It was never God’s intention that his Church should conform to the ways of the World. It is the World which should conform to Gods ways through the teachings of the Church.
God’s way is not hard, in fact it is pretty easy once you realize that a lot of what we have been made to believe, (some from the church itself)had nothing to do with what God said.
As a child I was led to believe that we were not allowed to make a single mistake or we would be condemned to Eternal damnation. Certain verses of scripture were used to frighten us kids. I believe they also had the unintended consequences of causing many to feel they could never make it to Heaven, so some didn’t even bother to try.
One such scripture verse was Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus made those comments to his Disciples after a rich young man asked him what should he do to have life eternal. Jesus told him to keep the commandments to which the man replied all these things have I kept from my youth , what lack I yet?
To which Jesus replied , sell all that thou has and give the proceeds to the poor, then come follow me. When the young man heard that he went away sorrowful. He was a man of much wealth. Matthew 19:22.
You see it is not impossible to make it to Heaven , Jesus said this because he saw the reluctance of this rich man to let go of his earthly possessions. It’s not difficult to get to Heaven . In fact when Jesus’ Disciples reminded him that they had given up the life they had to follow him, he assured them thus. Matthew 19:29. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
The Church of Jesus Christ should not try to fit in to the World, the word of God is the same yesterday , today and for all time henceforth.
♦Why then is the Church preaching get along Gospel?
♦Why is the Church silent on end time prophesies?
♦Why is the Church silent on the Books of Daniel and the Revelations?
♦Why is the Church silent on Homosexuality?
♦Why is the Church causing people to believe they can come as they are and remain as they are ?
♦Why is the Church so a part of the World that sometimes it is difficult to differentiate what stops where?
The Church is a Hospital for sick souls, it is not a Hospice where souls go to die. It is high time that the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ speak truth to power irrespective of consequences. Christians cannot be afraid of persecution. We cannot be afraid of being ostracized by the demonic forces of this world. We must stand on the principles of our Christian faith and say to the World < Thus sayeth the Lord!
We can only do so however, if we are living a life that is not in conformity with the world. Otherwise we are nothing more than mere hypocrites.
We may come to the Lord battered , bruised, and broken. We may come to the Lord irrespective of our circumstance. We may come to the Lord with our maladies , we just cannot remain in sin and claim to be a child of God.
1. Do not worship other gods.
2. Do not worship idols.
3. Do not misuse God’s name.
4. Keep the Sabbath holy.
5. Honor your father & mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet.
If we Loved one another as Jesus commanded before he left this earth , then we would keep his Commandments. Think about it ‚the key to all the commandments is Love. It really is not impossible to have life eternal my brothers and sisters.
I never really and truly gave the after-life much thought before the passing of my beloved son Kodi 3 months ago. I guess even though I am a Christian by faith I was not fully tuned into what it means to live life eternal with Christ Jesus.
The loss of my son has left me with deep burning desire to be convinced that my son has passed from mortality to immortality. I want to know that someday through the distinct promise , and on the authority of God Almighty I would be reunited with my son. The though of never ever seeing him ever again is more than this father can take.
I need to be consoled by God himself, not just mere promises.
♦I need something that speaks of certainties, not just hopes.
I need something that speaks with authority.
I need something that provides true comfort and gives something and someone to believe in/to trust as we go on from here.
I need more than sincere expressions of sympathy and concern (as wonderful as they are) in a time of sorrow and death
I need the authoritative, comforting “Thus saith the Lord!” the revelation of Scripture.
I pondered the existence of God, please do not Judge me, I am human. Despite by hard belief in him this tragedy has left my faith shaken. I know I would never accept that there is no God , so I am back to looking at what his word said to us in times like these. Would God leave us without comfort ? Would the God of Moses, the God of Daniel, The God of David leave his son Mike without comfort?
So I turned to the place where I know he will speak to me , his holy word.
II Corinthians 5:6 – 8 tells us that when we Christians die, we go immediately to be with God. To be “absent from the body-present with the Lord.”
Philippians l:23 Paul tells us when we depart from this life, we are with Christ.
Oh blessed hope, without this affirmation I can honestly tell you that I don’t know
what I would have done.Without this definitive statement from my God who cannot lie I would have succumbed to the deceptive guile of the enemy.
Oh there is nothing for you to live for! Would a loving God take your son knowing just how much you love him?
God promises Christians that they will be reunited whether through death — (Review) The Christian who dies has the promise: of an immediate reception into the Lord’s presence of a resurrected body of reunion with loved ones (fellow believers).
But we should not forget that these promises are conditioned on faith in Christ as Savior who died as our substitute on Calvary and rose again (vs. 14).
The Lord may come back today, if He does the believers who are alive will be reunited with our Christian loved ones in God’s presence. Our separation is not permanent! (and then secondly there will be a reunion with Christ). One day the Lord will come back and Christians who are alive will be caught up to join the resurrected bodies of those who have died. “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
God in his infinite wisdom knew we would ache, he knew we would be pained . What he wants from us is an understanding that the maladies we endure today are not permanent. He wants us to understand that we have to get through this. This pain , this hurt, this heartache. Before we get to life Eternal.
Events occur in our lives as direct and indirect consequence of our actions.
If this is true, how do we square that fact with the doctrine of Pre-Ordination?
Pre-ordination (theology) being determined in advance; especially the doctrine (usually associated with Calvin) that God has foreordained every event throughout eternity (including the final salvation of mankind).
If however we accept the Doctrine of Pre-ordination, we cannot then believe that as humans we are free-will beings. Both concepts are antithetical to each other, both concepts cannot be correct. If our every actions are pre-determined by God, then we are mere robotic creatures fulfilling a master plan over which we have no control.
Arguably the two competing principles are easy to contemplate. We are free to change our course of action at any moment. If the principle of pre-ordination is to be believed we would have to presume that whatever we chose, to do ‚whenever we chose to do them, are not our actions but that of a God who micro-manages us. This principle is synonymous to a paper-boat on a river tossed around by the currents, it’s final destination predetermined by the destination of that River, or some thicket in which it is caught.
The fact is , God made us intelligent beings , he gave us free will. We have the option to serve ourselves and by extension the Devil. We also have the option of giving him control over our lives guaranteeing our Salvation . The choice is mine, the choice is yours , chose wisely this day whom ye will serve. Joshau 24: 15.
People tell me “Mike you are so strong, I don’t know what I would do if I lost one of my kids”.
To begin with they don’t know just far off-base they are regarding what they perceive to be strength. On the question of not knowing what to do, they hit a home-run. Neither do I !
My family and I are immensely blessed and indeed honored at the tremendous outpouring of love and prayers we received from friends near and far, during this most traumatic period in our lives. For that we are eternally grateful and forever in your debt. Never in my wildest dreams did I contemplate the possibility of an event of this magnitude.
Naïveté? .….…Maybe.
Feeling entitled or exempt? .….….. No!
The hardest thing for me is trying to come to terms that my son is no longer here, isn’t coming home anymore, is dead.That word dead is the most difficult for me to process, the finality of that word forces me into mental retreat.
my baby
I am unsure how others experiencing this type of trauma deal with getting around that obstacle. Coming to terms with the finality of the word “dead”. Accepting that a loved-one has died is terribly difficult. Accepting that your child is never coming home, is unimaginably and indescribably horrific. How could this happen ? “Why my child” ? I ask myself a thousand times , still I am no nearer an answer than when I asked the first time. This Summer, College kids all across America are returning home to spend time with their families. Not so for our family.
Try as I may , I cannot shake the feeling of victim-hood which has plagued me since April 7th 2014. I feel singled out, I have certainly had more than my share of tragedies. I wonder what the pawns on a chess-boards feel if they had feelings? I feel caught between two powerful competing powers, in a battle which has precious little to do with me. I feel I am mere collateral damage. I know I will draw fire from some Religious quarters for daring to speak this way. I humbly disagree with my friends who would chastise me for feeling or seeing , I believe those are two of our senses. We are supposed to use them, aren’t we ?
KKB
Am I selfish to pine over the loss of my son, despite having more sons? Am I being disloyal to my family for the deep,dark grief I feel for this, my child? If so how does :Luke 15:4 apply ?
Jesus asked ‚“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it” ?
In the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son, did the father not still have a son at home ? : Luke 15 :20.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15: 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Do these Scriptures apply? The prodigal son did return. The missing Sheep is likely to be found. My son is never coming home. I cry every single day , so too does my wife. In the beginning I felt sorry for my son. I wondered , did he hurt in the process leading to his passing ? Did he lay there thinking “my dad will come get me”, throughout his short life he thought his dad could always make things right.
As much as I cry wondering about that, I feel sorry for my wife and his mom. I feel sorry for his brother we all lost a great Guy. I grieve for the rest of my family and his friends. But most of all I feel sorry for me. I lost a part of me that can never be replaced, the void left can never be filled. Nothing can ever be the way they were. Everything takes on new meaning. I struggle to find a way forward, a way to claw my way out of the darkness. Sugar will never be as sweet, water will never taste the same, a cup of morning coffee will never make me feel the way it used to. My world is forever changed , how I move forward is all up in the air. There are times when I wonder if I ever will, or whether I even want to.
Wednesday May 14th my wife Cheryl and I would have driven up to SUNY Plattsburg to bring our son Kodi home for his summer break. It’s a trip either one of us could have taken solo, notwithstanding, we are not that type of couple , no matter what, we would have done so together. Poughkeepsie to Plattsburg is roughly four and a half hours drive. Parents with kid/s in College understand they have to bring all their stuff home, then haul everything back at the end of the break.
This Summer would have been extra-special. our penultimate son AJ, is getting ready to start attending Wesleyan College in Connecticut.
Kodi’s Mazda Millenia.
We had made plans with our friend Randy a mechanic, to do some prepping on Kodi’s car. This was supposed to be a surprise for him when he got home.
The big plan for the Summer was to get our oldest, Mike Jnr, to come over from Illinois, take some time off and all 6 maybe 7 of us counting my nephew Martin, take a road trip to Orlando .
The plan was to rent a big SUV and take turns driving down to Florida. Some members of our family have never been to Disneyland.
Alas there was no four and a half hour drive to upstate New York for Cheryl and me. There was no need to prep my son’s car, there will be no road trip to Orlando no time soon.
Kodi’s things arrived in boxes shipped to us via UPS, they sit in a corner of the garage, the way they arrived, untouched.
Kodi’s car sits by the side of our house off the pavement now, on the grass. No prepping has been done. There will be no family trip to Disney world„ not this summer. We have no plans, we don’t know when, if ever.
Today Cheryl and the boys went to Church , I did not. I drove over to the flea market, walked around dazed, confused, in shock , angry, unsure of who I am. This was supposed to be a great Summer , our Summer.
AJ would have had his graduation party, Kodi had one. This fall it would be just Cheryl, our youngest Johnathan and me at home. Kodi and AJ would be in college. It may yet be just us three, however it won’t be the same, the glue is missing.
Kodi always bragged, he was the glue which kept our family together, he always asked my wife “what you gonna do when I’m gone ma”? We had no idea what he meant !!!.…can’t see through the tears.…
In the previous Article I wrote about our son’s death I candidly pointed to my shortcomings as a Christian. I attempted to bring attention to the fact that though I espouse the faith, I am still a neophyte regarding the after-life.
Okay so I understand why you would question my interest in this particular aspect of the Christian doctrine!
As I said in a previous Article, losing a child is synonymous to nothing I have ever experienced. I was extremely close to my son. The sudden and drastic separation is followed by numbing shock, which is like nothing previously experienced. Utter disbelief . A large part of my problem is my inability to accept the finality of this psychical death. So naturally I desperately seek out a greater assurance from the Biblical promise of “Life Everlasting” .
Well intentioned friends and family members remind me that Job lost all his children and property. Of course the Bible also said God removed the hedge of protection he had placed around Job his servant.
THEDEVIL Job 1 – 10
9Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10“Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”…
GOD’S RESPONSE Job 1 vs 12
Vs. 12 – God gives Satan permission to go ahead and test Job in the way that Satan desires with one restriction: Satan was not allowed to touch Job’s person in any way. However, everything else that Job had, God placed in Satan’s hand to do as Satan desired. http://gewatkins.net/job-and-satan-job‑1 – 6‑12/
The Author went on to state quote..Here is where God remains blameless from sending these evils upon Job. God put Job’s things in Satan’s hand, but Satan still had a choice as to what to do with Job’s things. Satan could have chosen to leave Job alone. Of course, he does not, because Satan thinks he has something to prove?Satan thinks he knows more than God. I will leave that assessment for you to judge.
Job 42:10
The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.11Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.…
Let’s read vs. 18&19: “18, While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
Job lost all his children in one disastrous instance, all 10 of them. This surely must have created grave concerns for Job. “His children were eating and drinking wine“when they died, they weren’t praying and singing. Did they go straight to Heaven> Job had no way of knowing. It appears that Job’s children were just pawns in this chess game.
Ultimately the story of Job despite the restoration of wealth was not a win for him, not only did he lose his children, the Bible is silent on whether his children who were basically handed over to the wickedness of the Devil were assured the afterlife.
I spent a good part of my life fighting to preserve and protect the lives of others . I was particularly passionate about the rights of the most vulnerable, those least able to protect themselves. Irrespective of the interpretations of cynics many continue to do the same every day. It requires selflessness on the part of those who risk life and limb in defense of others, whether it be service in the military, police department or the man who jumps on the tracks to pull another from certain death from an oncoming Train.
Quote “No greater task can be given any man, than that which ask that he brings to Justice the killer of the innocent”.
For years I held fast to those principles, I still do today. Yet even as I did all I could to bring closure to others, even as I empathized with those who lost their loved ones, I never truly understood what it felt like to lose a child.
Nothing compares, it is surreal. There are no words to describe the pain, the emptiness, the shock. You lose your sense of focus. You lose your sense of motivation. You question everything you ever believed. Yes I question my faith !!
