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Bodyof Christ NewsJULY 2015 VOLUME 26 ISSUE 11 COLORADO BY THE WILL OF I AM THAT I AM Exodus 314COMPLIMENTARY BOCNEWS.COM SERVING COMMUNITIES IN DENVER AURORA MONTBELLO BOULDER COLORADO SPRINGS PUEBLO WE FORGIVE MURDERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA Denver-area pastors discuss the Emmanuel AME Church shooting. Speaking in court relatives of those slain forgave the accused assasin. PAGES 7-9 THOSE KILLED Rev. Clementa Pinckney Cynthia Hurd Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Tywanza Sanders Ethel Lance Susie Jackson Depayne Middleton Doctor Rev. Daniel Simmons Myra Thompson. 2 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 Funerals Receptions Cremations Elvin R. Caldwell Jr. President Ruby Kirk-Gray Founder www.caldwellkirk.com Serving the Denver community for over 65 years. 2101 Marion Street Denver Colorado 80205 303-861-4644 Celebrating Independence Commemoration andRemembrance thisJuly 3JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS 4 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 1221 There are times in this world when catastrophic events with much suffering involved bring out the best and most loving and humanitarian acts we may have seen. My mind brings up memories of when I was a missionary in Ethiopia 1984-1987. There was a famine in that land and according to estimates later about 1 million people died. I find myself still haunted by mental images of the many starving children and adults I took care of giving them food clothing blankets and medicine. After going through that experience I was never the same. If there are any good memories I remember how many people worked together to help the famine victims. I worked side by side with people from all over the world. Organizations such as the Catholic Relief Services World Vision the International Red Cross Oxfam the Seventh-day Adventist Church my church Doctors Without Borders Africare and many others worked together to help. I in fact received supplies from many humanitarian groups abroad that I used to help those who came to my clinic and feeding center. It did not come without risk as I myself had a near death experience with hepatitis. Two wonderful things happened. Human beings came together to aid those in need and because of this many lives were saved. I thank God I survived and lived to try to help many in my own country. When we want to we can save lives instead of taking them in violence and warfare. Just recently the worlds attention was again focused on Africa especially the west-African coun- tries Liberia Guinea and Sierra Leone but many others were effected Our attention was riveted by a deadly and seeming relentless disease which has no cure. There is no magic bullet vaccine or antibiotic for this deadly infection we have come to know as Ebola. This viral dis- ease is caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with blood and body fluids. Direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes such as those in the mouth nose and eyes allows spread. The disease symptoms may start 2 days to three weeks after contact. Victims have vomiting diar- rhea rash fever and bleed- ing from internal and external sources. Treatment involves identification of those infected isolation and intensive treat- ment if possible with IV or oral fluids as those who die mostly die from massive loss of body fluids and bleeding. The body has to fight off the infections while what is called supportive care is give. Those who care for victims must wear head-to-toe protective clothing to keep from getting infected. Those brave and caring enough can save lives although some health care workers have paid the ultimate price trying to help. The one fortunate thing is that the disease is not spread by air. If this were not the case this disease could quickly become a worldwide conflagration. As it was this last outbreak between 2014 and 2015 killed over 11000 people and caused worldwide concern. Many humanitarian organi- zations too many to name all such as ADRA the Adventist Relief and Development Agency Africare Catholic Relief Services Doctors Without Borders Partners in Health Project C.U.R.E. Samaritans Purse Save the Children UNICEF The Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCDC and the World Health Organization. This is just a partial list. Reading about this makes me think that we humans are capable of doing good to help many people in need. Why do we not do more to help to help those in need and when I say this it is the missionary in me speaking. Once a missionary always a missionary. Why does it take a crisis to bring out the best in humanity Just think if our focus was saving lives and relieving suffering instead of warfare political strife blood shed and getting even. The most important lesson we can learn is that we can do the most good by coming together to save lives. This lesson is obscured by the constant focus of the media on acts of violence. We can be violent but by Gods grace we can do good as well. Just think how transformed this world would be if we did this for as many people as we can. Just remember that many were willing to put their lives on the line to help. That is one lesson we can learn from the Ebola outbreak. Here is another important lesson and that is that we need to do as much as we can to educate people how to avoid disease stay healthy. Knowledge is power and we can empower people by our teaching. I really believe the Ebola outbreak would have been worse without the dissemination of knowledge about the disease. We can do the same thing helping people with all of the various acute and chronic diseases we are impacted by such as diabe- tes hypertension and a host of others. The more we educate the more we can help people. My hope and prayer is that we can work together to be in the mode of collaborating to save lives and educating people to save their own lives Lessons Learned fromThe Ebola Outbreak Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner M.D. HEALTH The one fortunate thing is that the disease is not spread by air. If this were not the case this disease could quickly become a worldwide conflagration. As it was this last outbreak between 2014 and 2015 killed over 11000 people and caused worldwide concern. 1. MARVIN SAPP - YOU SHALL LIVE 2. RICHARD SMALLWOOD - ANTHOLOGY 3. LONNIE HUNTER - GET IT DONE 4. PATRICK HOLLIS - NEW SEASON 5. ANHONY BROWN - EVERYDAY JESUS 6. LEE WILLIAMS - MEMPHIS GOSPEL LIVE 7. TRENT VON LEE - I AM A PRAISER 8. CASEY J - THE TRUTH 9. MARLON LOCK - GOOD SEED PROJECT 10. J. MOSS - GROWN FOLKS GOSPEL 5JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Reaching Out For Encouragement A Sister Speaks Out On The Ravages of Another Black Man Taken To Prison INTERVIEW On June 3 2011 Ms. Nicole Carters husband was involved in a tragic car accident and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He had never been in any trouble with the courts or police and had worked for King Soopers for 30 years. He had been out with fam- ily members and about one oclock in the morning there was a terrible car accident in which his car rolled and three people were thrown from the car and died. Ms. Carters sister and two other people that her husband was helping all died. Ms. Carter now has the responsi- bility to raise two young girls ages 12 and 15. It is a financial struggle as well as a mental and emotional struggle. It is a constant battle no longer having the family structure that she and her children once had. Having your family shattered in a moment of time and for the rest of our lives we will never forget this tragedy and mentally we dont know what our future holds said Ms. Carter. Two years into this struggle Ms. Carter has found that the mental struggle is mounting with support no longer there mental stress increas- ing as well as the needs of the chil- dren increasing. No one is there but God. But there is another bright spot in this cloudy trial - her Church. Ms. Carter says her Church Bethsaida Temple led by Pastor Earl Holiman has been a tremendous amount of help financially for both her husband and her and the chil- dren. Her Church has also provided them with housing or Ms. Carter and her children would be homeless. I can truly say that talk is cheap but my Pastor definitely stepped up and took the role of being the man of God that he is and all he saw was love whether he agreed with the situation or not. He knew that help was needed and took that role to make sure that we were alright. The stresses and grief of that terri- ble night do not end there. Ms. Carter confided that in addition to losing her husband to prison in June 2011 her sister died in the accident as well and 20 days later her mother died of a massive heart attack. Following this eight months ago she lost her father to cancer and two months before this her husbands father died of cancer also. You dont really realize how much of a load you are actually carrying and I just need a word of encourage- ment from somebody who can relate to me Hey this is my story or this is what I went through someone let- ting me know Ive been through this this is what I can do for you just mainly moral support and knowing everything is going to be okay with my children mainly my children. I thank God for my children and they are resilient and we have been able to go see my husband through the sup- port of the deacons and finances of my Church. Ms. Carter reports that since her husband who was given 20 years was never in trouble with the police before that he can possibly be eligible to be released from the system in six to seven years. We are being opti- mistic about this my husband would be better out here than in there. BOCN asks Why so many years if your husband had never been in trouble with the police I think because he is alive and our family is alive - otherwise they would not have pressed the issue so much explained Ms. Carter. The Courts overlooked what I had to say about this matter and I lost my sisterthey overlooked what I had to say on her behalf simply because my husband was accused of being the driver. My husband does not believe he was the driver. He cannot remember anything that happened but it was his car so he was charged. The blood found in the car on the drivers seat had prescription drugs in it but my husband doesnt take prescription drugs and when I told my lawyer my husband was not on prescription drugs they later found that the blood in the drivers seat was not his. Ms. Carter believes her hus- band was threatened that he would be given 60 years and was thus rail- roaded into taking a plea deal. BOCN What support would you like to see from the community Ms. Carter stated that the support that is actually needed is not to be judged but to be strengthened and encouraged from other women who have gone through things like this. Ms. Carter is reaching out to other ladies in her predicament and she welcomes support and encourage- ment from other women who can contact her at her Church Bethsaida Temple Christian Center and 303 388-2304. Her Church has also provided them with housing or Ms. Carter and her children would be homeless. I can truly say that talk is cheap but my Pastor definitely stepped up and took the role of being the man of God Ms. Nicole Carter 6 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 African AmericansTheTrue Israelites SERMON Gather yourselves together yea gather together O nation not desired Zephaniah 21 Amongst the violence and confusion in major American cities today concerning racial and moral unrest there are Israelite voices proclaim- ing Truth to the so-called black people both here in America and around the world. These voices were heard recently at Denvers Jazz Festival held on the Five Points and members from Israel United in Christ IUIC were on hand to deliver this Truth. An unlikely place to find brothers teaching our history our role in current events and our future was just the likely time to hear the message of Truth and unity given to us by our Heavenly Father when He delivered us out of Egypt thousands of years ago. Fellow Denverite Officer Azma and Brother Simon Judah Bronx New York sat down with BOCN to discuss our heritage from the Scriptures and the imminent need for so-called black people - the true Israelites of the Scriptures to repent from our sins and return to our Heavenly Father and to His laws and commandments. Our mis- sion is to wake up our people the so-called Blacks Hispanics and Native Indians to let them know they are the true people of The Most High God according to the Bible according to the Scriptures stated Officer Azma. WHO ARE WE THE SO- CALLED BLACK AMERICANS One of the main ways that so-called Black Americans African Americans can know that the Bible speaks of them as the people who came out of Egypt is from the words of The Most High when he told Moses to warn us about the consequences of our disobedience to His laws and commandments. According to Deuteronomy Chapter 28 we fit these curses that are written in Deuteronomy. No other nation fits these curses pointed out Officer Azma. And just what are these curses Officer Azma cited a few THE CURSES ARE WHAT IDENTIFY US AS BEING THE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH NOT BEING RICH We are not set on high as The Most High intended us to be. Quoting Deuteronomy 281 Officer Azma point- ed out that the true people of The Most High were actually supposed to be set on high. We were supposed to be in the position that Esau is in in the ruler ship over all the nations. Verse 16 tells us that we will be cursed in the city and cursed in the field. We are being cursed in the city being shot down by police in front of the world and no one is doing anything not even us as a nation said Officer Azma. Were trying to get out there and teach so we can get out of this mindset of nig- gas and coons and Spics and thugs and pimps and hoes. We are cursed in the field because dur- ing slavery we would work 20 hours a day and only get rest for four. The animals got more rest than we did Dan 912 by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. Our children were given away in slavery and today are taken away by Social Services. Verse 32 says that our sons and daughters will be given to another people and we would look on and long for them. This happened to the black man during slavery and also to the Hispanics who went into slavery under the Conquistadores in 1492 before the black man went into slavery. Still today our children can be taken from us if we are reported to the authorities said Azma. We do not have our own businesses for sustain- ability. Verse 48 shows us that today we have to go to the white man when we are hungry and thirsty because we do not have our own grocery stores or our own garment factories. Were the only ones who have to go to people who hate us in order to sustain ourselves. We have to go to those who hate us for everything our toothpaste our driv- ers license our death certificate even to bury our mother. We have been scattered throughout the world just as the Bible said. How did we get scattered Deut 2864 We got scattered during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. A lot of people dont know that prior to the Transatlantic Slave Trade we were already being sold by the Arabs and then the Caucasians came in and created the Transatlantic Slave Trade to be their big money maker. We have been scat- tered among all the nations which means that all the nations have had a part in our slavery misery. And this is our fault this is why we serve other gods because the slave master beat these religions into us. If the slave master was Jehovah Witness then you were Jehovah Witness if he was a Baptist then you were a Baptist. But The Most High gave us commandments He did not give us a religion You cant have twenty religions off of one Bible when the Bible says that there is one faith and one God. Because of our disobedience we went into slav- ery again this time in ships to America. When we came to America in the slave ships this was our Egypt which means house of bond- age. Did we go back to Egypt as slaves No we went into bondage again but in ships stated Azma. Deut 2868 WE ARE NOT AFRICANS WE ARE ISRAELITES Gal 426 says But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all. the all is speaking of us Israelites Before it was called Africa it was called The Land of Ham but our homeland has always been Jerusalem. Africans know their history and which tribe they are from and they know we are not Africans because they know they sold us into slavery. Africans did not sell Africans Africans sold Israelites. Our people dont know their history My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 46 Officer Azma also went on to point out that the Zondervan Bible Dictionary entry for HAM states that he is the progenitor father of the dark races but not the Negro. Not the Negro because we have come from Shem - not Ham. We are not Africans It tells us clearly in Exodus 117 that ye may know that The Most High has put a difference between you and the Egyptian. First we were niggers then a slave then we were johns boy or johnsuh we were bobsuh colored then we were Negroes then African Americans then Afro-American. Our nationality changes every 20 years or so and this is purposeful deception to keep us ignorant of who we are. OUR HOMELAND IS JERUSALEM Officer Azma recalled a book that he found called U.S. Immigration and Migration and went on to show that this book itself stated that Africans rarely if ever traded slaves from among their own people the cultural tribes obtained slaves in wars with tribes located further inland He continued to explain why that the Africans looked further inland for slaves This is Gal 46 Jerusalem is our homeland - the land that they the false Jews are in is our land from when Titus came into Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Our people fled into Africa where the people looked like us. Therefore the Israelites could not have been white. Luke 2120-24. The Africans looked to the inland slaves Israelites to trade for more guns and ammunition and were able to use the guns to capture more slaves. The Africans did not sell themselves into slavery - A house divided cannot stand. Mark 325 The closest mountains Atlas Mountains to us in Jerusalem were in Africa Luke 2121 and the curses of Deuteronomy Chapter 28 would be fulfilled in Luke 2122 Notice it says And there shall be wrath upon this people. not every- body but this people meaning us so-called Black Americans. Making one last point to demonstrate that all the nations have had a hand in conspiring to keep the true Israelites ignorant of who we are Officer Azma had Psalm 83 read aloud to bring out the fact that all the nations were involved in consulting against the hidden ones which is us black people. And we will not be able to come back to The Most High on common ground until we embrace who we are and our God and His commandments. Psalm 83 specifically mentions the nations who conspired against us and had us in slavery to cause us to not know who we are and where we have come from they are the Edomites Europeans Ishmaelites Arabs Moabites Chinese Hagarenes Africans Ammon Japanese Amalek the Phillistines and the inhabitants of Tyre. All the nations have a hand in this and if you look in the black neigh- borhoods these same people are there ruling over us because if you can destroy a peoples sustain- ability they cannot be a nation. All those professing to know Christ but not fol- lowing His commandments are liars. By Abeechayil Shamal To demonstrate that all the nations have had a hand in conspiring to keep the true Israelites ignorant of who we are Officer Azma had Psalm 83 read aloud to bring out the fact that all the nations were involved in consulting against the hidden ones which is us black people. Abeechayil Shamal Continued on Page 12 7JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Bishop Brian Keith Williams can- didly spoke with Body of Christ News recently concerning the church shooting in South Carolina. Pastor of All Nations Church in Charlotte North Carolina he offered com- ments concern- ing racism and security in the churches and he had the courage to address and admit that part of the problem of ongoing racial tensions in America lies in the fact that pastors preachers and others address everything else except that black people continue to suffer under injustices unfairness and racist actions. This is also what he told us BOCN The recent church shooting in South Carolina - what does this mean and what has God laid on your heart about it