Kingdom Seed

By Bishop Cynthia King Bolden Gardner

We are the incorruptible blood bought seed of God as we proceed from inglorious to glory. (1) Woman, Behold Thyself! Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah must accept responsibility for our males;
(2) Castaway Cradles- harsh reality confronting our children- Ezekiel 16, baby Moses, the Christ child;
(3) Lot, Generational Mutations-generational curses, their progression and transformation.
(4)Miscreant Seed-carniverous 'church folk', and misbegotten name it and claim it theology.
(5) Mustard Seed -miracles-Christ's reaction to faith;
(6) Seed: Planting the Heavens- our soul/sole purpose is to be one with the Trinity (John 17) Amen, Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!
My earnest prayer is to provide hope for tomorrow, erase the pains of yesterday and instill joy today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 17, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465381729

Bishop Cynthia King Bolden Gardner

Bishop Cynthia King Bolden Gardner, J.D., D.Div. is a retired attorney. She is a dual graduate of Georgetown University--the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in 1978 where she received numerous honors,including Alpha Sigma Nu, Pi Sigma Alpha and Phi Alpha Theta, graduating cum laude with a 3.74 of a possible 4.0, and the School of Law in 1981. Prior to retiring in 2005 due to injuries sustained in an accident, Bishop practiced law for 25 years at the United States Department of Justice Commercial Litigation Division, the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, the General Counsel's Office of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue (Cleveland Office), Brown & Bain (Palo Alto), Child Counsel for the Erie County Office of the Public Defender and the San Diego Office of the Public Defender, felony litigation, where she was awarded Deputy of the Year 1999-2000. Bishop earnestly gives all of the glory to God. Recognizing His grace and mercy in her life, she readily dedicates her time to inner city youth, needy families and young lawyers who can call her at [phone]. She was born and raised in Erie, Pa. and attributes the credit for her spiritual foundation to her late grandmother, Bigma, Mrs Lela Mae James. Bigma taught her that 'Can't (a fictional person, who became real through our whining) never could help himself'. This left a profound impact upon her resulting in the permanent deletion of can't, no, impossible and related defeatist notions from her vocabulary. She has assisted in Baptist churches while teaching Sunday School, including Morning Star and Second Baptist in Erie, Christ Union Missionary Baptist in Mountainview, CA, 19 years in the AME Church, including St. James and Risen Savior, Erie, Arnette and Elizabeth Nesmith Memorial, in the Pittsburgh area, Bethel and Living Waters Christian, San Diego, Greater Love, Carthage, Ms. and now sits as the Presiding Prelate of the Eastern Jurisdiction of the National Regeneration Fellowship of Christian churches; http://www.greaterloveliberty.com/ and http://www.eaglespeaklogos-lex.com/.

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Introduction

It is most unfortunate what we women have done to ourselves. What we do impacts everyone, our siblings, our mates, our progeny—our future. We alternately tout and then whine about our matriarchal plight. We expend hours correcting our males and countless days berating them and sharing our woes with others ‘similarly situated’. This is not what equal protection means. (pun intended).

We donate tons to major product lines for self-esteem ‘primping items’. Primping items, as an esteemed forensic psychiatric colleague(Dr. Samuel Benson, Md. Ph.D. The Registry Foundation) states are things that make us appear to belong in an otherwise uncomfortable 10 setting. You know ‘the world’, the scriptural one that ‘we are in, but not of’. However we consume such an inordinate amount of time emulating this foreign entity, that in the final analysis we are barely distinguishable from what we have foresworn.

Men are painfully aware of these inconsistencies in ‘do as I say and not as I do’. Quite frankly, it smacks of the ‘woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites,’ that makes us cringe. We Biblespeak fearfully and wonderfully made, having the mind of Christ, ability to do all things through Christ who strengthens me and Whose grace is sufficient, as we hallelujah in the aisles. Our males see another us. The us that is not so new a creation that all things are far from becoming new in and old things certainly have not passed away from. Shall the blind lead the blind?