You become driven by a single desire, that which is to turn back the hands of time. You become obsessed with guilt, obsessed with the desire to find someone to blame , including yourself. You think thoughts you would never previously entertain.
After all you start believing there is no hope, no reason to go on. Even as you are torn between the reality of the present and your lifelong beliefs, you have no rational recourse but to revert to the very promise of the very faith you question.
I am not a perfect Christian.
The loss of my son made me question the after-life.
my wonderful son Kodi
I question the sincerity and commitment of a God who seem to inflict pain on those most dedicated to his word.
I question his ways.
I question his methods.
I question his power vs the powers of evil.
I question whether I will ever see my son again ?
So although I question everything I ever believed I am humbled into accepting the reality that if I am wrong about God then nothing else matters.
If I discard my faith where is the hope?
(I love you Kodi Kadeem Beckles, tears, tears and more tears.)
Numb, Angry, feeling cheated sums up my feelings right now. I Can’t seem to get past them. In the meantime everything goes on as usual. Time seem to stop for me only. Friends and well-wishers tell me to think about the happy moments we shared, those make things much worse, they bring more tears. I presently live somewhere between denial and complete paralysis. If I allow myself to think the unthinkable I believe I will never come back. Somehow I cannot take that chance. I cannot guarantee myself that having accepted what everyone knows, I won’t lose my mind. That train may have already left the station however, how could this happen to me, to you my son?
So sudden..
You weren’t sick.
So full of life…
What went wrong?
How is this possible? One moment you were here, the next you aren’t? This was not the plan, we never discussed this, we talked about everything but never this !
Who am I angry at, God? I don’t know . Whose decision was it to take my son away? Saying that sounds distant, it’s all a dream, a bad dream, I ‘ll wake up soon.
Someone advised me to go see the movie “Heaven is for real”. She felt the characters are a lot like you and me. We all went, the whole family Kodes but you weren’t there. It doesn’t feel the same when you are not there. No one understands what you meant to me except you. Maybe I’m angry at you! No , I’m not. No words , no tears, nothing gauges my pain. Disbelief , in shock, maddening shock, numb, darkness, nothing compares.…
candles burn in honor of Kodi
The boy in the movie did not die, just so you know, there’s still time to come home. I don’t like the way I feel about this Kadeem, you love that name ..
I gave you that name,.
I dial your number, I hear you say your name. You love that name. It’s all a dream, I will wake up soon.
You were precious to me . God’s special gift, I love you like no one else could. And you loved me too. We were always there for each other. Did I let you down?
How could I not know that you needed me? You always knew I would take care of “it” , whatever “it” is.
Were you there thinking Dad would show up to get you Kodes? Oh God , did you ? I can’t see through these tears .….….…
These four little kittens were found across the street yesterday. My nieces and nephew fell in love with them immediately. Look at them. Who wouldn’t fall in love, or at least in like with them? And I’m not even a cat person. Well before you knew it, EVERYTHING was about the kittens. They were giving all their attention to them. Nothing else seemed to exist or matter…Even when they discovered that they were dirty and had fleas! Say what? They still wanted to play with them and hug them and they started getting attached to them. One of the kittens seemed mangy, but no worries. They gave them all a bath. The next day we had to break it to them; the kittens couldn’t stay. They could be sick and we had to take them to the vet or ASPCA. You would have thought the world was ending. Why? They had so many reasons for keeping them. We can’t leave them outside. They’ll be cold. We can clean them up. They need food. But I like them. They had already claimed the kittens and started naming them. One was called “Sugar”. How sweet. But, that’s just kids.
I told them several times to leave the box and kittens alone. And they sulked. One niece even laid down on the front lawn in despair. I asked them what did they do before the kittens came along. They played with their friends, with each other, rode their bikes, ran around freely. And now because the kittens came into their lives for one day, everything had changed. But, that’s just kids for you.
Or is it? How many times have we as adults have had a person or a job or things come into or lives and allowed them to take over? We quickly forget that we were quite happy before but now can’t seem to live without the job or the money or the relationship, or even the “kitty kat”. We lay down in despair when we’re told of a layoff or that things aren’t working out. We try to hang on, to our own detriment at times, getting more infested with “fleas” and critters. We forget how great life can be and obsess on the things that may not seem even “bad” for us, but just not expedient at this time. We lay down and forget how much we were enjoying life. But you might be thinking, Well, I wasn’t enjoying life that much before. Then, it’s time! Find passion and fulfillment. Get your life! Experience your freedom!
My nieces and nephews? They went back to riding their bikes, watching TV and being their adventurous and fun-loving selves. I’m not 100% certain that they’re not thinking about those kittens. But at least they’re back to having fun. That’s just kids for you.
Giglio gives an awe inspiring talk about the awesome nature of the God we serve. We sometimes take liberties based on our understanding and perceptions of who God is . God is the great ‘I AM” we are not qualified to define him. Giglio shines a light to give us a sneak peek on just how little we know about the creator of the Universe. Let’s listen to Louie.
DECEMBER1ST 1955 A YOUNGWOMANREFUSEDTOGIVEUPHERSEATON A BUSINMONTGOMERYALABAMA. SHEKNEWSHEWOULDBEARRESTEDORWORSE, YETSHEDIDWHATSHEKNEWSHEHADTODO, ANDSHEDIDIT.
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WEDEPENDSOMUCHONYOUWOMEN, YOUARETHEGLUEINMOSTCASESWHICHHOLDTHEFAMILIESTOGETHER. YOUAREOURMOTHERSANDFATHERS, YOUGOOUTTOWORK, RAISETHEKIDS, PREPARETHEMEALS, YOUCOMFORTUSWHENWEAREINNEEDOF A LISTENINGEARAND A TENDERTOUCH.
I KNOWTHISALLTOOWELL, I WASRAISEDBY A SINGLEWOMANWHOHADNOCHILDRENOFHEROWN, YETSHERAISEDEIGHTOFUSASIFWEWEREHERALLHEROWN. THELESSONSSHETAUGHTMETHEN, GUIDEMYLIFETODAY.
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I BEGOFYOU , ALLOFYOU,THATYOURETURNTOBEINGTEACHERS. SCHOOLSALONECANNOTANDWILLNOTEDUCATEOURCHILDREN. I ASKTHATYOUHELPUSTORECLAIMOURSONSFROMTHEPRISONINDUSTRIALCOMPLEX. LETUSCONTINUETORAISEOURCHILDRENINTHEWAYTHEYSHOULDGOSOTHATWHENTHEYAREOLDITSHALLNOTDEPARTFROMTHEM .LETUSNOTSEEKTOCONFORMTOTHEWORLD, BUTRATHERLETUSLIVEOURLIVESIN A WAYWHICHCONFORMTOTHEWAYSOFCHRISTSOTHATWEMAYBEDIFFERENT. LETUSNOTCHANGEOURSALVATIONINORDERTOBERELEVANT.
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This year’s Church Theme-“From Fan to Follower-Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus Christ” has been a challenging theme for me. Since last year, Pastor Bottoms has been prepping us for the theme-he told us about the book; he hosted a workshop on it for us, so we were forewarned-thank you Pastor Bottoms! Sis Janie McCall blessed me with a copy of the Kyle Idleman book (Not a Fan), and I was so happy-another book to read, and I SO love to read. However, I got as far as the prologue, and realized that this was not just any “book”. I couldn’t bring myself to read past the first few pages for about 6 months, and it collected dust on my night table. The first few pages alone brought such a conviction over me, and in spite of how highly I thought of myself in regards to my walk with Christ, I clearly saw that there was a likely possibility that I was simply a fan, a fraud, a fake, a hypocrite, a Pharisee???? Little by little, I began to read the book. Line by line, page by page, chapter by chapter, the book has provoked much introspection, self-reflection, and self-examination, as never before. Causing me to “DTR”-define the relationship that I have with Jesus Christ-by His standards. And I still have 6 chapters to go! But God is faithful‑I know that He who has begun a good work in me is faithful to complete it, Just so you all know, I had a different topic for today. Relevant, but different.
Pastor, Beulah Baptist Church. Poughkeepsie, NY. www.beulahweb.org. Meet Pastor “B”. Rev. Jesse Voyd Bottoms, Jr
I was in the hospital, and God had my full attention. And I couldn’t stop thinking about WORSHIP, this 7 letter word that is often misunderstood, and what that really means. Many of us love to think of ourselves as “worshippers”, because we like to sing, or we love the so-called “Praise and Worship” portion of the service, or like to listen to Christian/Gospel music. But what is a true worshipper? Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman at the well ring as true today as it did when He declared them over 2,000 years ago-“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the TRUEWORSHIPPERS shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (JOHN 4:23 – 24). So today I’d like to talk to you about “GOINGFROMFANTOFOLLOWERINWORSHIP”
For a long time, a very long time, I operated under the misconception that worship was something that I did when I came to church, sang a song, or when I lifted my hands to God in prayer or praise. I’ve now learned that worship is not relegated to just these things. I’m learning that worship-true worship-is obedience and sacrifice to God, in every area of my life, and glorifying God in everything that I do-EVERYTHING! So…this means that worship is much more than the latest, most popular “worship” songs, so much more than performance in a choir, or on the Praise and Worship Team, the Dance Ministry, or playing an instrument in the Music Ministry, although all these things can be PART of worship. However, these things do not fully describe what worship is. I’m finding out, with every day, as I move from fan to follower that worship is a lifestyle‑a way of life. It should be part of the core purpose of every believer. Isaiah 43:21 lets us know that we have this purpose, because it declares-“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise”. I believe “this people” also applies to the Church today, the Ecclesiasts, the called out ones-we were made for God’s pleasure. We were created for and have been saved to worship him, to bring him glory. Pastor Bottoms has taught us that to give God glory is to declare His full worthiness. We declare God’s worthiness by living a life for him that he will be pleased with, because he is worthy of getting the best out of our lives! So, Rick Warren’s book-“The Purpose Driven Life” (which is used in the 40 Days class, as a supplemental resource, but as all of the past and present 40 DAYS students know-OUR BIBLEISOURTEXTBOOK) helps us by asking us-what on earth am I here for? For many years, I struggled with the answer to this simple, yet profound question-Cheryl-what IS your purpose? What are you here for? What were you born for? I can now say that I know for a fact, without a doubt, that I was created to bring God
Beulah Baptist Church Poughkeepsie
glory! I was created to serve him, and to serve his people. Growing up in my house, as the 6th of 7 children, I would often do whatever it took to let my voice be heard, above the voices of my older siblings. Ok-sometimes I was loud, and downright obnoxious. Often, my mother would say to me-Girl, you have a BIG mouth! I wouldn’t take that too kindly then, but now, I no longer feel bad about that, because now I know WHY I have a big mouth-GOD gave me this mouth to give him praise, to tell somebody about HIM! So I’m learning that God can use your personality, even your charisma, to bring himself glory. So…if WORSHIP is a lifestyle, and not just a Sunday morning, Church-based activity, what is it? WORSHIP is a mentality. A belief system, a value system. We WORSHIP God in the way that we live our lives, in the way that we love and treat one another. We WORSHIP God in the way that we perform ministry. In the way that we take care of our bodies. WORSHIP is when we make a decision on what we stand for, when we line up our principles and priorities with what God says in his Holy Word. WORSHIP –bringing God glory- should be our daily motivation, the reason why we do everything that we do. Because we have been commanded by God to serve him with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, and with all of our minds! David inquired (In Psalm 116:12) “what shall I render to God for all of his benefits”? David wanted to know-what it was that He could give to God; to demonstrate his gratitude for all that God had done for him-for all of his many blessings bestowed upon him. David wanted to give something back to God, yet being fully aware that there was nothing that he could ever give to pay God back in full. We as followers need to ask God this question-God, what can we do for you today, and for the rest of our lives. We owe God everything, because everything that we are, and everything that we have are all due to the goodness of God.
As I lay in that hospital bed at Vassar, I took out my paper and pencil, and began to write an acrostic for WORSHIP, with each letter representing a specific area that I need to WORSHIP God in. You can create your own; it may be different for you. But these are the things God dealt with me on:
Pastor Bottoms Delivering the word of God
W‑represents WILLINGNESS to WORSHIP and follow God. Luke 9:23, our key verse for this year begins with the conjunction “IF”. This signifies a conditional situation. We must be WILLING to worship and follow Jesus. God gives us “free choice”-He is a free will God-he doesn’t force us-he offers us an opportunity, a covenant, and we either accept the call to follow, or we don’t. But God can surely orchestrate circumstances to MAKE you willing. Brokenness can MAKE you willing. Scandal can make you willing. A look at your wretchedness can MAKE you willing. Some people come to God without resistance-that’s not my testimony. I was doing my own thing, right in the church, acting like a typical fan, charting what I thought was my own course in life. It took brokenness‑a realization that I had to have full dependence on God, and that God had a plan for my life that didn’t include my lascivious lifestyle. I needed to submit to His will. It made me run to Jesus. And I’m still running to him to this day. When I received the revelation of his sincere love, commitment and sacrifice for me, it made me want to stop shacking up with him, and move to a committed relationship with my Father. I owe Him me. He proved his passion for me, by picking up the cross, carrying it all the way to Calvary, and dying for my sins, my faults, my inadequacies. Because Jesus was willing, that empowers me to be willing, even when I don’t “feel” like it. Yes, we have to count up the cost, every day, as we move from fan to follower. Being a disciple WILL cost us something, sometimes everything. It cost Jesus shame, his life, and temporary separation from the Father. Yet he counted up the cost, and said “Yes” to the Father. We too must take up our cross daily, in order to follow him. As followers, we shouldn’t expect a carefree, problem-free life. We will be tested, tried, challenged, attacked, and experience all types of difficulties when we make the choice to follow Jesus. We may lose friends, family, position, opportunities. But the Bible promises us that the benefits of being a follower will outweigh the costs.“God, Help me, help us to be WILLING to follow you all the way”.
O‑the “O” in WORSHIP for me, stands for OBEDIENCE. This can be a hard word sometimes, one that we would sooner forget, sweep under the rug, or put in the dustbin of our lives, until WE are ready to pick it back up again. And we tend to do the “easy” things for us individually, and then feel as if we have satisfied our obligation to God. I come to church on Sunday (maybe)-check; Bible Study on Tuesday (sometimes)-check; pay our tithes (or a portion of it)-check; sing in the choir-check; go to/teach Sunday school or membership class-check; and the list goes on. But I often sense God asking to me, as the prophet Samuel asked Saul (I Samuel 15:22 – 23)-“Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to OBEY is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams??? In the greater scheme of things, the choice between the two are clear-OBEDIENCE is always better! But we would rather give God our religious offerings, instead of offering God what HE requires. God gave Saul specific instructions on what to do with the spoils of the battle. Saul decided within himself to disregard God’s directives, and took back what he wanted, with the excuse that his intent was to sacrifice it to God. But God never asked him to do that! We need to give God what HE asks for! We bring our self-righteousness and our sacrifices to God-the one’s that we have deemed to be important, in an attempt to make up for our disobedience, and expect God to accept it. For years I did the same thing-thinking that I could sing a solo to make up for going so low in my conduct and behavior. That I could bring God a filthy sacrifice of praise, like the children of Israel did, when they presented sick and blemished lambs and bullocks to the altar. True worshippers give God what HE wants-and he wants US to obey him. “God, help me, help us to be truly obedient in what you command us to do, as true followers”.
R‑the “R” for me, stands for REVERENCEFORGOD’S HOLYWORD. John 1:1, 14a, very familiar passages to most of us, tells us that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”. So God is the Word, and became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ, and dwelt in the earth. So-the Word of God is important. If I want to be a true follower, I need to respect the Word of God, be excited about the Word, Study the Word, and give his sayings the highest authority in my life. The Word should be my daily bread, what I need to survive-not Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, my Crackberry (as my husband Mike labels my cellphone) or my IPhone or IPAD (unless you’re using it to access the Word). As we crave the Word, and hear the Word, and apply the Word to our lives, it will begin to produce results-we will go from being fans/hearers of the Word, to becoming followers/doers of the Word, and therefore we will stop deceiving our own selves (James 1:22). The Word will be as a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths, providing us with the direction that we need in our daily lives (Psalm 119:105) . We will respect the Word of God, as we hear it as it is being preached, and listen intently, and let it saturate our hearts, not playing with our cellphones, going onto every social network, carrying on conversations while the Word of God is being preached and taught. That way the Word can fall onto good ground, and the devil won’t be able to distract us, and steal it from us! When we have reverence and respect for God’s Word, and it gets into us, and begins to work in and on us, it WILL manifest in our lives. And we’ll feel the same way that Jeremiah felt about the Word, and won’t be able to hold our peace about it; it will be like fire, shut up in our bones! “God help me, help us, to have a true love and reverence for your Holy Word, so that it will burn in us, and manifest itself in our lives.”
S‑The “S” in WORSHIP, for me stands for being SPIRIT-FILLED. Zechariah 4:6b tells us “…Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts”. We can only go from fan to follower with the power of the Holy Spirit. Trying to do otherwise leaves me weary, depressed, feeling inadequate, missing the mark, and just downright frustrated. But when I say “God‑I can’t do this on my own, I need your Spirit, and I know that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”-the way becomes easier, I get energized, I get strength for the journey, I actually begin to enjoy life, the way God intended me to, and enjoy walking in my purpose and destiny. From the time that He wakes me up in the morning, I must acknowledge Him, and declare my full reliance on Him to do everything that I need to do. WORSHIP becomes a delight when we walk in the Spirit. When I claim- every day- that I have the grace that I need, according as his divine power hath given unto me all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called me to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3)-I’m saying that I have everything that I need for life-through his divine power! When we walk in the Spirit, and full of His spirit, we can do everything that we need to do, with ease, with grace. This is a challenge for me, as I have a strong-willed, independent spirit. But God is teaching me, and I am learning, that I need to lean and rely totally on Him, and not on my own understanding, or on my own abilities. When we are full of his Spirit, we will have the power to live Holy lives, to follow the Holy example set by Jesus Christ. We will produce the fruits of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, instead of the works of the flesh. We’ll serve God with a passion, and purposely, so that God will not have to spit us out. When we empty ourselves, of ourselves, we’ll have the power to live sacrificially, sanctified, and set apart, as true servants of the most High God. “God, help me, and help us to rely fully on you, to walk in and be led by the Holy Spirit each and every day, as we go through the process of fan to follower”.
H‑Honoring God in all that I do. This means living on purpose. Doing everything as an act of worship, with passion, skillfully, with excellence, to the best of our ability. Honoring him on my job, in my home, in my finances, in my relationships, in the world. Colossians 3:17-“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. These and many other scriptures tells us that we should give of our best to the Master. At that great day, we will all be held accountable for what we did with what God entrusted to us-the gifts, the talents, abilities, our children, the time, the money, and all the other resources that he has made us stewards over. Were we wasters? Did we bury our talents, as the wicked servant did, and make excuses for why we didn’t fulfill our God-given purpose? Were we half-hearted in the ministry-inside and outside of the walls of the Church? Did I love my neighbor as I love myself?
Women’s chior
So why didn’t I throw out the lifeline to them, when I knew they were in need of a Savior? Why did I hold (fill in the blank with the name of whoever you refuse to forgive) all of these years? Why didn’t I visit the sick, clothe the naked, visit those in prison-why didn’t I show God’s love to the “least of these”, or support these missions when I had the means to? Why didn’t I love my fellow brethren, and treat them with the love of Christ, if I say that I’m his disciple? “Lord, I desperately need you to help me, and to help us to be people who seek to HONOR you in all that we do”.
I‑For me, the “I” in WORSHIP stands for INTEGRITY. If I am to be a true follow of Jesus Christ, I will be like Jesus Christ. Jesus was holy. He was without sin, and walked in his integrity-they could find no fault in him! Although we are human, we cannot continue to use this as an excuse to blatantly practice sin. Followers will seek to have a pureheart towards God, of course through the Holy Spirit, and will have Godly, moral and ethical standards and Godly character, conduct and conversation. True followers prayerfully seek to be wise in business dealings, can be trusted with confidential information, and speak the truth in Christ and lie not. True followers seek to be about their Father’s business, instead of being in everybody else’s business. True followers seek to maintain a good reputation, knowing that we are his ambassadors, and we may be the only Jesus that the unbelieving world gets to see. “God, help me, and help us to be better at being children of Integrity, than the children of the world are at being crooked”.
P‑Finally, the 7th and final letter in WORSHIP, “P” stands for PRAYERANDPRAISE. These should be anchors in the life of every follower. Jesus remained in constant prayer to the Father-he was in constant connection with Him as he journeyed on this earth, up to the very moment of his giving up of the ghost. Prayer keeps the disciple connected, intimate with the Father as well. Jesus kept admonishing the disciples to “watch and pray”, lest ye fall into temptation. In these last and evil days, the need for prayer is evident. We MUST pray. Pray for our leaders-both civic and spiritual. Pray for God’s direction, for his protection. Pray for believers everywhere. Pray for our communities. Pray for intimacy with God, pray for discernment. Pray to intercede for others, and for ourselves. The things to pray for are boundless. Deaconess Donna Johnson has provided for us a list of 80 things to pray for in the coming year. And even when we don’t know what to pray for as we ought, Romans 8:26 says that we should still pray, for the spirit will give us what to pray for. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). People of God, in case you don’t know, we are in a spiritual battle, the fight OF our lives, and FOR our lives-one that we cannot see with our physical eyes, or that we can fight with our physical weapons. The enemy of our souls, that wicked devil, is fighting for territory. He seeks to destroy us by any means necessary. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that we can defeat him, through the power of PRAYER, and PRAISE! The good news is that the prayers of the righteous availeth much! The good news is that God inhabits the praises of his people! God is there in the midst of our prayers, and our praises, while we are in the heat of the battle. More good news is that we can pray and praise anytime and anywhere-in our home, in our cars as we drive, on our knees, standing up, eyes closed, or eyes opened. That’s how you can pray without ceasing. Have a prayer and praise in your heart at all times. Bless the Lord at all times; let his praises continually be in your mouth. Praise is comely-it’s pleasing, and appealing to God. For the spirit of heaviness, put on the garment of praise! Let’s put our war clothes on! We praise Him for WHO he is and in gratitude for WHAT he’s done, and what he IS going to do. We must ALL praise him-for the BIBLE says let EVERYTHING that hath breathe, praise ye the Lord! We should never have to scratch our heads for a reason to praise God. God’s got rocks ready to praise him if we won’t praise him! When I was of the world, I partied like a rock star. So as a follower, I ought to give God my best praise‑I ought to shout unto God with the voice of triumph, to bless his name, to dance before my God, for he has done marvelous things! On 09⁄12, I went to Vassar Hospital, with chest pains, and feeling fatigued. They found my pressure to be high, and my potassium level low, which they said can cause chest pains. They admitted me, as a precaution, to do further testing on my heart, to make sure there was no blockage, etc. In the early hours of the next morning, after they had sent Mike home, a technician came in to put an IV in my arm. I began to feel nauseous and very weak. All of a sudden, the Rapid Response Team came rushing in-according to their monitor; my heart rate had fallen to 34, and was dropping steadily. They prepared to administer a shock to my heart. All the while, I’m beginning to lose consciousness, but I could still hear and see what is going on in a limited capacity, and the nurses were admonishing me to keep my eyes open, and not go to sleep. As I lay in that bed, I could literally feel myself dying‑a crazy feeling. I lay there, and I thought, God is this how I’m going to die? Is this it? I’m done here on earth? I then resigned myself to give in to the feeling, thinking, well-at least I’m going to heaven, and I’ll be at rest. It may sound corny, or cliché, but in an instant, the faces of my family members came into my spirit, and something, I believe it was the Holy Spirit, urged me to call the name of Jesus. I had very little strength, but was able to whisper-“ Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”. I was so weak in my body. BUTGOD heard my prayer, my simple prayer!
Men’s chior
I didn’t have the strength or ability to say a deep, long and intricate prayer, all I could do was call “Jesus”! Thank God, he was the only one that I HAD to call! HALLELUJAH!!! Little by little, moment by moment I began to feel a little stronger. When the room finally cleared, and the doctor spoke to me, he told me-we almost lost you. He and the nurses asked me if I remembered what had happened. The nurses said-“you kept calling Jesus…” I told them “yes, I know that. I knew that he could help me, and he did.”
Now more than ever before, I don’t have time to waste time. None of us do. It is appointed for men once to die, and then the judgment. The thing is we just don’t know WHEN that time will come. Like Pastor Bottoms says- the only pre-requisite for dying is to be alive. God is too good to me for me to not follow him. He is too faithful to me to not follow him. He is everything to me‑I WANT to live a life of worship for him. I can’t remain satisfied with being a fan. There’s too much work to be done in the vineyard, souls to saved, lives to be delivered and set free. And God wants to use US (you and myself) to do it-isn’t that an amazing privilege? We are his hands and feet-to minister to those in need. Just want to encourage those who think “it’s impossible, it’s too hard, I can’t change”: that if God can change me, and use me to worship him, he can use anybody. If he can change me from being a true fan, to being a follower in training, he can change you too. If you haven’t already done so, I urge you, find your inspiration, your motivation to follow Jesus, find out what he requires of you, and allow him to mold and shape you into a true follower of Jesus Christ.
“Politics makes strange bed-fellows”. How many times have we heard this statement? This saying though used a lot, is probably a misnomer, I believe politicians are rather devoid of character, which would rather better explain why the latter seem to be true.
Portia Simpson Miller Bruce Golding
I will come back to the bed-fellows soon but I must lay some foundation, bear with me please.
Portia Simpson Miller’s predecessor Bruce Golding in an interview with the BBC was asked whether he would have Gays in his Cabinet? Golding replied, quote: Not in my cabinet> Golding committed political suicide in that interview, only he didn’t know it then.
The wheels that would ultimately be the undoing of Bruce Golding had started turning, Never mind that the Christopher (Dudus) Coke matter would be the proverbial straw which broke the camel’s back, Golding’s demise started with that BBC interview.
Homosexuals are powerful , they have powerful lobby and they have powerful friends in high places,some of whom are themselves Homosexuals. homosexuals and their friends preach tolerance, however they do not subscribe to their own doctrine of tolerance and acceptance. Those opposed to them are vilified as outdated ignorant Jesus worshiping relics of the past, who have no place in modern society.
So much for tolerance and acceptance.
The die had been cast, Golding had to be defeated.
British Prime Minister David Cameron at the commonwealth heads of government conference in Perth Australia declared that Jamaica and several other Commonwealth nations that maintain anti-gay legislation could be affected by reduced financial support from Britain. Cameron has threatened to withhold British aid from governments that do not reform legislation banning homosexuality.
Cameron
Golding made the same mistake Michael Manley had made years before him. They both failed to grasp or understand the nuanced and intricate complexities of geo-politics.
Golding cacooned in his little world 4,411 square miles of power-base, epic center West Kingston, grossly miscalculated the extent to which homosexuality has been promulgated, packaged and shoved down the throats of the world’s people’s, so much so that it had become almost treasonous to be anti gay.
Neither the people in Washington DC nor those in London believe that Portia Simpson Miller is a capable leader. It did not matter, Golding would be replaced and so Portia quite unwittingly sold her soul to the devil.
Portia Simpson Miller is a populist , and nothing much beyond that, the power brokers did not need anything else ‚she fitted the role perfectly. Jamaicans needed to be persuaded, they needed to be sold on homosexuality, who better to do so than the matronly populist affectionately called “Sista P”? It came as no surprise then that when asked during the debates whether she would revisit Jamaica’s bugger laws Miller responded in the affirmative.
Jamaica will never be the same again.
Of course “TIME” magazine would have the clueless new Prime Minister as one of the world’s 100 most influential persons, why not? I have an unsolicited word of caution for Sista P, as you bask in the glow of TIME’S dubious recognition, do remember the homosexual community is not like the people of Saint Andrew South West, or the other occultists who worship at the Orange altar of ignorance.
Homosexuals will not be used , you will deliver what you promised, failing which your fate will be worse than that suffered by Bruce Golding. The Gay, lesbian and trans gender community will not be used and cast aside, mark my words.
You made a deal with the devil, I suggest you find a way to make good on your promise. As my dear grand-aunt used to say ” a nuh ever ting weh glisten a gold”
Good luck with the yellow serpent you picked up Portia.
Remember at the outset I alluded to the character of politicians? Well this is where the rubber meets the road, Portia Simpson Miller is now tied to this homosexual issue, whether she wants to or not. Let’s see how this self-proclaimed God-fearing woman from rural Saint Catherine extricate herself from this tangled web she wove.
Catholic Bishops have wholesale rejected the compromise made by President Obama.
Catholic Bishops in the United States have shown that their objections to Administration policy is purely political . The policy would have catholic businesses like Hospitals and Universities the church operate pay for contraceptive coverage in their health plans. Catholic bishops argue the new policy would force them do provide funding for something they are morally opposed to. The president has since stepped into the fray offering a compromise which would have the Insurance companies picking up the tab for the contraception to women employed by these catholic institutions.
As I indicated yesterday Timothy Dolan the designated leader of the catholic bishops, issued a rather pompous statement in response to the olive branch extended by president Obama. Dolan issued a rather disrespectful and scathing broadside in which he castigated the administration, accusing it of interfering with the operations of the church.
It did not matter to Dolan that the issue has nothing to do with Government interference in the church , but actually is about women’s reproductive rights and health. Dolan seemed not to want the truth to get in the way of the republican narrative he wanted to prolong.
The bishops said the plan offered insufficient protection for their institutions: “In the case where the employee and insurer agree to add the objectionable coverage, that coverage is still provided as a part of the objecting employer’s plan, financed in the same way as the rest of the coverage offered by the objecting employer. This, too, raises serious moral concerns.” The Obama administration plans to hold a series of meetings in the coming days and will invite the bishops and other religious leaders to collaborate on developing the new policy, said an administration official who was not authorized to speak on the record.
James Salt, executive director of Catholics United, a liberal advocacy group that is organizing support for the Obama administration, said, “The bishops’ blanket opposition appears to serve the interests of a political agenda, not the needs of the American people.” neworktimes.com
Timothy Dolan
For the Catholic Church, which considers the use of artificial birth control a sin, the mandate is “a radically new and unprecedented attack on religious freedom,” said Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Baltimore Archbishop Edwin O’Brien and Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly.(usatoday.com)
The language of the bishops in the last paragraph is replete with the talking points of republicans in congress, those on the campaign trail and the talking heads on FOX mis-information.
This is not about any governmental intrusion into the affairs of the church, it is not about the executive branch over-reaching into religion, it is open assault on the duly elected president of the United States of America by republican operatives within the catholic church on behalf of their friends on the far right of the republican party.
Let us be clear even some of those who first objected like former Governor Tim Kaine has said that the compromise offered by the president satisfied all concerns he had . Clearly the catholic church has aligned itself with republican right wingers in this country against working women. Women who make up large parts of the congregation that makes the catholic church the powerful and filthy rich tax exempt institution it is .
President Obama stepped to the podium this morning and did what anyone would expect the captain of the ship to do, take charge, he did that. The president came with a workable compromise to the recent flare up which is really an issue about contraception, an issue Germaine to women’s health , but which has been hijacked and escalated by desperate republicans and made to be about religious freedoms and the catholic church in light of an ever improving economy. Republicans are desperate for an issue as their search for a presidential candidate swing like a pendulum from one unsavory character to another. they are prepared to throw anything onto the wall and see what sticks.
At the center of the debate is an administration policy which would have the catholic church provide contraceptive coverage for women they employ. The catholic church operates many colleges, Universities and other business, many women who are employed by them aren’t even catholics, yet the Catholic church maintains that the policy would force them to pay for something that they are opposed to. In essence the catholic church wants women who are in their employ to pay for their own contraceptives even if they are not catholics, and mind you these women would receive these very same benefits if they were employed to a non religious employer.
So while republicans frothing at the mouth on this issue, try to make it something it isn’t, the president offered a common sense compromise which moves the responsibility from the catholic church to the Insurance companies. The details are yet to be assessed but this seem to be a way for everyone to be happy , right ?.….….….….….….….……Well not so fast Timothy Dolan had this to say.
(getty images)
“While there may be an openness to respond to some of our concerns, we reserve judgment on the details until we have them,” Cardinal-designate and Conference president Timothy Dolan said. “Today’s decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction,” he added. “We hope to work with the Administration to guarantee that Americans’ consciences and our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations.”
Appearing on CBS This Morning on Thursday, Dolan called the initial decision “a terribly misguided judgment.” He said Wednesday that “the federal government should do what it’s traditionally done since July 4, 1776, namely back out of intruding into the internal life of a church.“cbsnews.com.
Ok in my estimation the president of the United States should not have called this guy , this president has acquiesced to too many people he should not defer to, who the hell does this guy Dolan think he is ? I find the latter part of his arrogant pompous statement rather offensive, Quote: The federal government should do what it’s traditionally done since July 4th 1776 namely back out of intruding into the internal life of a church.
Is this the same catholic church that has turned a blind eye to the pedophiles within its ranks who prey on little boys raping and sodomizing them , effectively destroying their lives? Is the government supposed to stay out of an institution which shuffles the same pedophiles from parish to parish without doing anything tangible about their crimes? Dolan has some nerve!!
If Timothy Dolan wants to wait on his handlers in the republican party to tell him how to handle this overture by the president I understand that, but please spare us the pomposity. No one wants to hear a lecture from the catholic church.
Those of us with an ounce of decency long stopped listening to you Pharisees.
Two women caught importing cocaine into Jamaica were on Thursday sentenced to 18 months in prison and slapped with heavy fines. Those convicted are 30-year-old Alecia Williams of May Pen, Clarendon; and 25-year-old Babeth Bowland of Alexandria, St Ann. The two pleaded guilty when they appeared before the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court. The narcotics police had reported that on July 27, Bowland was returning to the island on a flight from Guyana; at Norman Manley International Airport; when she was stopped and searched.Nearly three pounds of cocaine was found in a pair of sneakers in her suitcase.The following day, Williams was returning on a flight from Trinidad; when she was also stopped and searched. The cops say she was found to be in possession of nearly two pounds of cocaine.In addition to their 18-month sentences, the two were each fined 650-thousand dollars. They will serve an additional six months in prison if they fail to pay the fines. Fri. Aug.05,2011 8:00pm(courtesy RJR news)
Mark Myrie aka (Buju Banton) a popular Jamaican Reggae Artist was sentenced to 10 years in a Federal Prison on a charge of conspiracy to traffic Narcotics. Two women convicted in Jamaica of actually being caught with pounds of cocaine. Myrie a man who some argue was set up, had no cocaine in his physical or constructive possession. However there is a huge disparity in the sentences meted out in the two jurisdictions. My arguments are not whether I agree with the sentence given to mister Myrie, but rather the comparatively light sentence handed town to the two Jamaican women, for what I consider to be more egregious crimes. As a former law enforcement officer I would sometime catch a weird glance from colleagues when I insisted that someone standing on a particular corner selling weed would not be allowed to be seen standing there without risking arrest . Some would lightly banter that” it’s just weed Becks” . I respectfully disagreed that it wasn’t just weed. Even as a young Officer in my early 20“s I understood that if one person is allowed to stand on a corner selling weed , pretty soon another will come, it’s just the nature of the game. As soon as there is competition there is animosity, jealousy, and anger,. Then guns come into play . If that is allowed to continue the crack dealers come, as it is now known as a drug spot , with the introduction of cocaine , crack and other narcotic drugs , comes the addicts, there goes the neighborhood, . Muggings, rapes, robberies, shootings, and pretty soon a once decent neighborhood is reduced to a bloody wasteland. All because one Police Officer did not do his job.Thinking it’s just weed.
The problem is not with the cannabis, or as we like to refer to it “weed’. The problem is with the people who deal in it. I am not qualified to argue one way or another on the merits or demerits of the weed, I have never smoked it , I have had it in the form of a tea , frankly I cannot make an argument for it’s effectiveness in any regard and so I will refrain from commenting on that aspect of it. What I do know is, if police officers did their jobs and removed weed sellers their jobs would be a lot easier. Jamaica presents a challenge to police, it is mountainous, with a resultant abundance of gullies, artificial and natural. There are insufficient roads , and even where there are roads there is an absence of planning . A suspect running from the police have better than a 9 – 1 chance of winning that battle, because of the configuration of the communities , even those that have been constructed within the last 20 years.
The Saint Catherine South Police, with responsibility for policing the sprawling unplanned communities that make up Portmore, and the more recent Greater Portmore communities, have bemoaned this fact. Even as the Police talk about the lack of vision in the design of these communities the National Housing trust continue to build with the same outdated design flaws. Residents are forced to park their cars away from their homes and walk down narrow alleyways and corridors to get to their homes. This puts their lives at tremendous risks , in crime infested communities of Waterford, Passage fort, and Ensome city, Police are faced with the same challenges policing those communities. Communities like Arnett Gardens a people’s national party garrison, and Tivoli Gardens the notorious Jamaica labor Party stronghold have posed the same challenges to law enforcement since their inception. If police cannot effectively traverse the maze of alley-ways and foot-paths , coupled with the Political pressure not to touch residents within those communities, it leaves one to wonder if the strategy behind these constructs was not a deliberate attempt at creating garrisons across Portmore and other areas. I speak to this issue of not taking the appropriate actions against perceived small stuff. And the consequence that emanate from ignoring those small stuff.
Under no consequence is it ever an appropriate sentence, the ones meted out to those two Jamaican women. When the potential harm from 2 or 3 pounds of cocaine is calculated , how could any just person argue that those sentences weren’t mere slaps on the wrist. Does anyone wonder why some of our officers choose to accept a bribe and look the other way? Does anyone wonder why people who traffic in narcotics continue to engage in drug dealing? Does anyone wonder why citizens do not bother to report crimes ? Does anyone wonder why witnesses do not turn up to testify? Is there any wonder why criminals are emboldened to intimidate and even kill witnesses? Do we understand why our hard working officers are de-motivated from carrying out their mandate in light of these sentences? Is there any wonder why more and more Jamaicans find criminal activities a viable means of making a living?
Jamaica’s criminal Justice system is a Criminal and trial-Lawyer’s paradise, often times the lines between the two are blurred and there are no distinction between the two. Some of the revered and quoted Lawyers are actually products of the closed communities called garrisons. Even as we pay respects to their accomplishments, we must be mindful that the communities of their origin shaped their world-view. These people have tremendous clout as a lobbying force for their own Interests, but are also the same ones who make up the Judiciary. Judicial activism in Jamaica has literally single-handedly broken the system, and pushed Jamaica to the brink of anarchy.
During my days in law enforcement Judges would routinely admonish and discharge people brought to court for fighting police officers, ripping their uniforms and actually injuring officers in the lawful execution of their duties. Yours truly was not spared from those assaults. Those who talk about extra-judicial killings should know when their is no judicial remedy, some officers may find it prudent to take the laws into their own hands. No officer should have his life, limb, or that of his family threatened because he or she did their job. There are those in the media, urged on by their friends on the bench, who are now shouting about lack of protection for Judges, I mean are you kidding me? With sentences like the ones above. Jamaica’s judges have nothing to fear from law breakers.
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It was never God’s intention that his Church should conform to the ways of the World. It is the World which should conform to Gods ways through the 
teachings of the Church.
The Church is a Hospital for sick souls, it is not a Hospice where souls go to die. It is high time that the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ speak truth to power irrespective of consequences. Christians cannot be afraid of persecution. We cannot be afraid of being ostracized by the demonic forces of this world. We must stand on the principles of our Christian faith and say to the World < Thus sayeth the Lord!
I am a Christian by faith I was not fully tuned into what it means to live life eternal with Christ Jesus.
I pondered the existence of God, please do not Judge me, I am human. Despite by hard belief in him this tragedy has left my faith shaken. I know I would never accept that there is no God , so I am back to looking at what his word said to us in times like these. Would God leave us without comfort ? Would the God of Moses, the God of Daniel, The God of David leave his son Mike without comfort?
Try as I may , I cannot shake the feeling of victim-hood which has plagued me since April 7th 2014. I feel singled out, I have certainly had more than my share of tragedies. I wonder what the pawns on a chess-boards feel if they had feelings
replaced, the void left can never be filled. Nothing can ever be the way they were. Everything takes on new meaning. I struggle to find a way forward, a way to claw my way out of the darkness. Sugar will never be as sweet, water will never taste the same, a cup of morning coffee will never make me feel the way it used to. My world is forever changed , how I move forward is all up in the air. There are times when I wonder if I ever will, or whether I even want to.
Wednesday May 14th my wife Cheryl and I would have driven up to 
In the previous Article I wrote about our son’s death I candidly pointed to my shortcomings as a Christian. I attempted to bring attention to the fact that though I espouse the faith, I am still a neophyte regarding the after-life.
The 
I spent a good part of my life fighting to preserve and protect the lives of others . I was particularly passionate about the rights of the most vulnerable, those least able to protect themselves. Irrespective of the interpretations of cynics many continue to do the same every day. It requires selflessness on the part of those who risk life and limb in defense of others, whether it be service in the military, police department or the man who jumps on the tracks to pull another from certain death from an oncoming Train.
Friends and well-wishers tell me to think about the happy moments we shared, those make things much worse, they bring more tears. I presently live somewhere between denial and complete paralysis. If I allow myself to think the unthinkable I believe I will never come back. Somehow I cannot take that chance. I cannot guarantee myself that having accepted what everyone knows, I won’t lose my mind. That train may have already left the station however, how could this happen to me, to you my son?
Aaaw !!!
(getty images)