The Bible says that when the sons of God came to worship Satan was in the midst so I believe this young man was possessed or demon con- trolled. I dont think he was crazy at all just crazy to do what he did but not mentally insane. I know that there is a fine line between trusting God to protect us and also realizing that we have to protect ourselves. So I think the Church has to rethink this whole security thing on a different level. The biggest issue is security on a practi- cal level and on a spiritual level since there are degrees of racism there is latent racism theres passive racism theres active racism and then theres institutionalized racism. I think a lot of the racism that still exists in America is latent and passive not necessarily active. When President Obama was elected a lot of this type of racism began to come forward. Also in recent years with black children being killed in the streets I just think there is a spirit we are fighting. For me Im not so much looking at the white man as much as Im looking at the spirits and principalities behind all this. Theres a lot more to it than what we see. BOCN So what should we do There are no clich answers. I think we should pray because there are no easy answers but one thing I do know is that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds meaning that we have to put on our spiritual weapons and the Church has to begin to model to the world not just integration but true reconciliation. A lot of black ministers always make it a thing of race and a lot of white ministers almost always ignore the racial compo- nent. As far as Im concerned neither one of them is right. There is definitely a racial component but its not always about race I think its deeper than that. The point I am making is that a lot of our white preachers and pastors are quick to denounce Obama quick to denounce so-called liberal policies the gay agenda and on and on and on but have absolutely nothing to say about what has been taking place in America as it relates to black people in the past 100 years. I think its inexcusable to cry out blasting Obama but not blast- ing the evils and injustices that are still taking place in our society against Black people. Deal With Monster Called Racism Pastor Ajala was born in Nigeria but he has been living in Denver for the past 21 years. He spoke out about the recent shooting in Charleston South Carolina with sincere grief and fairness. When I heard I was so sad and devas- tated that people can become so wicked and god- less that any- one can go to a church and per- petrate hate. The reason why Jesus Christ came is to show love - and then for someone to go to the House of God where love is to perpetrate hate is just unthinkable. However one should not be too worried about it because if people continually hide under the auspices of religion to perpetrate hate in the past and they continue to talk about it in the presence of their chil- dren the children will grow up think- ing they are doing God a favor. That boy did not just wake up and become a hate monger one night It is what he has been hearing amongst his people regardless whether it is black white or Hispanic. If we continue to put other people down in our homes we will grow monsters. That boy became a monster not overnight it is because of the value I can say very well 99 that he has been hearing from his family. I cannot believe any child 21 years old just suddenly becomes a rac- ist because if he had grown up in an atmosphere of love and prejudice was not there this would not have hap- pened. Now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of pull down the flag but where were they before Is this new We should stop lying to each other. We should just REPENT I talked to one of my white brothers and he said We white people should repent of lying enough of lying Lets face the fact. They have been avoiding it and this is the product of what theyre having. However Pastor Ade is not looking to blame people or to just keep the same ol rhetoric going. Balance is necessary here and he forthrightly stated that the problems in this racially hateful situ- ation go both ways. Therefore Blacks must also do their part to stave off racism. It goes both ways We in the Black community too must stop per- petrating anything in our homes that would generate or promote hatred in the minds of the kids that are grow- ing up. I feel it is a wakeup call for the Church and if truly we are following a God of love then we should talk about it in the home and make sure our children buy into that vibe of love and racial equality. When we begin to do that at our kitchen table in our homes and take interest in other people then our children will grow up to love other people. Pastor Ade went on to point out that most of his childrens friends are people of other races. This he insists is because in his home he promoted racial equality and that we are all equal in the sight of God. And Pastor Ade has not lost hope. He says But one good thing coming out of this is that people are beginning to realize that it is time for us to rise up and come together and deal with this monster called racism in our community. Pastor Ade Ajala Kingdom Connection Christian Center A Cowardly Act Iwas devastated said Pastor Larry Washington. I dont know if there were many people who cried after that incident but I literally shed tears. It hit very close to home for me because in my church we had just finished discussing how other churches are arming themselves and I dont think that is necessary for us but I do believe there are some churches that may find it necessary. Pastor Washington said further that he doesnt think there will be more church violence in the future but that there may be others who try and copy the recent Charleston shooting. but hopefully they will not go through with it he lamented. Pastor Washington called the Charleston shooting a cowardly act. Here is a man so cowardly that he would shoot down unarmed people but his cow- ardice extended that he said he was going to turn the gun on himself and take his own life which he never did do - showed me that he was more of a coward than his display of shooting unarmed people. Pastor Larry Washington Consolation Christian Church Black in America With everything that has gone on this past week we continue to deal with the issue of what it means to be Black in America and we have been wrestling with that question however people choose to frame it. So we have this ongoing mantra after police shootings after any death of a Black person were asking ourselves and telling ourselves that Black lives matter. With the recent incident of the NAACP person being let go in Washington D.C. we didnt even have time to deal with her affirmation of what our Blackness really means. When you juxtapose her affirmation of our Blackness with this young man who did the shooting in Charleston it is two sides of the same coin that we have to deal with as a people and as a community What does it mean to be Black in America What are the ramifications what are the pressures and the things we have to deal with as a people a culture and a society We have to deal with the issues of our blackness and the country has to deal with it. Pastor Reginald Holmes New Covenant Christian Church Alpha Omega Ministries Real Evils are Ongoing Injustice for Blacks CHURCH SHOOTING We Need to Get on Our Feet and Act It is indeed tragic this shooting in Charleston possibly racially motivated because racism is evil in itself. And not only that it seems to not only be about rac- ism but this man went into the House of God and after sitting for about one hour of Bible study an evil man rose up when their eyes were closed and they were praying to dismiss - he killed men and women in cold blood. This is evil. We are fast approaching the end of the age and it is imperative that men and women of God every Christian not only get on their knees and pray but we need to get on our feet and act. That is going to be essential that we treat every man with love and kindness. I read in a report that the man said he almost did not do it because of how kind and how gentle and how well they treated him. I think that is something to be said that every Christian man and woman should treat every man they see with kindness. My motto is this Be the kindest person that you know. Pastor Hosea Cannon Jr. Greater Faith Community Church Chaplain Denver Detention Center 8 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 Shooting Shows America Needs PrayerEnlightenment for Pastor Leonard I have learned over the last week how badly America needs prayer. Im reminded of the Scripture that says If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from our wicked ways I will hear from heaven then I will forgive their sin and heal their land so I am just reminded of how America is today and even the sin of racism that we see around our nation. The Church of Jesus Christ is the most seg- regated time of the week. Even Christians today tend to be prej- udice and they dont even real- ize it but its just simply not right that someone is judged by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character. Jesus is the Answer These were the words from long-time Pastor Dennis Leonard of Heritage Christian Center located in Aurora Colorado as told to the BOCN. He went on to explain that Im a white-skinned pastor so when I say this I know from reality that white America has no idea of the racism in America. The racial profiling of our Black folks or people of color is an astounding thing. One thing we do at Heritage Christian Center is that we have a saying Its not a black thing its not a white thing it its a Jesus thing. What we real- ly mean by that is that when we make Jesus the cen- ter of everything somehow the color issue seems to go away. But I do know that when a white cop pulls a gun on some teenage girls at a pool party theres something drastically wrong in our nation. When a person of color says You dont go to that white mans church do you its racism in itself. This problem is in our nation and we need to learn to deal with it. I do know that we have a spiritual enemy that Jesus called the devil and his plan is to divide and conquer. I believe the enemys plan is to divide the church. When we see a white racist young man walk into a predominantly black church in South Carolina when we see that it reminds me that we have a spiritual enemy that wants to steal kill and destroy and he will try to conquer us through that division. But we must stand together black and red and white and brown and yellow together and rally around the cross of Jesus Christ. Our actions determine our outcome Now pertaining to the murderer at Pastor Pinckneys Church it is no wonder to me that a young white boy grows up to be a racist murderer when the state of South Carolina flies a Confederate flag over its capital This young boy somehow was trained to be a racist and he grew up in a culture of racism and this needs to change in our nation. I know that Scripture tells us that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. I just discov- ered that the governor of South Carolina has pro- posed that they take the Confederate flag down in his state and I believe that something good will comes from this horrible event that has taken place. Pastor Pinckney a great man of God I never met Pastor Pinckney but I know he must have been a great man and he must have been a great pastor. The reason I can say that is because there was a hearing for this racist murderer and at that hearing the relative and friends at that hearing every one of them said I forgive you. There is only one way first of all that you can forgive some- body in that kind of a situation and that is if Jesus Christ is in the middle of it. Another thing I know is that Pastor Pinckney must have been a fantastic man and a fantastic pastor because even after he was gone his people said We forgive you. I forgive you. I think we must learn to forgive people when situations like this take place. In order for there to be healing I do know that we have to forgive. And I know that this young shooter does not deserve for- giveness but one thing I know is that God forgave each of us and we didnt deserve it and there are times that we have to forgive others as well. Refuse this unfairness called racism I do know this that if God is on my side Ive got enough to make it. If God be for me than who can be against me I applaud the people of South Carolina they have pulled together black and white in the last few days. Dr. King had a strategy to help people of color. He said We negotiate we demon- strate and we resist unfairness to raise conscious- ness. So when these kinds of situations take place we negotiate and we demonstrate but we also resist the unfairness to raise consciousness in our nation. What took place was so unfair so ungodly. But what God is doing though He is going to take this situation He is so good and He is going to take this situation in Charleston South Carolina and begin to pull the people together and begin to put a spotlight on this horrible situation and you watch how theres going to be a change in some of these southern states that have been so prejudice over the years. God has put a spotlight on it today and its time for real change in America but the change has to begin with the Church of Jesus Christ. America MUST change Pastor Leonard acknowledges that there have been some changes in America but believes this is not enough. When I was 16 years old it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry in our country especially in the state of Virginia it was on the books you could not marry. Black folks could not vote in the south. Weve come a long way and God is putting a spotlight on all the unfair issues today that facing. I believe God is saying Lets deal with this racism lets deal with these unfair issues. When was the last time you put your arms around someone that was a different color than you or gave someone a hug that was different from you Change has to begin with us. God is putting a spotlight on it today and saying Deal with your mess Deal with your issues Pastor Leonard reminded the community one more time If we will humble ourselves and pray I believe that God will help us. I believe that God will help our people of color. God says that its time for change in our nation and change begins today. God is With Us Iwent to God in prayer and asked what He thinks is the problem in America and God related that we are His people and are not praying and spiritually discerning those who are amongst us and starting not to believe the Scriptures and the power that we possess. We possess the power to stem racism because the Bible says greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world. We are the people of God and the devil has to obey the Word of God All we have to do is speak His Word and know that God is with us. God allows things to happen to bring us together. He is bringing us back to His covenants. We are not to fear what man can do to us. Perfect love casts out fear. Our Hope is not in this Place The Lord laid on my heart that as unfortunate as the Church shooting in South Carolina and all the other ones have been and historically what has happened to Black people our hope ultimately is still not in this place There is a lot of injustice that has happened but ultimately we are all leaving this place. Our preparation for being with The Father is what we really need to focus on as well as the natural aspects of racism and injustice. The Lord laid it on my heart relationship with Him and relationship in the community. We Need to Step Up Iknow a lot of us look at this shooting in several ways and yes there was some natural prejudice that was happening but when we look at the overall picture it went far beyond that. Were fighting a spiritual warfare and anytime the enemy can get that bold and come inside of our Church and kill - that should tell the Church that we need to step up God is not looking for all the excuses He is looking for us to become the oneness of Who He is. We as the people of God need to get back to the basics of praying we need to get back to witnessing and we need to get back to God. This is the only hope weve got We Have to be Ready It is a tragic thing that happened in our country in our nation but the thing that sticks in my mind is that we have to be ready to go whenever God calls us to go. These people that lost their lives were in the House of God no better place could they have been than in the House of the Lord. Our prayers and thoughts go out to that part of the country and to those families and to that pastor who gave up his life. One thing about it I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. So I say to their families they have gone to meet their Maker God bless you and heaven smile upon you. This is my prayer for the families. Bishop Clyde Nichols Pastor Redeeming Love Fellowship Church CHURCH SHOOTING Apostle Ralph Beechum Sr. Pastor House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church Pastor Kimball New Birth Baptist Church Pastor Terrence Hughes New Covenant Christian Church 9JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 2911 NKJV In light of the recent tragedy in Charleston SC I felt compelled to respond. Regardless of the sentiments of a few you and I still have been predestined to accomplish great things in our lives. There is evil in the world and some people seem bent on disturbing our peace as they relentlessly cling to racism and hate. I want to encourage you to know your past does not have to prevent you from receiving a promised future. The mere fact that you are able to read this is proof that God is trying to tell you something. In Jeremiah 2911 God says that He knows the thoughts that He has for you and I. They are thoughts of peace and not evil to give you a future and a hope. This affirma- tion assures us that God has a brighter outcome for our lives amidst all the darkness and uncertainty. To expect means to look forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of something Websters II New Riverside University Dictionary 1984 1988. The key word here is probable meaning apt to occur or to be true. Since our heav- enly Father declares that our future has a great outcome as His children we can rightfully embrace this truth walk in victorious freedom and eagerly anticipate a promised future. We really do have a Right to Expect Great Things no mat- ter where our present circumstances may find us. The mistakes we have made and the set-backs we may have encountered all can be conquered. We overcome armed with the knowledge that God still has the divine ability to turn it all around for our good. So when life hands you and I a bad break hand it back Be deter- mined to break despair discouragement and defeat Dont let despon- dency deny you the power to declare a dominant destiny. Galatians 69 reminds us to not to get discouraged and give up for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time The Book New Living Translation 1996. Remember Champions while things may not have panned out the way we planned it to be and events in life seem difficult or dark let us be confident and know that our Divine Creator has better and brighter plans conceived for us. These plans include goodness and peace to bring us in to an expected end of hope and promise. Strengthened with this revelation I boldly proclaim and you can too You Have a Right to Expect Great Things By Pastor Tommy L. Mitchell III Whatever the Devil Does We Know We Win Body of Christ News spoke to two long-time pastors and friends con- cerning the Power Packed Revival held for two nights on June 18th and 19th at Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus under the spiritual guidance of Pastor Paul and his wife Evangelist Dallas Burleson. Guest speaker was Bishop Herman Murray Sr. Pastor of Full Gospel Holy Temple in Dallas Texas. Body of Christ News asked them about thee recent church shooting. Bishop Murray stated that It was a tragedy to say the very leastI dont think anybody particularly in the reli- gious community was not affected by that on some level. This is an evil world we are living in and as long as there is evil in the world these things have a chance of happening. But our job as the people of God of course is to be the Light that God has called us to be. Our prayers and our thoughts go out to everybody thats been affected by this. It is NEVER an easy thing to hear he said sadly. Pastor Burleson supported these words and added but we know as Believers and being Gods creatures that whatever the devil does we know we win. We