Bitter is the Sweet

Sitting down, hands clenched, and experiencing a shortness of breath most commonly associated with running 89 miles…..uphill. I sit.



Patiently and with much dread, knowing the moment I raise my head and sense the blaring beams of the eyes headed in my vicinity, I will falter, choke, and ultimately wet myself from the back. If you’ve ever seen the movie Along Came Polly, you know what I mean, yes…it is disgusting. Okay, I'm a bit exaggerating here, but I really was quite nervous and no, I didn't really huff and puff as if I ran 89 miles, nor did I actually shart, still it was quite nervewrecking nonetheless.

Of course, I’m talking about the past Sunday when for some reason I agreed and with much delight, I have to say, to go up on stage and be part of the Timothy Fellowship Special Song. I hesitate in saying “with much delight”, because I’m not very fond of singing in front of people, and yet, something gave me a joy from the inside that isn’t typical when you do something you normally wouldn’t do. This joy still didn’t stop my heart from beating faster nor did it stop me from continuously licking my lips, which is what I do when I get anxious, but I kind of knew where this joy comes from, but even better, it was more thoroughly explained to me during the message delivered by pastor James.

The bitter wine we should’ve drank, the physical and emotional pains from the wrath of God that we were to be the recipient of but taken on our behalf, and love defined for us and given to us out of grace absent of any works we do, this was, is and will always be the gift of our salvation. This is Jesus Christ.

As sister Melanie so adequately put it, the “poison” we no longer have to drink, because Jesus drank it on our behalf is something we have tendencies of always forgetting or even doubting. This is the reason why we are allowed to live in joy and live with hope, the sweet taste of the life everlasting. Bitter is the sweet, and we as born again brothers and sisters in Christ have a hope even through the struggles in our spiritual walk through the wilderness, that no bitterness can overtake the sweetness of love, prayer, fellowship, communion, the breaking of bread, and the baptism we have by the precious blood of Jesus.


Thank you Pastor James for your message about the 6 traits of a living church, and confirming once again the assurance of why it is I continue to maintain and sustain my spiritual life with KCBC, or should I say Lakewood Central Church even though I have my “tests”, and worldly senses of discontent from time to time.


God Bless.

Brother Jimmy