That is not to say there is a problem with pedicures, manicures, French, spas, updos, downdos, extensions, liquid, powder or mineral base, and so on and so on. To tell the truth, we really have gone too far. Liposuction, breast implants, facelifts, chemical peels . . . As renowned Pastor of the Church Without Walls, Paula White states, we need to remove the mask we have been wearing and look at the real person. When we take it off what is left of the woman, Mr. Tyler Perry, colored or otherwise?! The next several chapters will address Diana Ross’ song Do you know where you’re going to, do you like the things that life is showing you, do you know?

My mother, God rest her tanned leather not on the outside but inside strong self, used to say ‘that’s right, go ahead, put the blame on me!’ No, Mama, that is not where we are headed with this. It is not mama or woman bashing.

However, you (we)as a group, as women, as mothers, sisters, neighbors, share more than a little responsibility for where society is. Remember, if we say that we have not sinned then we make HIM a liar and the truth is Not in us. If we confess our sins, then HE is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9-10

We need to acknowledge that we have more than a little role in the Marvin’s ‘coming apart’, James being unable to ‘stand it’, everybody seemingly playin’ the fool sometime, the rainy nights elsewhere, including in Georgia, and the brother’s going in circles and sittin’ on the bay dock. It’s time to own up.

Fasten your seat belts. There is turbulence expected along the way. We will land safely in a broad place, a land flowing with milk and honey. We will pray with new fervor. All things work together for good. Romans 8:28, God promised to heal the land. This is the humbling process. II Chronicles 7:14.

Chapter Two

JABEZ’ MAMA: I CHRONICLES 4:9-10

Indeed, Jabez prayer is marvelous, stupendous, commendatory, BUT, who would not pray after an intro like his. Labeled with a name that connotes sorrow, grief, bitterness, sadness, misfortune, rejection, who would not fervently pray for immediate deliverance.

Jabez’ name is only paralleled in ignominy with that of Ichabod in I Samuel. Ichabod’s mother discovers that the glory of God has departed from the temple and the land. This voluntary absenteeism, constructive eviction of God due to man’s disobedience really knocked her down several notches. It meant more to her than the fact that Phineas, her whoremongering, greedy, thieving husband and his sidekick brother, Hopni, now needed fresh graves along with her father-in-law, the once revered priest Eli.

It would appear that both Jabez and Ichabod’s mothers would have rallied for the sake of their sons, mustered up some ‘gumption’, energy, survival instinct, modicum of hope, run to the temple and prayed without ceasing as Hannah did about her barreness. Instead, they marred their sons with names that said everything about themselves and nothing about their offspring’s future prospects. Whew, the hand (or lack thereof) that rocked the cradle of these two.

There’s a good place to mark the page. Where were these Job(ettas) comforters? Where were the midwives, the sisters, sister-in-laws, the mother-in-laws, nieces, aunts, grandmothers. Where is the support group, the community, why don’t they hear these mothers’ cry for help?

The cry did not start at the birth of Jabez and Ichabod. It is too poignant, harsh, too painful, too resounding to just be the accompaniment of labor pangs. Are these the unwed teen mothers that we nurture for a moment, drag before the church to confess their sins like Hester in the Scarlet Letter only to abandon and backbite them again once our sense of righteousness has been placated?

These poor women. They are alone for all intents and purposes. Their grief is so deep that it drowns out the pain of the contractions and admits of another level of pain the birth has absolutely nothing to do with. In fact in birth as in death, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

What do you do when God has left Ezekiel? Then what? All the company in the world is just as good as none. So, despite the fact that there were attendants at Ichabod’s (the name means inglorious) birth (I Samuel 4:19-22), his mother’s mind was elsewhere . . .

That the name given Jabez was seared into the crevices of his mind is evidenced by his prayer for blessing, relationship, a covering, enlargement AND THAT THOU WOULDST KEEP ME FROM EVIL THAT I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN. I Chron. 4:9-10.