also want to pray for the trag- edy at Emmanuel AME Church and for the families and all of those who have been affected by it. Martin Luther King said Not only does one hungry man shame us all but where there is iniquity that abounds in one place it abounds everyplace. But we have to deal with it with the heart of Christ were praying for the perpetrator that God will save him and bring this tragedy to triumph. Bishop Murray also addressed the current group of pastors preachers and church members who say they are burned out from going to church. Thats religion and I know that being a pastor in these times we are living in can really frustrate you because for all your preaching and all your studying you know sometimes you just wonder Do they get it I think sometimes peo- ple feel like This is what the preacher does for fun. This is not what we do for fun this is what we do because God has called us to do it and the Bible says knowing the terror of the Lord we per- suade men. Both Bishop Murray and Pastor Burleson did not want to present this mes- sage to the community without encourag- ing the Body of Christ that concerning the church shooting in Charleston logi- cal and necessary security precautions must be taken. Security in the church is always a concern for anybody responsible for other people. You want to make sure other people are secure and able to wor- ship in a worry-free environment said Bishop Murray. We cannot simply wash the South Carolina shooting out of our minds but pastors and preachers must take every precaution necessary even as the people of God to ensure that the people who worship with us are safe. Pastor Burleson echoed this senti- ment adding that we need to be aware that these things are not just hap- pening and that during the 1900s after Reconstruction they burned down black churches. It has happened before reminded Pastor Burleson. Even Emmanuel AME burned down but we know our God is able to recon- struct and do what needs to be done. It also happened in the New Testament when Gods people were driven out and put in prison and those who did it thought they were doing Gods will So its germane to us but it doesnt mean it hasnt happened before. God is always bringing opportunities they said even through terrible situa- tions. Pastor Burleson said he is excit- ed about new possibilities even though the Bible says that times will wax worse and worse. Bishop Murray also said that these are exciting times and that He believes the Word of God no matter what. We are committed to the Great Commission to win souls for Christ and when you do Gods work Gods way you get Gods results every time In our church we have a thing we do called Knee-to-Knee Day. Church members do an acrostic of the word self. S is I surrender myself to God E is I empty myself to God L is I love God with my whole self and F is I fill myself with Yourself God that I can do your will this day. We begin our day with this prayer and we end our day with this prayer. I start on my knees and I end on my knees and God has given us the victory. God has already done it He has already worked it out. We Must Watch The shooting was a throwback to the 50s and 60s when the Black Church was under siege from the outside and even from the inside. I believe the Spirit of God is saying that we must watch in addition to praying. I dont believe that we should be carrying weapons to defend ourselves. I do believe that we are to be watchful and pray. I believe men need to come home and come back to the church because when men stand on the top of the fence top of the building and are watchmen then some things just wont happen and we need men to protect what God has given us. Not the Time for Fear The Lord laid on my spirit that it shooting is from the enemy because he wants to get the Body of Chirst fearfulfearful to worship fearful to have Bible study fearful to have choir rehearsal so the enemy can come into the Church and wreak havoc. But God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind and wherever there is the Spirit of the Lord there is liberty. We should not be afraid to wor- ship we need to be empowered and our hearts go out to the Church in South Carolina but God does not want us to stop inviting people to come and worship and embrace them and welcome them and trust Him for protection. An Attack from Satan Its the kind of attack that only comes from our one enemy Satan himself. Satan has always attacked the Church and his ultimate desire is to destroy mankind. What this young man meant for evil God turned it in for good and what he thought he was going to do in dividing the nation and divid- ing Blacks against Whites Jews against Gentiles and cause us to have an internal upsurge in our nation has drawn the nation together. When we become the Church militant and go into the enemys camp and take back what Satan has stolen from us then we become the Church triumphant. God is forcing us to do what Hes called us to do. What will we do now because of what he the shooter has done Bishop Acen Phillips Mt. Gilead Baptist Church Aurora This is Spiritual Warfare The enemy Satan is very busy and we know if we are paying attention that we are living in the last days. It is the remnants situation to see that the evil one would get into a young person 21 years of age and go into a sanctuary a place of worship and seek to destroy. These things show us and remind us of what Satan does. But the blessing is that God will always take care of His own and will take this opportunity in His own way and in His own time to turn it into good. The Church needs to stand up and recognizethis is spiritual warfare and that we as Christians know that we win in the end. Pastor John Tellis Sr. Pastor Solomon Temple Missionary Baptist Church CHURCH SHOOTING Pastor Battle A Right to Expect Great Things Pastor Frank Jones Gods Will Christian Fellowship CHAMPIONSHIP CORNER 10 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 Supporting each other for a stronger tomorrow. Take control NOW and Pre-Plan Today. Preplanning allows YOU to determine how your final arrangements will be carried out without putting the burden on your family. 303 872-7422 infopipkinbraswell.com 6601 East Colfax Avenue Denver Colorado 80220 Stylish Processions Reception FacilityOn-Site Chapel PipkinBraswell 11JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS 12 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 THEY ARE ALL LIARS This is why churches are losing members because according to the Scriptures they are liars. I John 23says And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. The Church does not teach people the commandments and this is the way that we are assured that we know The Most High said Officer Azma. Come out of the lies and follow The Most Highs com- mandments. WE DO NOT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS BUT IF WE DID WE COULD GET OUT OF OUR PRESENT MISERABLE AND SINFUL CONDITION. Officer Azma reminded us that Colossians 28 warns us Beware lest any man spoil corrupt you through philosophy lies and vain deceit after the tradition of men. the Christian church. The Most High never told you to be a Christian but even if you are Christian you should be following Christ Who was keeping the commandments Christianity is following after the world. We are looking to a nation to save us that hates us and therefore cannot and will not save us out of our curses and present condition away from The Most High WHY DO WE HAVE THE BIBLE IF WE ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS We have been given the Scriptures to keep the Commandments and to follow our laws. We keep the worldly laws but say it is impossible to keep The Most Highs laws. At IUIC we keep all 613 commandments except for the sacrificial laws which pertained to the temple all the holy days Sabbaths and subscribe to the commandment that the Israelites are to marry within the twelve tribes Deut 723 because mar- riages with the nations to whom we have been scat- tered will take us from following The Most High and this is exactly what we are doing today - following other customs and traditions. We do all the things the other nations want us to do but nothing that The Most High has told us to do. Some words of encouragement for brothers and sis- ters YOU CAN ONLY GAIN BY EMBRACING THIS TRUTH In Matt 1034 Christ says Think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword. Yet we are told lies when we are told that Christ came to bring peace we should know that we will have enemies in our very own household because of this Scriptural TRUTH. But this should not keep us from receiving Christ and returning back to The Most High for Christ taught us in Matt 1040 that He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. There is an order here. We are not coming out and bringing our own words. The Scripture says when we lose our life we gain it. So if you lose a brother because you believe this Truth you gain 25 more brothers in the Truth that think just like you do and are willing to help you with your business. Officer Azma heads up the Denver Branch of Israel United in Christ IUIC and is not affiliated with any other Israelite group. IUIC currently has 14 schools across the United States and their vision is to have a school in Denver with enough brothers to maintain it in order to grow in unity. For more information visit their website Israelunite.org where there are 3-4 classes taught daily. Officer Azma can be con- tacted at IUICdenvergmail.com Israelites ... continued from page 6 13JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS 14 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 15JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS 16 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 Church people called out from the world and to God the outcome being the Church the mys- tical body of Christ i.e. the universal total body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. Israel was Gods Church in the wildernessold economy called out of Egypt to be His represen- tative people. They were called the people of the book. They were the ONLY nation on the face of the earth who had a book of their God. God entrusted Israel with His Oracles Ten commands how to respond to God man Family rules and rules for the nation. Israel For thou art a Holy People unto the LORD thy God the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a Special People unto Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 76 Church But you are a chosen generation a royal priest- hood a Holy Nation His own Special People that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light 1 Peter 29 The Church like Israel has been chosen and given information Holy Spirit and understanding of the Scriptures that the world does not have and our assignment is to carry that LIGHT to the four corners of this planet. Christ said as long as I am in the world Im going to be LIGHT not wattage or lumens but rather the Information Source- Illumination - Enlightenment. Jesus real- ized that His earthly sojourned was temporary. Therefore after His ascension the responsibil- ity for LIGHT would fall to someone else the Church His Body on earth. I do believe in Re-Incarnation. Not like the Buddhist or Hindu yet I believe the New Testament Scriptures teaches Re-Incarnation. Re-Incarnation means the Rebirth of a Soul in a New Body. Philippians 25 Let this Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Romans 89 But ye are Not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.I Corinthians 620 For you were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit Which Are Gods. What happen on that Great Day of PentecostActs 21-4 When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were Filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. I Corinthians 1213 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into One Spirit. At Pentecost Jesus brought the Rebirth of His Life into His New Earthly Body the Church on the earth to carry-on the Kingdoms Work. Its not my intent to present a theo- logical study of hermeneutics yet I want to lay a solidproper foundation for the Churchs Role in the world. Church the Body of Christ has been commissioned to provide direc- tionguidanceinstructionLight to this Darken World. For years I have said that the Church ought to be the LIGHT of the world. But some years ago God corrected me He reminded me of Matthew 514-16 You ARE the LIGHT of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your LIGHT so shine before men that they may see your good works and Glorify your Father which is in heaven. The Church is the LIGHT of the world whether it shines or not. The instructions of Jesus is LET your Light shine. On July 20 2012 in Aurora Colorado at the midnight showing of a Batman movie twelve persons were killed and seventy were injured. Additionally on December 14 2012 that same year the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred in Newtown Connecticut when 20-year- old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. Those two events impacted me like none before you see I have a heart for the vulnerable and innocent. I then asked God what going on He brought to my mind the thought Had the Church been all that it should have BEEN DOING what it should have been DOING Some of these things MAYMIGHT Not Have Happen at all or been lessen in their severity. God was not saying that the Church can and will stop ALL the evils in the world but We MUST have some impact for GOOD. Maybe that was a message just for the local church that I have been called to SERVE. But I dont think so I was invited to be on a panel some months ago to discuss Sexuality. The question arose how involved should the Church be in this issue I believe the Lord said to me the Church should be involved in EVERY IssueAspect of our society. And in an AdvisoryInstructional Role I know in our constitution we have the language Separation of Church and State. Since the First Amendment clearly places the restrictions solely on the state some argue a more correct phrase would be the separation of state FROM church. Enough on that this is not a treatise on Civics American History. Christs Church was the host of the EMPROVING POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS Conference on May 30th of this year. The goal being To help participants understand how relations between the Community and Law Enforcement can be strengthened through Community Policing Strategies. I mentioned at the Conference the Church needs to have a Leadership Role in the Process. That Conference was but a First Step on the journey that God wants to take us. Of that I am Certain But Brother Pastor therere evil powersforces coming against the Church on all sides how can we make a positive impact on this world Jesus declared I WILL BUILD My Church and the Gates Powers of Hades will NOT OVERCOME IT Matthew 1618. John writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit You dear children are from God and Have Overcome Them because THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU is GREATER than the one who is in the world. I John 44 Jesus was speaking to a crowd of just ordinary folks. You are the LIGHT of the world. And today the Church is still that LIGHT of the world. Thats how God intends to get His WORK done on earth today through the Church the Body of Christ However the Church MUST remain Vigilant and on its Guard Be sober Be Vigilant because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion Seeking whom he may Devour. 1 Peter 58 The apostle Paul inspired of the Holy Spirit also instructs Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling brethren that not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. 1 Corinthians 125-29. I mentioned in a message recently If theres glorying in the Flesh WE ARE NOT IN HIS PRESENCE. We as the BODY of Christ MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER that ALL we do MUST be done for the Glory of Gods Christ. All things are lawful but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful but not all things build up. Let No One seek His Own Good but the good of his neighbor. whether you eat or drink or whatever you do DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD. I Corinthians 1023-33 The world doesnt understand. The world looks at Christians and thinks They dont count. The world doesnt know the reason the Apocalypse hasnt come upon it is because of the Church For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work but the One who now Holds it Back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. II Thessalonians 27 Whether the world knows it or not it NEEDS the Churchs influence to Survive Thrive. Whats The Role of the Church To be THE LIGHT of the World. To be the Information SourceResource on how to navigate through the perils of worldly life. Church Lets Get to Work THE KINGS BUSINESS REQUIRES HASTE Jehovah-Helech Olam - Lord King Forever Ps1016 The Role Of The Church In The World I was invited to be on a panel some months ago to discuss Sexuality. The question arose how involved should the Church be in this issue I believe the Lord said to me the Church should be involved in EVERY IssueAspect of our society. And in an AdvisoryInstructional Role Bishop Combs By Bishop Al R. Combs SERMON 17JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Stunned And Disappointed LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT LOCAL EVENT Cenece Dixon Ministries July 25th presents Absolutely Articulating Gods Vision for Your Life Topics Include Crafting Your Bio 30 Seconds to Greatness Making Your Vision Clear and Networking Success. Apostle Beatrice Bruno Education Director of Cenece Dixon Ministries. Lunch included Contact CeneceDixonMinistriesgmail.com or 7208089291 WalkRunLearn July 25th Saturday The Colorado Black Health Collaborative CBHC has registered a team for the Center for African American Health CAAH Destination Walk. Consider joining the team by registering at the following link become an active part of improv- ing the health well-being of the African-American community https raceroster.comevents20155361 destination-health-walkrunlearn Block Party Aug 1st 10a-1p 9th Annual Community Block Party. Free food clothing prayer tent door prizes Free hot dogs cotton candy popcorn games face painting inflatables dunk tank lots of fun Everyones welcome At Christs Church Apostolic Inc. 14007 E. 22nd pl. Aurora Block Party July 16 - 18th Afrikmall COs unique African cultural business center 3 day grand opening. Over 24 businesses a mix of startups and exit- ing businesses to operate at Afrikmall 10180 E. Colfax Ave Aurora Millions of God-Loving American citizens were stunned and disap- pointed to see their cherished White House used to promote what God calls wicked and evil. And guess what Ignorance of Gods Law is no excuse. One can say the same to those judges in the Supreme Court who apparently dont know those laws either. And I hate to correct you but I did hear you say its my House referring to the White House. That crown jewel belongs to we the people. We do not appreciate it the White House being used to promote abomination. Of course that is exactly what your staff did when they celebrated the High Courts decision on gay marriage by lighting up our house. They dis- graced us before the world but most important before our Creator God Almighty the Supreme Judge. That Supreme Judge left plenty of examples in the Holy Bible to keep future generations from making the same mistake and ending up being destroyed like Sodom Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim. Those cities nations incurred Gods wrath because of same-sex. In 2 Peter 26 you will find that these cities were made an example unto those that after should live ungodly. Now the USA has taken it even further by saying to same-sex partners you have the right to get married. Instead of listening to the Word of God you elected to come out in favor of moral perversion. We know from Gods Word that those who practice same-sex God will give them over to a reprobate mind. That after death means eternal dam- nation first in Hell and later the lake of fire forever and ever. So ask yourself why would a well-meaning and loving person want anyone to pursue such a life-style And you are promoting this life-style from our White House We need to correct a misconception God Loves Us and we who have been saved by Gods grace love Him and all mankind in the world. There is only one race the human race. However rejecting The Word of God which was made flesh in the person Jesus Christ our Savior will lead to Hell because by doing so one rejects Gods last chance to Mankind for forgiveness for our sins. The Holy Bible states For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 323. He is the way the truth and the life John 146 as he said. Manuel Y. Now the USA has taken it even further by saying to same-sex partners you have the right to get married. Instead of listening to the Word of God 18 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 19JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS We want your news Body of Christ News wants to hear about your calendar events announcements or conferences. Send your news to editorialbodyofchristnews.org or fax us at 303.344.4608. MCCOWANS CELEBRATE 65 YEARS Mr. and Mrs. Gussie Lee McCowan celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on March 21 with a reception with their family and friends. Mr. Gussie McCowan married the former Sarah Mae Williams on February 13 1944. Mr. McCowan has worked for the City of Athens and Brownsboro Independent School District. Mrs. McCowan is a loving devoted housewife and mother. Their children are Glory Thompson Deloris Robinson and Victor McCowan all of Tyler Paul McCowan and Jimmy McCowan both of Colorado Ronnie McCowan of Missouri and the late Theaudry and Isiah McCowan both of Dallas. They have 24 grandchildren 30 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. 