Nelson Hawkins, Jr.
- Spiritual Living , Understanding Your Faith
- January 10, 2020
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God Who? (Part I: Intro)
Hey everybody! Welcome to 2020! Having finished that identity unit, I felt it was best to understand where our identity goes. And actually, that would be with God. But before we get into that, I want to go into the story that led me to make this entry. Have you noticed in the culture that when people refer to big spiritual breakthroughs, they often give credit to the universe? Yep, that universe. The balls of gas, celestial collisions, dark matter, supermassive black holes, and cold reaches of nothingness. When did this become sentient? Why did this become the new standard over the God of the Bible? Why do others reach to ancestral worship? Why do others reach to making parallels between God and other faiths, saying “white people” stole and plagiarized the “Judeo-Christian” God from Kemetan lore? The racist spin on Christianity as a result of Chattle enslavement, for instance. As a result, this puzzled me, because it seems very simple to me, but then I decided to go a little bit deeper. And I’m going to bring you along on the summary of this journey. Let’s take a look, shall we? But first, I want to bring an understanding on why we need the right God, and it’s deeper than “making sure that you get your prayers answered”. Well, we must have faith in the right God otherwise we will die in our sins. Turning ourselves over and loving the true God with all that we are will empower us to obey Him. Without definition, there are no boundaries. Without boundaries there is no order. And without order, comes chaos. So let’s start with that definition. Definition: Within the nature of one God, there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nature makes them one. They are co-equal, and co-eternal, and thus these three are the one God. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible ONLY discusses ONE God (and no, not modalities). His divine nature has always been the same, and His personhood has always been the same. His Membership, while always having been the same, the Members themselves have played different roles and have been introduced at different times. One God, (mentioned in the first-person plural in Genesis 1 at first), and then the oneness of God was focused on in Old Testament in Exodus with Moses, approach of God moving into time, typological theology that all led to Jesus coming back in the New Testament. Once we get to the new covenant, New Testament, Jesus carves it out further. The three Persons within the Triune God are introduced in Matthew 3 (introducing the Father and the Spirit coming down as a dove, and the Holy Spirit leading Jesus Christ into the wilderness in Matthew 4:1)…two other personalities with different roles and 4 introducing. There are more displays of the personality of God in the New Testament, which makes more sense as there is more of an emphasis on direct relationship, as Jesus introduced Himself as Way, Truth, and Light. But what say ye for the definition? Tough to digest, isn’t it? Let’s introduce this proposition real quick:…
- Spiritual Living , Understanding Your Faith
- December 11, 2019
- 0 views
The Protection of the Vine: Finding Fertile Ground as a Seed
Hey everyone! We have been going on and on about identity all autumn long, haven’t we? Hope you’re enjoying so far. This entry here is actually going to be the key to it all. Why? Because up until now we have primarily talked about the problems. Well, this week, I want to talk about the solution. And the solution is, Jesus Christ. Alright, post over. Everybody have a great holiday season. I’m kidding. Everybody who has ever seen one of my posts knows that: Now that the funnies are out of the way, let’s get down to business. Mending Broken Seeds We have talked about how many folks, including believers, are normally as adults navigating foundational hindsight damage they received as kids (again, not burying most parents…most parents just did what they could). But most folks simply don’t understand the principles of discipleship, or much less, how to overcome their pain and invest in someone else. We largely reproduce without knowing principles of reproduction, or principles of wholeness. So, as I said before, Jesus Christ is the solution, but how? Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the light, sure right? Right. But how does that work for us, who are largely broken seeds? Well, Jesus has so many other names and monikers that are associated with growth, empowerment, and redemption, the least of which not being the Vine. And we know that we are his branches, and we can only be nourished if we are connected to the Vine. It is through this connection that we are restored, grown, and brought into the fullness of our calling. After all, nothing empowered by Jesus Christ can burn out. But let’s take a look at what this looks like. Growing Your Seed, Finding the Vine So we have established finding the Vine, right? But we all need the appropriate foundation. And that is largely missing in our growth. But early in our growth, the Babe Phase, way we get to know God. And we have been coming to this for a while, but I want to talk about the Parable of the Sower. The Parable of the Sower is really interesting because the sower sows the seeds, but aren’t we the seeds? Aren’t we the ones that have various environments, only some of which produce real spiritual growth? Everybody loves a good Word; it’s uplifting and it makes us feel good. But what do we do with it? How well are we equipped to do with it? The reality is, we probably aren’t. Because history and overcoming our pain. But we all get a little momentum with change, but without the foundation, no lasting change will take place. But in order to produce the fruit that will produce true change, we have to take dominion over our issues by entrusting them to Jesus Christ (and by extension, the Holy Spirit), who truly heals and redeems all the things. That is the mark we have to press toward, that is who we have to seek, our prayers, our minds, our thought processes. This is how we produce the fruit from our…
- Spiritual Living , Understanding Your Faith
- October 30, 2019
- 2 views
The Fragile Seed: The Perils of Developing Identity
Hello everyone! I’m back again my friends, and I want to continue our study on identity. First, let’s review. Well, we first introduced/defined identity, and then we took a session on identity in the context of spiritual growth. Well in that last session, we talked about how folks are fixated on the flower, but not giving credence to the journey of the seed. But why is this important? Simple. While you have heard the term that bruised flowers still bloom, what do broken seeds do? We have heard about us being the salt of the earth, but if the salt is no good, it is normally no good for its intended purpose. And what would you do with a trampled seed? More or less the same. Connecting to Identity So let’s talk about identity. Because whether we like it or not, before we connect to the identity with being made in God’s image and likeness first, we have to build the other elements of our identity. And this time we are going to talk about heritage. Most of the Pauline epistles have passages on how to engage the family, and I myself was jarred by 1 Timothy 5. Why? Because it says that it is the job of the family surrounding the widow to take care of the widow. For those of you who have widowed parents, you may understand this struggle. But for the rest of you, let’s take a look. Remember last week when I said “Our parents are giving us everything (or should be, but that’s a discussion for the next blog)”? Of course you do. But what does the everything look like? It should look like fathers preparing their offspring for the world, mothers nurturing and laying the foundations on how to love and express. The problem is, we live in a world where a phenomenon called generational hindsight damage exists. Identity and Generational Hindsight Damage We have heard about “generational curses”, correct? Well, you can think of generational hindsight damage as the wounding that passes down generationally from these curses. Or rather it is the familial and societal input that disrupts families. And many of us have stories on this, some more vitriolic than others. Sadly, abuse comes in many forms, and while an emotional truth is that we all want someone to love us for who we are, what that looks like specifically in each of us is different. Some parents lack the ability to love appropriately, others lack the ability to love specifically, and some still have declined to attempt to love at all. All of these can be damaging in their own way. Okay parents, I’m sure some of you are like “I’m doing my best!” And if that’s you, great, I believe in you. This “Jack in the Box secret sauce” is for you too. While many scholarly journals talk about your struggle, I’m going to provide a perspective. So, whether you have children or not, think about your experience growing up with your parents. Nobody’s is ideal; still forgive (that’s a future entry). And to some extent, our parents have not only…
- Spiritual Living , Understanding Your Faith
- September 4, 2019
- 1 views
Identity and Growth
Whew what a long summer! Alright, now that we are headed into autumn, which is ironically the harvest time, we will be talking about a type of harvest and manifestation, or rather, how things grow. And by things, I mean us. Let’s just get started, shall we? So for the last two sessions we have been talking about identity, and the struggle with identity, and more specifically what were the elements of our identity, and why we struggle with our identity. It ultimately boils down to our natural progression struggling with our spiritual progression to understand that first, we are made in God’s image and likeness, and then, we have a God-given purpose we must rely on God and His power to cultivate within us. We also are a part of a family and have a race/ethnicity, but those are easy(ier) to identify with (Psst: that’s that struggle). But what does that growth look like? Well, first, I want to briefly analyze the stages of natural and spiritual growth..just bear with me here: The Nurturing Phase (Birth-5yrs): Usually lots of crying and questions. The Discovery Phase (6yrs-11yrs): Usually we develop distinct personalities at this point. The Identity Phase (there’s that word again, 12yrs-21yrs) Surveying (12yrs-15yrs): We need to look around. Experimental Phase (15yrs-18yrs): We start to do. Closure of Identity (18yrs-21yrs): We “figure out” what we’re going to do. Culture Shock (18yrs-26yrs): What we know isn’t what we know. Career Selection (26yrs-32yrs): We choose where we are going. Family Life/Prep for Retirement (32yrs.-65yrs.): We get the meat and potatoes out of life. Some of you just read this and said “What? I’m ‘xyz years old’ and haven’t done ‘abc thing’.” Relax. Identity is nuanced, and so is choosing a life path. But why this list? Well, by the end of Stage 1, we normally have a bearing of the heritage and ethnicity portions of our identity. We may have been introduced into the things of Christ, but we haven’t had a challenge yet to really get to know Him. Our parents are giving us everything (or should be, but that’s a discussion for the next blog). We normally don’t get a real experience with God until at least Stage 4 (kudos to those of you who got this earlier), and have to reconcile what we learned earlier with what we learn about God later in life. But how does learning God work? Here are the stages of spiritual growth: Born Again (John 3:1-7; Ephesians 1:13-14): That Day 0 Faith. Babe in Christ (1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9): God loves on us and we learn our Word. Son(Daughter)ship (Hebrews 12:5-13): The two P’s, Purpose and (Spiritual) Pruning. God lays the groundwork for our full measure. Identity becomes solid. Overcoming the World (1 John 2:13b): This is where identity takes hold and doesn’t let go. (Basic) Spiritual Maturity (1 John 2:13b-14b): We know who we are in Christ in operate out of consistent empowerment. (Senior) Spiritual Maturity (1 John 2:27, Ephesians 4:12-15): Consistent empower is second nature; God is our own source, and identity is immovable. Let’s note a few things…
- Spiritual Living , Understanding Your Faith
- June 26, 2019
- 1 views
Why We Struggle With Identity….
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) Before I get to the blog post proper, I almost never deal with NKJV. Not a knock on it, I just usually study from the ESV or the NRSV. <shrugs> About the Scripture itself though. Do y’all see this here? It’s kind of a big deal. Galatians 5:16-23 talks about the nature of the flesh, the nature of the Spirit, and how they do battle with each other, to literally prevent us from doing what we want (also see Romans 7:14-23). But why does this matter as it pertains to identity. Well, in the last entry, we talked about identity having four real elements to it: (1) Being made in God’s image and likeness, (2) purpose, (3) heritage, and (4) race/ethnicity. Well, most people don’t get authentically saved in their formative years (please don’t believe the statistics). Because most kids have a fundamental rebellion in their teen years (because they have to explore, more on that next time) and many don’t get to experience God for real until their 20s. This is when their heritage and race have been well established, and sometimes they are already pursuing (what they at least think) will be purpose. I can’t speak to everyone, but in my teen years, I knew there was a God and that He was supreme in the cosmos. But I didn’t know God. I went to church sometimes, and considered myself a Christian. And then when I was in college, a young lady did street evangelism ministry with me. Her: Where are you going when you die? Me: Heaven. Her: Why. Me: Because I’m a good person. God was like, “That’s adorable…” //imgur.com/ClQ956Q But why did I give the wrong answer? My identity didn’t line up, despite the fact that I thought I was a Christian. A few years later, I got saved, and got this answer right. (Although there were so many more to get wrong after) I would say that once we get saved and become that new creature, we have to switch all of our thinking over to that of Christ: mind, heart, nature…we even have to shift our gifting and talent to Christ…despite the fact that God put those in us to begin with. And that conversion is tough, because we know our heritage and our race (most times) our whole life, but most of the time we struggle with the “made in God’s image and likeness” part because we just weren’t wired that way. It takes a long walkthroughs in the Scripture, fervent prayer and supplication, and often years of long suffering to get to this point. Over the next couple of entries, we will juxtapose identity to our stages of life (natural growth), and our stages of spiritual growth. Join us then, okay?
- Spotlight
- April 23, 2019
- 1 views
A Special Kind of Introduction: Nelson Hawkins Jr.
Greetings, I’m Nelson Hawkins Jr. I am honored and privileged to be a part of the Aknowingspirit team. I’ve known our fearless leader for a couple years and I am proud to partner with her. So, who the heck am I? Let me tell you about myself. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA. Moved to TX in 2006 for school. Did lots and lots of science and even got a fancy degree. Joined a church along the way. Ascended from sweeping after church to being a part of the Advisory Board. Served as Marketing Director. Served as technical advisor. Started my own ministry. Got a YouTube Channel and an Anchor podcast spot. I even tutor science, math, and standardized tests. But I count it all as rubbish for knowing Jesus Christ. Why? It could be as simple as saying that knowing Christ is how I got here. While that would be true, I want to go just a little bit deeper. Identity is the part of our belief system that gives us our self-worth. We have to understand identity as a whole, our identity, and the shortfalls of our identity to begin to know what to focus on what to pray on before God. Essentially, our issues and pain come from shortfalls in our identity. But let’s break down the importance, shall we? There are four elements to identity: (1) Made in God’s Image in Likeness/Identifying with Christ: It all begins with Christ. His light is what permeates into our spirits, brings us salvation, and allows us to live the fullness of life. Therefore this is the part of identity that must come first, because all things come from this. (2) Our God-given purpose: Our walk and our purpose come next, because this is what makes us unique amongst all people who follow Christ. This has three different elements to it: the general call, leadership, and the specific call. The general call is for us all, and it’s the five areas of our living: personal, family, career, church, and community. Colossians 3:1-4:6 (or any epistle really) breaks this down eloquently into each area, and all must be on point to cultivate our identity and relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Still, knowing Christ transcends this, because without Christ this cannot be developed. (3) Our heritage: I’m a Hawkins. Our fearless leader is a Paul. Our family lineage matters. Otherwise, why would Matthew 1 take so much time to talk about the lineage that Jesus doesn’t biologically/spiritually come from, but rather culturally. Our families make us unique and set the stage for generational trends, that can only be broken through Christ. (4) Our ethnicity/race: I’m black. Some of you may be white. Black, white, latino, asian, middle eastern, everybody’s ethnicity/race is a part of their identity. It’s just the bottom of the totem pole. The problem is that because it is easier to identify with the tangibility of things like race or heritage over anything else, a lot of the division is in the world and strife among the peoples. I still have confidence that Christ will reconcile all the…