I need to be alone.

And finally, I thank my pastor, Rev. Dr. Ronald L. Bobo, Sr. and the members of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church.

In memory of my cousin, Rosemary Jones

She was more like a big sister than a cousin

We were raised together in the same house

I love her and miss her dearly.

Thanks for everything that you taught me, Rose.

Rest in peace

I'll see you on the other side.

FOREWORD

It is refreshing in times like these to read about the importance of prayer in the life of the believer. It is our understanding that the God of the universe is relational and wants to maintain a relationship with the people of faith. Having a relationship with God means so much when people have moved away from being relational with one another. We have become a people who communicate less with one another and more with things. We have become more impersonal with each other and with the God we serve. Our society has embraced the internet, twitter, facebook, and others and our communication is cold and shallow. God has allowed Burton Barr Jr. to remind us that prayer should not be forgotten. It is through this force of prayer that our world can be shaped and lives can be changed. The stories and sermon thoughts that are given in this book reflect the purpose, passion, and power of having a relationship with God through prayer. The reader will come to understand that struggles and challenges are met and overcome in knowing this relationship with God is real and meaningful. As one ponders and reflect on the pages here in this book they will come to realize the practical application of prayer and a loving God who wants to commune on a daily basis.

The reader will peruse the parameters of prayer possibilities from real life situations as the author places people at the foot of the altar. They will find a new found relationship they didn't think was possible. The skill in which these pages have been written will dynamically transform one's life from shallowness to wholeness as they embrace the love of God no matter where they have been or what they have done. They will find access to heaven's throne where the aroma of prayer and love will always be available in times of need. Who does not need a meaningful relationship that will not go sour? Who does not desire a relationship that is two way rather than one way? Who does not want a relationship where love is the under-girding motive and foundation at the same time? Relationships come and go but this one with God as portrayed in these pages will last until eternity rolls away. Your life will be impacted in such a way that the other relationships you have will be strengthened by the grace of a loving God who is first in your life. You will be left with a sense of a trusting relationship where you can count on and depend on God in troubling times.

Having known Burton Barr for some twenty years I have seen the power of prayer and the relationship he has with God. His story and life are an inspiration to many of one who can get up again and again and be renewed with power through prayer. It is through his relationship with God that God uses him in a mighty way wherever he goes as teacher, preacher, counselor, author, husband, and father. His life has been saturated by the awesomeness of God's love for humankind wherever their circumstances in life may be. Hope is always on the horizon and in the life of this young man because it was his praying relationship that helped him come through the valleys and cross uncrossable rivers to deepen his walk with his God. He never would have made it without the wonders of God through prayer. He is an example of one who has benefited from persistence prayer as a man who can reach many including men who need to be relational with God. As a man he has shown us that men can have a relationship second to none if we reach out knowing that God loves us in spite of us. Read on as you hear the courage of a man who dares to pray and walks in relationship when others say it is not meaningful or relevant. Pause and reflect just for a moment and you will hear the struggles and strains of a life dipped in prayer acquainted with a compassionate God whose love reaches the highest mountain and the lowest valley. Thank God for the journey as the prayer adventure continues and is never ending. Give God the Glory and the Praise!

Rev. Herman E. Toles, D.Min.

Blessed Hope Missionary Baptist Church/ St. Louis, Missouri

BOOKS BY  BURTON BARR JR.

The Hoodlum Preacher: I Was Lost, Now I Am Found (Paperback)

The Hoodlum Preacher: Film Tie-in Edition (Paperback)

The Hoodlum Preacher: Film Tie-in Edition (Audio Book)

Amazing Grace: The Storm Is Passing Over (Paperback)

Amazing Grace: The Storm Is Passing Over (Audio Book)

For more info

www.kobaltbooks.com

HE’S ONLY A PRAYER AWAY

Copyright © 2010 by Burton Barr Jr.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9820330-3-6 / ISBN-10: 0-9820330-3-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is truly coincidental.

Cover Design by Rob Viper

Cover Photography: dreamstime.com

Book Edited by Ebony Farashuu and Cedric Mixon

Library of Congress Control Number:  2010930930

The Holy Bible, NIV ©1984, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Song lyric quotations:

“God Cares”, by Rosie Wallace

© EMI Music Publishing (BMI)

“A Change Is Gonna Come”, by Sam Cooke

©1964 ABKCO Music Inc. (BMI)

“Love Lifted Me”, by James Rowe

© Elephantman Man Productions (ASCAP)

“I Surrender All”, by Van De Venter Hudson

©1896 The Broadcasting Association Inc. (BMI)

"At The Cross", by Isaac Watts & Ralph E. Hudson

© 1707, 1885. Maranatha Praise Inc. (ASCAP)

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Published by Kobalt Books L.L.C.

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