Category: Christianity

July 24, 2019July 24, 2019

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

Motivational Moment

Life has no NEUTRAL. There is a reason why there is only ONE driver’s seat. Our lives are the product of the direction we have chosen to steer or allowed someone else to steer. You’re either pushing or being pushed. Decide today…Greater awaits!!!

To purchase my book, The SPEAR Paradigm, click any of the links below:

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019

Motivational Moment

CONFORM or TRANSFORM…You choose!

Heaven and hell are states of mind. Each morning, you get to decide which one you will experience.

To purchase my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below:

July 21, 2019July 21, 2019

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

Motivational Moment

The only failure is giving up before you learn the lesson.

To purchase my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below:

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

July 10, 2019

3 Things God Likes

The following post is an excerpt from my new book: The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God

According to Wishpond, there are over 4.5 billion likes generated on Facebook each day. That’s billion with a “B” folks. The advent of social media has drastically changed the tapestry of how we interact with each other; specifically how we gather and share information about our preferences and interests. Needless to say, the dating game has been influenced significantly over the years as a result of this cultural shift. As a divorcee, I curl up in the fetal position and cry myself to sleep whenever I think about entering the dating “pond” again.

I remember a time, long ago in antiquity, when one of the requirements for meeting people was to go out and actually—well…be around people. Today, “likes” are the new currency of social acceptance. Oh, the things we do for “likes.” This paradigm shift made me think…hmmm, what if God had a “like” button to signal to us his approval (or disapproval) of all our daily actions and words? I wonder how many “likes” we would have from him throughout the course of a single day.

Well, it just so happens that the Bible gives us clues as to what God actually likes. Here are a few of my favs:

God Likes to be Close to Us

James 4:8, (NLT) says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” No explanation needed here. He likes to be intimately involved in our lives. God is a very personal God. He just loves us like that.

God Likes to Give to Us

God loves sending gifts our way. Without a doubt the greatest gift ever given was the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 lets us know that God so loved the world that he was compelled to give. That’s what true love does.

God Likes to be Discovered by Us

God likes to play hide and seek with us. He loves when we chase him, because he loves to be found. He loves it so much, he left us breadcrumbs in his word showing us how to find him. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) states, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and PRAY to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart'” (emphasis added).

Now is the time to give God what he really likes…YOU!

To purchase my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below:

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

July 6, 2019

We Are Royalty

As an African-American male, learning how to be vulnerable is like learning a foreign language. Growing up in the Deep South taught me how dangerous it could be to show weakness. Sandwiched between the regular occurrences of both racism and gang violence, I learned that my survival depended on my ability to quickly access and raise my emotional shields. In fact, one of the most infamous statistics that loomed over my generation was the high percentage of African-American males that were killed before the age of 21. I vividly recall arriving to class one morning in high school only to learn that one of my close friends had been murdered the previous day because he was wearing the “wrong” colors in the wrong neighborhood. He was one of many victims of gang violence.

For me, showing any signs of weakness could mean becoming easy prey, and would possibly be the difference between life and death. In essence, I had to appear to be someone I wasn’t in order to survive. I developed the habit of projecting a tough, callous exterior, while suppressing fear, anxiety, and dread. The interesting part of it all was the notion that learning could take place in this type of environment. I was expected to solve for “X” while simultaneously trying to figure out how I was going to avoid getting shot…but I digress.

Needless to say, that mentality got me through high school, but did not serve me very well in adulthood. Today, as I am drawn deeper into the fulfillment God’s design for my life, I am discovering the power and necessity of authentic transparency. There are territories that God has called us to reign over in our own lives. However, before we can take the throne, we must deal with the enemies that stand between us and our destiny. Our most formidable foe is the person we have always been. The one who loves the way things currently are, and does not want to change. We have allowed the enemy of “Ease” to take the throne that is rightfully ours.

Enter my own personal epiphany. In an effort to simply survive another day, I found myself burying and suppressing experiences and traumas that were much to painful to deal with. I buried the pain of two divorces, a layoff, “church hurt,” and grief from the death of loved ones just to name a few. I now realize that I have sacrificed my emotional health on the altar of hypocrisy, attempting to appear stronger that I really was. I donned a glass mask that eventually shattered under the weight of real pain. I was an actor on the stage of my own life. Little did I know I was doing a great disservice to the people who loved and needed me the most.

Since starting this journey of self-discovery and self-awareness, I have learned that healing is contained in sharing my story. Though vulnerability is daunting, the victory is worth the struggle. Seeing people liberated as I take the throne of my own story has initiated a deeper level of healing for me. I have realized that my story is not just for me, but for every king and queen that may be searching for their throne. As I take ownership of all the parts of my story, I now understand that we humans are one, and our mission is simple…to reign as kings and queens of our own stories and to proudly showcase the scars that validate our journeys to the throne. We are royalty!!!

Please like or comment below if you were inspired by this post. For more inspirational content, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, Brian Evans Unleashed

Also, to purchase copies of my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below:

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

July 5, 2019

What Lies Within

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.”

Some have attributed the above quote to Ralph Waldo Emerson and some to Henry David Thoreau. However, there are many who believe the quote was originally crafted by a Wall Street Trader named, Henry Stanley Haskins.

Regardless, it remains one of my favorite quotes because of the fire it ignites inside of me. It reminds me that my Father and Creator has placed within me every single thing I need to birth greatness into this world, and this is exactly what I intend to do. Nothing that has happened or will happen in my life can destroy the greatness inside of me. It’s time to release what is within!!!

Stay encouraged!!! Keep pushing!!! Miracles await!

For more inspirational content, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, Brian Evans Unleashed

Also, to purchase copies of my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below:

June 30, 2019June 30, 2019

BE

I am Brian Evans, and as always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

The Purpose of the Bible

I often hear the phrases “Word of God” and “The Bible” used interchangeably. I have even been guilty of this myself. However, after careful consideration, I am rethinking my philosophy regarding the “Word of God” in regards to reading the Bible. You may be asking yourself…”where is he going with this?” so let me explain.

The Bible was never meant to be a substitute for the actual “word” or “voice” of God. It was only intended to used as an instruction manual to lead us into authentic, one-on-one intimacy with the Father. One of the by-products of this intimacy is being able to recognize is voice.

2 Timothy 3:16 (AMP) states:

All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately–behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]

“Profitable for instruction…”

I recently purchased a desk for my home office. When it arrived, I opened the box to find a bunch of parts that seemed to have no order to them whatsoever. It was my responsibility to find out how the pieces should fit together. Knowing this, the first thing I searched for was the instruction manual. The picture on the outside of the box “told” me what the finished product should look like, but I had to put in the work by following the instructions to make it happen.

In much the same way, the purpose of the Bible is to instruct us as we put in the work to properly arrange the seemingly random pieces of our lives. The Bible teaches us what God had in mind when he created us, and gives us instructions to build a life that pleases him. Reading the Bible is only part of the process. We must allow the Scriptures to lead us into the presence of God in prayer so that we can become acquainted with his “voice” or his “word.” In God’s presence is where the power of his “word” is discovered, and the purpose of the Bible is to give us that point of reference as we build our destiny.

Please like or comment below if you were inspired by this post. For more inspirational content, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, Brian Evans Unleashed

Also, to purchase copies of my new book, The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God, click any of the links below: