Matters of Faith

A practical application of the Word of God for everyday issues.

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James ‘Loren’ Russell was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx, where he and his wife (Evelyn) of thirty-eight years currently reside. Loren began his professional career as a life insurance agent, quickly rising to sales manager and then senior management. To fulfill his entrepreneurial ambitions, Loren established The JLR Company/J Loren Consulting, LLC to provide financial planning services in general, “Biblical Economics” services to the religious community, and motivational and developmental seminars and workshops. He served 7 years with the Southern Baptist Convention as the Northeast Strategy Coordinator, Regional Church Finance Consultant, and Church Planting Coordinator for NYC. Loren earned the Master of Divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary and received an Honorary Doctor of Ministry from the Virginia University of Lynchburg. Through J Loren R Consulting, LLC, Loren provides financial, strategic planning, and business consultations to churches, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses nationally, with a specialization in urban church strategies. Loren’s spiritual and civic commitment keeps him busy. He is currently providing pastoral leadership to The Evangelical Church of God and continues as an Associate Minister and former Sunday School teacher at his home church, Goodwill Baptist Church. He is the founder of the Back In Stride Ministry, a ministry designed to help ex-offenders to establish their businesses; past President of the John L. Scott Associate Ministers Auxiliary of the United Missionary Baptist Association; founder and Chief Chaplain of the New York State Chaplains Workers Task Force, Inc; President of the 42nd Precinct Community Council, Clergy Liaison, and Moderator for the Ceasefire Initiative all for the New York Police Department; President of the Home/Simpson Street Homeowners Association, Bronx, NY; Board member of Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI); 3 times past President of the Yonkers-East Yonkers Rotary Club, NY, and past District Governor for Rotary District 7230. Loren has a chapter capturing parts of his life in the book, Children of the Dream – The Psychology of Black Success by Audrey Edwards and Dr. Craig Polite. He also helped establish and provided voice-overs for the Speaking Community Calendar at Bronx Net Cable, Bronx, NY. Rev. Dr. Russell is an author who writes a weekly column called “Matters of Faith” that appear in several publications, Yonkers Insider, Better Mag magazine, Positve Community Magazine, and Pamela’s Big Heart Newsletter, and on his social media outlets. In addition, he hosts a weekly internet radio talk show, “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” (Matters of Faith YouTube channel), and authored and published Matters of Faith: The Book. Loren is a frequently sought-after preacher, keynote speaker, motivational instructor, workshop leader, and Master of Ceremonies for a variety of programs. Loren’s favorite quote is by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which epitomizes his philosophy on life. It states, “We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.”

Kingdom First

Rev. J. Loren Russell

Matthew 6:25-33

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Life is a journey, not a destination. Sadly, as we pass from one stage of life to another, we change our focus from being on the journey to the things we do, our accomplishments, our trophies and our medals. Our conversation starts to describe what we do rather than who we are. We ask our children “What are you going to do when you grow up?” But what we should be asking is, “Who are you going to be when you grow up?”  The journey of life can get confusing.

However confusing it may get for us, God has never been confused. Life has never been about our doing; it has always been and will forever be about our being. 

Did I ever tell you the story of TJ? TJ never did anything. He was never an exceptional student in school; never an outstanding employee; never a business success or a sports sensation. TJ never amassed great wealth or made charitable history. TJ was never noted as one who gave water to the thirsty, or food to the hungry. He didn’t make the cover of any newspaper or noted for some outstanding achievement. 

TJ’s name will not be written in history books, nor be someone people can’t stop talking about because of the impact he made in the lives of others. TJ never “did” anything for himself or anyone else. If God’s primary concern was the things we do, TJ would have been a terrible disappointment. 

But TJ was a very special person to God. TJ didn’t please God by his doing; he pleased God through his being. You see, TJ spent just 106 days in the land of the dying before the Lord called him home. TJ simply was “being” a baby. 

We are encouraged in what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount, to seek first the Kingdom of God. That means we are to glorify God in our being. We ought to be so closely related to God that people see the image of the living God when they look at us. When we know who we are and whose we are, doing becomes easy. When we talk, our words should glorify God. When we walk, our stride ought to glorify God. 

TJ becomes the personification of kingdom first. He did no works, had no accomplishments, had nothing to show for his life. Being a baby was enough. Like the birds of the air, the flowers in the fields, or baby TJ, our being who God created us to be is how we put God and His kingdom first in all things.     

Be Blessed! 

Rev. J. Loren Russell is the Clergy Officiant at the Evangelical Church of God and associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church, both in the Bronx. He is the President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096). He writes this column  and produces and host’s “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on The Matters of Faith YouTube channel. Be sure to Friend, Like, and Share the column and the channel.  Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.

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