20 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 So lets delve into the controversy surrounding Rachel Dolezal and the many questions it poses to clarify or not what is objective racial reality. Rachel Dolezal is the woman who recently resigned as the local Director of the Spokane Washington NAACP. According to a blitz of media reports Mrs. Dolezal claims that she is racially Black or African American and her parents who are White exposed her charade by clarifying that she is biologically White. Her par- ents claim that they have birth certificate records documenting that they are her biological parents and that she is ethnically Czech and German and there is no provable evidence of Black blood in her ancestry. Dolezal married an African-American man in 2000 and they divorced in 2005 she has one bi-racial son and one adopted African-American son in her imme- diate family. Dolezal has provided a number of televi- sion and print media interviews publicizing her claim that I am Black I identify with being Black I identify with being African-American The conflict that this issue poses is the whether people should have the right to self-identify whatever reality they deem individually appropriate politically expedient or financially beneficial If Dolezal can individually identify herself as Black even though she is objectively White the question becomes does reality matter anymore or is it up to the individual to determine what reality is for themselves Principally this is the same argument that has been debated about the homosexual community where people who are born objectively male or female are choosing to be something that physically they are not. The question here is whether we as individuals have the authority to determine for ourselves what reality is and whether that reality should be embraced as if it were true Scripturally when Adam and Eve decided to exer- cise their freedom and act independent of God in the Garden of Eden they also thought realities that didnt come from God. Thus But the Lord God called to the man Where are you 10He answered I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid. 11And He said Who told you that you were naked Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from Here Adam articu- lated a reality that did not come from God so He knew that they had exer- cised their freedom inappropriately and infringed upon Gods position of author- ity in the garden. Genesis 39-11 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God knowing good and evil Genesis 35. Once we choose to take control of the authority that belongs to God and determine for ourselves what is true and false right and wrong good and evil then our self-destruction becomes unavoidable. Its clear we believe in our own ability to calculate right from wrong but the truth is weve only managed to secure our own ending. This error in thinking has occurred since our beginning and the inclination to abuse our freedom is the formula for our undoing. There is no solution that will repair unreality and our Pharaoh-like commitment to bad ideas will only continue to frustrate us and intensify our suffering. At some point reality has to be defined objectively. As a Psychotherapist it is my job to help people find reality when theyve wondered beyond the boundar- ies. I am in the business of bringing people back to sanity and sanity is an objective reality that enables us human beings to function as we should. I do not get to define what the objective standard of being is but it is my obligation to know and discover what God has determined it to be. Truth is knowable and we are all obligated to practice it as a standard being in the world. Race unlike gender is a trickier con- cept because it is a man-made idea or social construct. To quote my Pastor Brandon Washington We can objec- tively prove gender just because some- one wants to be something that desire does not make them what they want to be. Gender with very few aberrations is objectively knowable. Race not so much Two Germans named Johann Blumenbach and H.S. Chamberlin creat- ed the concept of racial categories in the 16th century where they developed 5 categories Ethiopian Black Caucasian White Malayan Brown Asian Yellow and Indian Red. These categories have gross errors not the least of which is the fact that Anthropologists estimate there are over 12000 dif- ferent people groups on the planet. To reduce that number down to five is at best bad scholarship and at worst intentional deception. Whats more America is in an extremely small minority of countries who even take the idea of race seriously. Many countries dont even have language that would remotely equate to the word race in American English. I get it Black people do not like the above argu- ment because they believe that it undermines the subjective reality of race and invalidates the meaningfulness of our shared humanity. Not so. Black or African-American culture and ethnicity is a valid reality that can be quantified proven and vali- dated for the expressed purpose of shared human experiences arts language food dress collective consciousness spiritual biorhythms biological pat- terns etc. While race cannot be identified as a scientific reality it is a socio-political reality and especially in America. Dolezal and any other White person who wants to join that struggle are welcome However no matter how much Dolezal and Eminem identify with Black heritage that doesnt make them members or decedents of that heritage. It is possible however for one to be White and identify themselves as culturally Black. I have a good friend who is the same way with one exception- he likes NASCAR But if the shoe were reversed its a little harder to be Black and identify as culturally Jewish and then ask for holocaust reparations As far as it relates to Dolezal identifying herself as a Black person is an error that should have been resolved years ago unless of course she couldnt help but continue to enjoy those benefits. In 2002 Dolezal filed a lawsuit against Howard University alleging that the HBCU discriminated against her because she was White. Like a chameleon she changed to biological Whiteness when it benefitted her financially but when she sought admission to the school she was Black. What person who iden- tifies with the Black struggle would sue Howard University which is the Harvard of HBCUs claim- ing that it discriminates against white people Is this the evidence of her commitment to the Black community that shes been referring too I have a suggestion for her embrace your Whiteness After all she does have a son who is half White join a White organization and lead White people out of the vicious racism thats been displayed in the behavior of some Law Enforcement and Corrections authority and the vile mass murdering. White folks need some leadership too Heres the therapist in me your identity is not in your hair style the food you eat or the clothes you wear because all of that external matter can change. Your skin color is not your identity either because there are jet black parents who have blonde hair blue eyed and white skinned offspring. These folks are called albinos and thats only possible because all of humanity came from a Black woman named Lucy in Tanzania circa 3 million years ago but I digress. Our identity is defined by our highest poten- tial and that potential functions via consciousness and will which is our true identity. In other words were making a mistake by defining ourselves by that which limits us versus that which reflects our unlim- ited reality. Who told you that you were a race gay N-word B-word etc .. So Many Questions CURRENT AFFAIRS By Randy Craven LPC CAC III Randy Craven 21JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 1312 By now all of us have heard the shocking news from Charleston. Nine lives were terminated by a twenty-one year old white terrorist who purposely targeted a Pastor and his flock. Ironically he showed up on a Wednesday night. The very same Wednesday night our church had an emergency meeting about security concerns at our church. The innocent deaths of those at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston have highlighted a number of issues facing the Church. The very essence of the ministry and the question of what we are and who we are as believers in Christ are issues we are going to have to deal with. The devil seems to be forcing us to come face to face with what it means to be the church. But it should also be obvious to all of us that we are being equally challenged not just by this inci- dent but by the sustained incidents of violence by law enforcement and gangs inflicted upon our people. These repetitive incidents of violence are forcing us to deal with the question of what it means to be black in America. The incident in Charleston like Columbine Aurora and Sandy Hook forces us to ask the question What kind of nation are we There is no other nation on the face of the earth that continually suffers these kinds of tragic gun