What Mama says or fails to say about you means a lot. It has a lasting impact. Post partum depression or pre-Munchausen syndrome, the name was the ever present impetus for his supplications. Indeed, it is true that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God granted what he (Jabez) requested. I Chronicles 4:10.

Maybe, just maybe, Mom was the one who taught him to pray! Thank you Mama. Perhaps it was Psalms 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh My help. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. I can just hear Ichabod’s mom saying: . . . Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . . ."

Good Lord bless those who are there for mothers throughout the birthing process. Forgive, please Sir, those who are not.

Chapter Three

WOE-MAN GENESIS 2:15-3:13

Well, let’s back up for a minute. What came first the chicken or the egg? In this instance, the real question is Is there a generational curse at play here? Prior to Jabez, Ichabod, what has unfolded?

Things are moving along fairly well. God has made man-Adam in HIS (OUR_Elohim) image and likeness. Man has been given dominion. He names everything. God determines it is not good for man to be alone so Adam is put to sleep so that God can create a helper comparable to him. Woman is made from Adam’s rib, and is now bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.

God preinstructed (commanded) Adam: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. Genesis 2:16-18.

Adam, apparently sleep again, this time of his own volition during a preseason football game in which his team is losing miserably, is not attentive while Woman has a three to five minute discourse with a seducer-Satan. A little sleeping, a little laying down to slumber and so your poverty comes upon you as an armed man (Proverbs).

Her cover (Adam) is not there and slew foot (C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters) steps in to get her twisted. Satan got her out of the Spirit (God blew His Holy breath into Adam from whence she came) and into the flesh.

To clarify the Spirit was not given until after the crucifixion ie., I will pray to the Father and He will give you another Comforter . . . . all of this ‘tis true. However, Elohim-Let US . . . . make man in OUR . . . It stands to reason that if they that worship the Lord must worship HIM in spirit and in truth, and Adam and Woman had daily communion with God, then they also had of HIS Spirit. It was lost as a result of the fall!!! What was given at Pentecost and prior thereto when Christ breathed upon the disciples, was a restoration of the Spirit lost in the fall.

When God initially breathed on Adam, his dust (dry bones) came to life Ezekiel. God is Holy and what He breathed into Adam was holy. Further, Father, Son and Holy Spirit were only separate at the Crucifixion. When Christ cried Eloi, Eloi, Lamasabachthani, there was a division of the Three. Everywhere else, for example, at the baptism of Christ, the Trinity as a whole is jointly operating.

Woman fell prey to the lust of the eyes, the flesh and the pride of life—here they are for the very first time since satan’s fall. Tell me that misery does not love company! She SAW, it was PLEASANT, and DESIRABLE. Soooo good she had to share it with Adam. Bad company corrupts good morals. Would we were so quick to share the Word with our spouses. Whammo! God says what have you done? Woman blames the serpent, Adam blames Woman and indirectly chastises God for giving her to him.

Consequences: I will greatly multiply your SORROW (hmmm—Jabez) And your conception . . . (hmm Ichabod) The first temptations, the first sins, the first excuses, the first wardrobe change, bloody badger skins for fig leaves. The earth is now out ofjoint!

Chapter Four

SARAH’S CONNIVING

It is a terrible thing to attempt to improve upon, expedite, alter or even substitute your own plans for the plans or will of God. Sarah, or Sarai, as she was originally named, had the horrible plight of being barren.

A barren woman was thought to be cursed by God for some evil that was presumably undetected by man, but within the purview of, the Omnipotent One . . . His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of man. Everything is naked and exposed before God. Nothing is hidden.

Day after day, you can imagine Sarai’s grief and inner turmoil. I have not given my husband a son, so we have to take Lot. No son, nothing to discuss in the marketplace, no laughter or banter 22 within the house or amongst the relatives, no circumcision, no firstborn, NO HEIR. No firsts to share, first words, first steps, first birthdays, internet photos, desktop photos, bronzed shoes, Facebook wall photos—a bane, a disgrace to her husband and, in her mind, the family and the the human race.

Abram, as he was known at the time was a wealthy and powerful man. Yet, money does not stop the wagging tongues, the whispers, the taunts, the jeers. Why, even the priest mocked Hannah as she faithfully sojourned year after year to Shiloh to worship. She mourned her bareness in prayer until he presumed her drunk. No doubt Sarai and Hannah sat in the same boat.

Imagine that, the priest, the one to whom Hannah should have been able to resort for comfort, for solace, prayer, accused her of being drunk! Her pain was so intense, the wound bleeding so profusely, the scar rending her soul, that Hannah could not even pray out loud. She simply communed with God from her heart. I Samuel 1:1-16.

There are some places, some gaping holes in the far recesses of one’s very heart and mind that no one, friend or foe can either discern or console. Hence the song ‘I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus’ by Elisha A. Hoffmann, ‘I cannot bear my burdens alone . . . Jesus can help me, Jesus alone’.

How often have we met Sarai, Hannah and others like them and presumed them to be uppity, aloof, snooty, standoffish, strange. If we only took time to ask God about our sisters’ secret pain. If we only took the time, to whisper a prayer on their behalf. A prayer that they cannot pray for themselves because it is stuck in their throat and cannot get out.

Grief, bitterness of soul, silent anguish and silent killer. In her desperation, Sarai did the unthinkable. Unthinkable for most, unthinkable for those who never sat in her seat or walked a mile, even two steps, in her shoes! Can you imagine the self-examination? What have I done to displease God that I should not be able to do the one thing that is so natural an event for all women? What is wrong with me? Why should I suffer this ignonimous fate? Job has a female forerunner.

Whoever said that desperation is the mother (catch that) of invention, must have had this beleaguered woman, Sarai, in mind. Yes, she was naked, open, threadbare before God as Adam and Woman were when they sinned and sought to cover themselves with fig leaves. Sarai sought to ‘cover herself’ with her maidservant’s child.

God’s promise to Abram made it worse so to speak for Sarai. Abram had poured his complaint out to God: what will you give me seeing I go CHILDLESS, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. The accusation, terse, real, from the depths of the heart, smack in the face of God like Adam’s the woman you gave me did give it to me and I did eat . . .: LOOK, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME NO OFFSPRING! . . . Genesis 15:1-3.

Sarai took her maid and offered her to Abram. One born in his house would be his heir. God, on the other hand, said one who will come from your OWN body, shall be your heir. Genesis 15:4.

Sarai whose name meant ‘graciousness’ was reduced to scheming and plotting to attempt to provide an heir for her husband. Same motivation as Jezebel—to appease her husband. Oh, but you say, Jezebel had false prophets. Jezebel killed a man and gave her husband his vineyard. Jezebel was a cold blooded murderer. Hmmph. What Hagar had was taken from her, against her will. She despised her mistress and was pregnant and kicked out to boot. Not to be able to choose the object of your affections, to be tossed about like a lame or marred sacrifice, no tenderness, no ceremony—what amounts to rape—this is death also. Murder in the Patriarch’s Quarters, the headlines should read!

Talking about twisted: My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid to your embrace; and when she conceived, I became despised in her eyes. THE LORD JUDGE BETWEEN ME AND YOU. Mizpah indeed.

Hagar is kicked to the curb. Thank God for a spring of water in the wilderness (Shur-to close securely). Whose well, spring, cup of water, time of refreshing have you been? Or did you only look at the outside? Unwed, pregnant, by a married man, her employer, her employer’s husband, her pastor, a deacon, the milkman. Does it matter? Pain is pain, Hagar and Sarai were no strangers to it. The ironic thing is that one was, and the other became, the very source of the other’s pain. If iron sharpens iron, then we need to begin to mend our sisters’ hearts. We are our sisters’ keepers, whoever or whatever our sisters may be or have been. The hair on the soda can is no different than the oral in the oval office, the shirtless email from a congressman or the pregnant prostitute. It is all pain and there is a balm in Gilead. Are you it?!

Chapter Five

HAGAR HATER & SON

Hagar was violated and treated like a piece. She didn’t even get the money on the nightstand. A woman scorned. Down the road, Father, if Thou wilt, take this cup from Me. Still further, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death. Phillippians 3:10. Yep, ya gotta die first.

Now, a few books ahead, Elkanah, Hannah’s husband asks Am I not better to you than ten sons (I Samuel 1:8), but to Hannah he would give a double portion (I. Samuel 1:5). That kinda pain cannot be bought away. Elkanah’s other wife Peninah, who had children, was giving Hannah ‘the business’ on a regular basis. I Samuel 1:6. You know, the modern day childless wife. The mistress, the kept one in the streets with the cars, the hair do and the nails, the implants, his late night excuses for ‘working late’, has children by him.

Hagar could only wish Sarai had been a praying woman like Hannah! Hannah would that Eli had watched the conduct of his sons as closely as he eagle-eyed her prayers. Had Eli done so, perhaps Ichabod’s nameless mother would have lived and the glory of the Lord remained. I Samuel 4:19-22.

At least Hannah was praying. She did not have the option of fertility clinics and treatments, ovulation schedules and specialists, in vitro fertilization—-just prayer.

Hagar knew how to pray. Genesis 16:11 ‘You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord HAS HEARD your affliction. Then she called on the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You are the God who sees; for she said, Have I also here seen Him who sees me. Genesis 16:13. What a mouthful. An Egyptian, outside of the promises, gets a prayer through and a visitation from the Most High God-a colloquy! Imagine that, a slave communing as friend with friend." Yet, God still would not let Ishmael stand before Him. Genesis 17:18.

It behooves us in witnessing and choosing who we will try to lead to Christ (ie., who we feel is worthy/will fit in—our righteousness is as filthy rags—menstruous cloths) Isaiah 64:6 ‘to be not high-minded but condescend to those of low estate.’ That bum may be called as an Apostle! I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people . . . a people who continually provoke Me to anger . . . who say Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you! These are a smoke in my nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. Isaiah 65: 2,3,5.

Hagar was a hater. Sarai had it all. Hagar was just a slave maid, but she had something Sarai did not yet have, a son by Abram. This vexed Sarai although it came at her behest. As we jest, nor did we hear Abraham protest or refuse!

The fruit does not fall very far from the tree. However, as in other instances (eg., Jacob), like mother like son. Ishmael had the promise of God that he would be a great nation and a bloodletting fighter. Not too shabby, but still not the recognized firstborn heir child of promise. Nope. He was with his Daddy, now Abraham,the father of many nations, for 13 whole years. Genesis 18:24-25. Why, they were even circumcised together. They survived Sodom and Gomorrah. They had history together. Everything was right with the world then here comes Isaac!

So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, scoffing. Genesis 21: 8-9.

Sound the alarms, there is trouble in the camp. Isaac may not have been the prodigal, but the jealousy of the eldest son is definitely characteristic of Ishmael. Isaac’s name may have meant laughter, but Isaac was no laughing matter to Hagar and Ishmael. Sarah said all would laugh WITH (not at) her. (Genesis 21:6). She was not about to let her son, namely Isaac Genesis 21:10, be the object of anybody’s ridicule.

Finally, Abraham gets upset. Upset or not, Sarah gave him a tongue-lashing and out they went. Wilderness Experience of Hagar Part II, only this time Ishamel is not in utero. Bread and a skin of water adios amiga. Once again (Genesis 21:16) Hagar prays, but it was Ishmael’s, the voice of the lad, where he is that God heard. Genesis 21:17.

Two points, it is absolutely essential mothers, to teach your sons to pray. Daughters go to church, sons sleep in, work the fields or wash their cars. Not anymore. They better learn: Oh how precious is the name of Jesus!!!

Point number two, quit saying ‘God ain’t gonna deal wit folks in their mess’. YES HE WILL. How else could He call them out and get their attention? God meets you where you are, crack, weed, alcohol, cohabiting, fornicating, prostituting, pimping, gambling, wherever you are woman at the well, Zaccheus