mur- ders like this country does. In this country people worship guns more than they worship God. We need to fix that. So we have got to ask ourselves What is the message we need to take away from the incident in Charleston What do we really need to talk about and where do we need to begin the conversation I think there can only be one place to start the con- versation. Let me ask you this Did your parents ever give you THE talk Do you remember if you ever had THAT talk with your mother or father I am not talk- ing about the Birds and the Bees. But have you ever had the one about stranger danger The one that says Dont talk to strangers. Dont trust the stranger. Beware of the stranger. Have you ever had the conversation about stranger danger The incident in Charleston was very much about stranger danger. The only problem with the strange danger conversation is that we can never stereotype the stranger. The stranger can come from anywhere. The stranger may or may not look like you. It is hard to put any one face on the stranger. It was said that the young man went to bible study and sat for an hour in the class. He confessed after the shooting that he was impressed by how nice the people were to him. Some people I am sure were ready to welcome him to the family. I imagine some- body could have said to him what we say all the time You visit the first time you come but after that you are family. Reports are that he said before killing them They were so nice to me I actually regretted having to kill them. The question has been repeatedly asked How could he come and sit in on the class and no one knew he was up to something But that is an easy question to ask after the fact. That is what armchair quarterbacks do. Before I deal with that question just let me remind you of who we are. I am talking about the Church in general and the Black Church in particular. We are a people called to do the most radical form of loving known to humanity. No one is really called to be as loving and as accepting of folk as Christians are. We are called to not just love our friends but also our enemies. We have been called not to just care for those we know but we have been called to entertain strangers. Entertaining or caring for strangers and being accepting of people who differ from you are commands common in both the Jewish scriptures and the Christian bible. God is serious about us ministering to strangers And I believe that is because God knows that bigotry and hatred only grow when people keep themselves apart. If I remain a stranger to you you can never know me. You cannot respect me. You cannot really love me if I am a stranger to you. God commanded Israel to love the stranger because you too were strangers in Egypt Deut 1019. Among us there are always strangers. And you know the definition of a stranger dont you It is something or somebody that is strange And when you think about it we all can be strangers to each other. We do not all look alike. We do not all talk alike or think alike or act alike or eat alike or dress alike or live alike or love alike In the world we have to deal with this stranger thing And to you some people might seem strange but those are the very people God has assigned us to minister to. And you know why People may be strangers to us but they are never strangers to God. With God no one is a stranger God knows and God loves everybody And if you are a child of God your mission is to eliminate in your life as many strangers as you can It would be easy to become overly paranoid about entertaining strangers with all that has happened. The church has been commanded and commissioned to reach out and receive strangers but the church has to accept the fact that in doing our work we do face stranger danger. And the dilemma we face in dealing with the stranger is we must decide to either make disciples or be paralyzed by the danger of the mission. Either we welcome or we become wary. The ministry of Christ is risky business. Entertaining strangers could become downright dangerous. We do not always know who is joining the church. We did not know who you were and you did not know who we were when you joined. We took a chance on each other. We did not know where you came from. We did not know if you had a gun. We did not know if you cussed. We did not know if you went off on people. We did not know what kind of medication you were on or if you were even taking it. We just let you in We face stranger danger whenever new people show up And new people face stranger danger also joining some of our churches Everybody in here was strange to the rest of us at one time. And if the truth be told some of us are still strange We do not talk to people. We think everybody is out to get us and all people want to do is talk about us. We come to church and go home. We do not work in the church. We do not really know the people in church. We do not socialize. We are in church but we are strangers We face stranger danger because we do not know each other. The young man said that he could not believe how the people treated him. He did not know black church folk and he therefore out of igno- rance thought they were going to treat him like he was going to treat them. Stranger danger happens because we simply fear each other and we fear each other because we do not know each other But the question was asked How could he sit there for one hour and no one discerned his motive It has a lot to do with our accepting the stranger in the church. We in the church do not think the worst of people but we think the best of people. We do not think there are people intent on doing us harm. We do not think that a person would intentionally come to Gods house to do us harm. We are not into metal detectors and full body searches when people come to church. We want people to feel welcomed and relaxed when they come. We are not thinking folk have guns. We are not suspicious of strangers. After all are not they coming to get more Christ in their life The incident in Charleston will challenge us. The truth of the matter is the devil has always known how to use the ministry against us. What you mean Pastor Holmes The very things we have been called to do by God the devil will use those things to bring confusion. Giving and supporting are universal principles that all believers in God should never struggle with. God has colored our relationship with Him with love and has made his abiding attribute to us his giving. Yet we have more confusion in the church around giving and loving than we do any other principles of our faith The devil does the same thing with this stranger business. He wants to bring confusion and make us suspicious and skeptical of each other. Watch everybody who comes in the Church Get scared and uptight so much so that you screen people and take them through changes before they come into the church Stop helping peo- ple Keep the doors locked Make the church a club only opened and available to your kind and your color Lets turn in on ourselves and trust no one especially the stranger That is what the devil wants. But that is not what the Lord has called us to do. God says enter- tain the stranger because in doing so you have entertained angels unaware. This incident can narrow the church or it can open us up to strangers as never before. Let me share quickly a few things we must do to face the challenge of this inci- dent. The reason we must not allow this incident to change us is because no matter the danger in the stranger the reward is worth the risk. Saving a soul is worth even losing yours Paul said the reason you keep helping folk is because the possibility of minis- tering to an angel is worth the risk. That is why we ought to be witnesses. We do not know who people are or what they are about until we entertain them encounter them or engage them. And if you are going to entertain encounter and engage strangers you must be in their presence. You have to get close. In life with every relationship you are going to have to take some risks. There is no relationship to be had without risks. You want to love someone You have to take the risk. You have to get close. You have to risk getting it and a part of the risk of getting it is you may get hurt The alternative though is to do nothing. If you do not want to risk getting hurt if you do not want to risk possibly encountering a devil then do nothing. You will never encounter a devil and you will never get hurt if you do nothing. But in the kingdom you have to take some risks. When you are helping people getting hurt is always a risk When the young man came into the church I imag- ine folk were genuinely glad to see him. They may have even been excited that he was in bible study trying to get right with God. No one searched him. Why should they Hes maybe coming to join some thought. The reward was far greater than the risk. And that is what drives us and sometimes gets us more focused on soul-winning success than on our own physical security. Choosing or discerning between angels and dev- ils is not always an easy thing for those of us in the church It was not always easy for Jesus. Even Jesus had issues with folk in the ministry who were not what they showed themselves to be. Jesus had his Judas but I believe Jesus kept him around for a reason. Sometimes the hope for change in people and the reward of reaching out are worth the risk of somebody doing something mean and evil to hurt you That is life and that is true with every relation- ship. The reward is far greater and worth the risk There is stranger danger. We said reward is worth the risk but lastly if you want to deal with strangers in ministry and in your life be prepared to be fooled. Understand this The devils deception is as powerful as the disciples discernment. Deception can cancel and conceal discernment. Jesus said For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders in such a manner that they shall deceive if possible the very elect Matt. 2424. The devils deception is as powerful as the disciples discernment. That is what Paul meant when he said to the church in Corinth And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then if his servants also Reginald C. Holmes Stranger Danger COMMUNITY By Pastor Reginald Holmes Continued on BOCNEWS.com 22 BOCNEWS.COMJULY 2015 23JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS