Pass-The_ Ball...: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A Prayer for the New Year

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ,

Be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide,
And our Comforter.
Be our Strength, our Courage,
And our Sanctifier.
May this new year be a time
Of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming
Your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely
And unconditionally,
A time for growing
In virtue and goodness.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always.
Amen.

GOD IS ALL YOU NEED

Let spirituality
be your new years resolution
may God bless you .We wish you the happiest of years
God is all you need to succeed.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

17 Reasons to Love Christmas in the Country - Cozy Country Christmas Photos - Country Living

Pumpkin-Cranberry Cake Doughnuts Recipe | Taste of Home

Carolina Christmas

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Living Christmas throughout the year - Connecticut Post

The Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus

The 'True' Story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

All I Want for Christmas Is Uncertainty - Cindy Brandt | God's Politics Blog | Sojourners

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Many Ways to Encourage | Men of Integrity

The Story of Christmas is Love - Rev. M.D. rogers

For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (The Living Bible).
Jesus was the promise of light to a dark and despairing world. In today's world of darkness and despair this same light gives comfort and peace to those who seek Him.
Even though our nation appears to be on the brink of disaster, the believing Christian knows God has everything under control.
Fear gripped the shepherds in the fields when they first saw the angel who came to them to announce the birth of the Christchild. But the angel reassured them by saying, "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, the savior — yes the Messiah, the Lord — has been born tonight in Bethlehem."
The shepherds rejoiced with the multitudes of heavenly hosts who had gathered around and followed the star to Bethlehem to see for themselves the great thing that had happened. They returned, praising God, because they had seen the child. Christians today who have met Christ, rejoice and try to do His will — to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves.
The story of Christmas is love ... God's love for mankind. At no other time of the year is love expressed so much as at Christmas. Families are reunited, old wounds are healed, and ruffled dispositions are smoothed with the sounds of Merry Christmas.
This Christmas ... "in faith, hope and love abide; but the greatest of these is love."

Friday, December 12, 2014

Adirondack Life Blog Archive The Giving Tree » Adirondack Life

Monday, December 8, 2014

Sophisticated Modus Operandi of Exploitative, Oppressive American Traditions | Black Men In America

Friday, December 5, 2014

This Website Is Like A Guidance Counselor on Steroids | Fast Company | business + innovation

Let Your House Be Filled- by Rev. M.D. Rogers

Let Your House Be Filled With The Sound And Wind Of The Lord

Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and
one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. (Acts 2:1-4).

The Lord God fulfilled His promise in Joel 2:28, 29 on the day of
Pentecost. Here we see the people were in one accord; a sound from
heaven; a mighty wind and filled the whole house. The house of God is
also called as temple of God and Church of God , but all denotes that
God the Father, Son Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit dwells in them.

Bible says house of God as individuals, family and Church; and God wants
to fill these places of His dwelling with His presence. One accord can
be simply defined as the first commandment of our Lord (Jesus said to
him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37). An individual or a
family or a Church with Jesus Christ in their mind, heart, soul and body
is in one accord.

Sound from heaven is the word that proceeds from the mouth of God ie the
word of God. (Revelations 1:15, Psalms 29, Ezekiel 43:2). The mighty
wind is the mighty Holy Spirit (Psalms 18:10, Hosea 13:15). The Lord God
desires to fill each and every one of us, our family and our Church with
the sound and wind of the Lord (His Word and Holy Spirit).

We as individuals are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Bible
commands every individual to love the God, meditate the word of God with
all their heart, mind and soul while walking, sitting etc. (You shall
love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your strength. "And these words which I command you today shall be
in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
Deuteronomy 6:5-8).

A person can sit and read Bible with his mind and heart wondering
somewhere. A person can sit in a prayer with his thoughts somewhere
else. Also a person can be in a place of worship thinking about worldly
things. But for the Lord to fill each one of us with His word and Holy
Spirit, our Lord wants us to be in one accord. Yes, our mind, body and
soul should be in one accord thinking about Jesus Christ. Our thoughts
should be filled with Jesus Christ, our desire should be for Jesus
Christ, our body as living sacrifice for Jesus Christ and our soul
filled with the desire of our creator Jesus Christ.

Yes, if we are in one accord in our mind, soul and body with Jesus
Christ, our Lord will revel Himself and fill us with the sound and wind
of the Lord.

Worshipping, serving, obeying the commandments and having a fellowship
with the Lord as a family is the purpose of God even from the beginning
of creation of man (Genesis 1, 2). The Lord God desires to bless and
build each family with the power of His word and the power of His Holy
Spirit. In 2 Samuel 7:11, God promised David, He will make him a house
ie a spiritual house in God for the glory of the Lord.

Jesus Christ says where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in
their midst. (Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth
concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father
in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am
there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:19,20).

A house is the place where a husband, his wife and his children dwell
with Jesus Christ as the head. Family prayer is the time a family
gathers in worshipping the Lord together with songs of praise,
meditating the word of God and praying to the Lord. Here also everyone
can be together with each of them thinking about the office work or
family issues etc.

But the Lord desires all the members of the family to gather in one
accord having Jesus Christ in their mind, soul and body; worship the
Lord with songs of praise; meditate the word of God and pray unto the
Lord and experience the day of Pentecost each day.

The Church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:23, 5:23, Colossians 1:24)
and the Lord wants His Church to be filled with His Word and Holy
Spirit. A church gathering has only one purpose, to worship, to glorify
and exalt the name of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the will of the
Lord. Each member of the Church has to gather in one accord with Lord
Jesus Christ in mind, soul and body.

People can physically be present inside a Church, but with their minds
and heart wandering. But the Lords desire for every Church gathering is
to be in one accord in Jesus Christ to receive His blessing and be
filled with the sound and wind of the Lord.

My dear ones in Christ let us gather ourselves individually, as a family
and as a Church with one accord in Jesus Christ and be filled with the
sound and wind of the Lord. Let our thoughts be filled with Jesus
Christ, let our minds be filled with Jesus Christ, let our talk be
filled with glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ, let our body be a living
sacrifice to our Lord Jesus Christ, let our mouth be filled with songs
of praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let the sound and wind of the Lord
dwell richly in the house of God in power, truth and spirit as in the
day of Pentecost in Jesus Christ name, Amen. The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were
called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

Thursday, December 4, 2014

4 Ways the SAT Is Culturally Biased Against Black Students - Atlanta Blackstar

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Christmas Faith: The Miracle of Christmas - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Faith & Values

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Nirvana Ministries

Dr. William G. Rogers III

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Amy Berg and Nate Patrick Plan "Black Male Crisis" Documentary - BCNN1 – Black Christian News Network

The Empty Chair at Thanksgiving | Next Avenue

David Shribman: Who do we thank for Thanksgiving? | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In the midst of our overflowing tables, hunger remains a hidden problem | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Orlando Magic, Salvation Army serve Thanksgiving meals to poor - Orlando Sentinel

Thanks for America’s enduring freedom - Holly Springs South Reporter

We Give Thanks

We Give Thanks-
Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ,
Our Heavenly Father

Thanksgiving 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Pilgrims' Religion Inspired Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

If I Teach My Son..

Ferguson What Now..

You are bothered by the fact that people suffer undeservedly. As you should be. Any person with an ounce of moral sensitivity is outraged by the injustices of our world. But what if we found the answer? What if someone came along and gave us a satisfying explanation? What if the mystery were finally solved? What if we asked why, and actually got an answer? Would that make the pain of injudtice any less? I dont think so ,someday we’ll see with clarity, but for now things are foggy. We can’t understand everything from our finite perspective. And frankly, the people suffering from the Ferguson, Missouri decision don’t need a big theological treatise right now; any intellectual response is going to seem trite and inadequate. What they desperately need now is the very real and comforting presence of Christ. Take your righteous anger and turn it into a force for doing good. Redirect your frustration with injustice and unfairness and channel it into a drive to fight injustice and unfairness. Let your outrage propel you into action.

Monday, November 24, 2014

May Your Thanksgiving ...

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
~Grandpa Jones

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Sabbath- Rev. M.D. Rogers

The Sabbath was to be a sign between God and his people forever. In this manner was it to be a sign--all who should observe the Sabbath signified by such observance that they were worshipers of the living God, the Creator of the Heavens and the earth. The Sabbath was to be a sign between God and his people as long as he should have a people upon the earth to serve him. {3SG 267.1}
"And the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven." The majestic presence of God at Sinai, and the commotions in the earth occasioned by his presence, the fearful thundering and lightnings which accompanied this visitation of God, so impressed the minds of the people with fear and reverence to his sacred majesty, that they instinctively drew back from the awful presence of God, lest they should not be able to endure his terrible glory. {3SG 267.2}

3SG 267

     "Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. {SR 141.1}
     "Thou shalt not kill. {SR 141.2}
     "Thou shalt not commit adultery. {SR 141.3}
     "Thou shalt not steal. {SR 141.4}
     "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. {SR 141.5}
     "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's." {SR 141.6}
     The first and second commandments spoken by Jehovah are precepts against idolatry; for idolatry, if practiced, would lead men to great lengths in sin and rebellion, and result in the offering of human sacrifices. God would guard against the least approach to such abominations. The first four commandments were given to show men their duty to God. The fourth is the connecting link between the great God and man. The Sabbath, especially, was given for the benefit of man and for the honor of God. The last six precepts show the duty of man to his fellow man. {SR 141.7}
     The Sabbath was to be a sign between God and His people forever. In this manner was it to be a sign--all who should observe the Sabbath, signified by such observance that they were worshipers of the living God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. The Sabbath was to be a sign between God and His people as long as He should have a people upon the earth to serve Him. {SR 141.8}

SR 141

That institution which points to God as the Creator is a sign of His rightful authority over the beings He has made. The change of the Sabbath is the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Romish Church. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false in place of the true Sabbath, are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. {SR 383.1}

A Solemn Message

     The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is contained in the third angel's message. That must be a terrible sin which calls down the wrath of God unmingled with mercy. Men are not to be left in darkness concerning this important matter; the warning against this sin is to be given to the world before the visitation of God's judgments, that all may know why they are to be inflicted, and have opportunity to escape them. {SR 383.2}
     In the issue of the great contest, two distinct, opposite classes are developed. One class "worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark," and thus bring upon themselves the awful judgments threatened by the third angel. The other class, in marked contrast to the world, "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:9, 12. {SR 383.3}
     Such were the momentous truths that opened before those who received the third angel's message. As they reviewed their experience from the first proclamation of the second advent to the passing of the time in 1844, they saw their disappointment explained, and hope and joy again animated their hearts. Light from the sanctuary illuminated the past, the present,
384
and the future, and they knew that God had led them by His unerring providence. Now with new courage and firmer faith, they joined in giving the warning of the third angel. Since 1844, in fulfillment of the prophecy of the third angel's message, the attention of the world has been called to the true Sabbath, and a constantly increasing number are returning to the observance of God's holy day. {SR 383.4}

SR 383

We need to guard against the first deviation from righteousness; for one transgression, one neglect to manifest the spirit of Christ, opens the way for another and still another, until the mind is overmastered by the principles of the enemy. If cultivated, the spirit of selfishness becomes a devouring passion which nothing but the power of Christ can subdue. {6T 265.1}

The Message of Isaiah Fifty-Eight

I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, all who are true missionaries, all who believe the third angel's message, all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, to consider the message of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter is the work that God requires His people to do at this time. It is a work of His own appointment. We are not left in doubt as to where the message applies, and the time of its marked fulfillment, for we read: "They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Verse 12. God's memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath, the sign of His work in creating the world, has been displaced by the man of sin. God's people have a special work to do in repairing the breach that has been made in His law; and the nearer we approach the end, the more urgent this work becomes. All who love God will show that they bear His sign by keeping His commandments. They are the restorers of paths to dwell in. The Lord says: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight,
. . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth." Verses 13, 14. Thus genuine medical missionary work is bound up inseparably with the keeping of God's commandments, of which the Sabbath is especially mentioned, since it is the great memorial of God's creative work. Its observance is bound up with the work of restoring the moral image of God in man. This is the ministry which God's people are to carry forward at this time. This ministry, rightly performed, will bring rich blessings to the church. {6T 265.2}

6T 265

The Observance of the Sabbath

     Great blessings are enfolded in the observance of the Sabbath, and God desires that the Sabbath day shall be to us a day of joy. There was joy at the institution of the Sabbath. God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All things that He had made He pronounced "very good." Genesis 1:31. Heaven and earth were filled with rejoicing. "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. Though sin has entered the world to mar His perfect work, God still gives to us the Sabbath as a witness that One omnipotent, infinite in goodness and mercy, created all things. Our heavenly Father desires through the observance of the Sabbath to preserve among men a knowledge of Himself. He desires that the Sabbath shall direct our minds to Him as the true and living God, and that through knowing Him we may have life and peace. {6T 349.1}
     When the Lord delivered His people Israel from Egypt and committed to them His law, He taught them that by the observance of the Sabbath they were to be distinguished from idolaters. It was this that made the distinction between those who acknowledge the sovereignty of God and those who refuse to accept Him as their Creator and King. "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever," the Lord said. "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant." Exodus 31:17, 16. {6T 349.2}
     As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God's people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. {6T 349.3}
     From the pillar of cloud Christ declared concerning the Sabbath: "Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Exodus 31:13. The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience. {6T 350.1}
     To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given "for a perpetual covenant." To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God's government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise. {6T 350.2}
     The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those who obey this commandment take upon themselves His name, and all the blessings it involves are theirs. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying unto them,
"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel;
And I will bless them." Numbers 6:22-27. {6T 350.3}
6T 349-50

     In establishing new churches, ministers should give careful instruction as to the proper observance of the Sabbath. We must be guarded, lest the lax practices that prevail among Sundaykeepers shall be followed by those who profess to observe God's holy rest day. The line of demarcation is to be made clear and distinct between those who bear the mark of God's kingdom and those who bear the sign of the kingdom of rebellion. {6T 353.1}
     Far more sacredness is attached to the Sabbath than is given it by many professed Sabbathkeepers. The Lord has been greatly dishonored by those who have not kept the Sabbath according to the commandment, either in the letter or in the spirit. He calls for a reform in the observance of the Sabbath. {6T 353.2}

         Preparation for the Sabbath

     At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said: "Remember." He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He said: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8. {6T 353.3}
     All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. We are not merely to observe the Sabbath as a legal matter. We are to understand its spiritual bearing upon all the transactions of life. All who regard the Sabbath as a sign between them and God, showing that He is the God who sanctifies them, will represent the principles of His government. They will bring into daily practice the laws of His kingdom. Daily it will be their prayer that the sanctification of the Sabbath may rest upon them. Every day they will have
                                                                           354
the companionship of Christ and will exemplify the perfection of His character. Every day their light will shine forth to others in good works. {6T 353.4}

6T 353

     The preaching at our Sabbath meetings should generally be short. Opportunity should be given for those who love God to express their gratitude and adoration. {6T 361.1}
     When the church is without a minister, someone should be appointed as leader of the meeting. But it is not necessary for him to preach a sermon or to occupy a large part of the time of service. A short, interesting Bible reading will often be of greater benefit than a sermon. And this can be followed by a meeting for prayer and testimony. {6T 361.2}
     Those who occupy a leading position in the church should not exhaust their physical and mental strength through the week so that on the Sabbath they are unable to bring the vivifying influence of the gospel of Christ into the meeting. Do less temporal, everyday labor, but do not rob God by giving Him, on the Sabbath, service which He cannot accept. You should not be as men who have no spiritual life. The people need your help on the Sabbath. Give them food from the word. Bring your choicest gifts to God on His holy day. Let the precious life of the soul be given to Him in consecrated service. {6T 361.3}
     Let none come to the place of worship to take a nap. There should be no sleeping in the house of God. You do not fall asleep when engaged in your temporal business, because you have an interest in your work. Shall we allow the service which involves eternal interests to be placed on a lower level than the temporal affairs of life? {6T 361.4}
     When we do this we miss the blessing which the Lord designs us to have. The Sabbath is not to be a day of useless idleness. Both in the home and in the church a spirit of service is to be manifested. He who gave us six days for our temporal work has blessed and sanctified the seventh day and set it apart for Himself. On this day He will in a special manner bless all who consecrate themselves to His service. {6T 361.5}
6T 361

Justice … not ‘Just Us’ - Rev. Dr. Guy Nave | God's Politics Blog | Sojourners

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Practice makes Perfect..

Why is it that engagement with the higher, the sacred, the spiritual, requires practice? Call it what you will, there is something within us that blocks us from direct apprehension of the divine. We practice to allow this something to find its proper place, to make room within us for the sacred, and also to remember to go beyond apprehension to living the truth but practicing the truth

The Power of Giving Up | Tracy Cochran

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

And all that Jazz..

Instagram Takeover: Phyllis B. Dooney Examines Stereotypes of Black Fatherhood in Brooklyn | American Photo

'That Doesn't Mean It Doesn't Sting Any Less' | Questlove

For HBCUs, the Proof Is in the Productivity | Jarrett L. Carter

5 Life Skills to Teach Black Boys: A Parent's Addendum to the Common Core | Valerie Wilson

Monday, November 17, 2014

Crack, The CIA And Black America's Drug Crisis

Saturday, November 15, 2014

THE PLAN..M.D.ROGERS

My new plan wasn’t perfect, but, all the same, it was doomed to success. It included the most important element that leads to success: an idea. And this idea even had a name.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Class Inaction | The Saturday Evening Post

The Last Laugh :: Comedy :: Features :: Paste

Making Classroom Learning Work for More Students - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Boys and Girls High School has new principal | New York Amsterdam News: The new Black view

The Power of Stillness | The Michigan Chronicle

How to pick the best school for your child – The Westside Gazette

Daddy Diary – 6 Ways to Bond With Your Baby During the First 6 Months « The Gentlemen's Standard

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The Lord hath made Room for Us-Rev.M.D.Rogers

Isaac was a man of faith as Hebrews 11:20 tells us, though there was not the same energy of faith that marked Abraham his father. When famine came to Canaan, Isaac went to the land of the Philistines, and the Lord appeared to him, forbidding him to go down to Egypt. In Gerar he sowed and his harvest from the Lord was great, and his prosperity aroused the envy of the Philistines. Departing from the city, Isaac pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar and digged again the wells his father had digged before him, but the men of that place strove with him, and he left the well he had digged. It was the same at Sitnah; but at Rehoboth there was no striving, and Isaac said, "The Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land".
When Isaac came to Beer-sheba, the Lord appeared again to him, telling him not to fear, and renewing to him the promise made to his father Abraham of blessing and increase (Gen. 26:24). It was then that Isaac built his altar, and called on the Name of the Lord. Among the Philistines he had the protection of the Lord and increase of his worldly goods, but he had no altar there, for communion with God must be in the path of separation and pilgrimage to which he had been called as the son of his father Abraham. We can only properly call on the Name of the Lord as walking in the path of His will.
Abraham had already called the name of that place Beer-sheba, because of the oath between himself and Abimelech, whose servants had violently taken away a well of water from him; but the name is given afresh when Abimelech comes from Gerar to make a covenant with Isaac because he saw that the Lord was With him (Gen. 21:32; Gen. 26:33).
Jacob's Altars
While Jacob was still with Laban, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "I am the God of Beth-el . . . arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred" (Gen. 31:13). Answering to the divine call, Jacob set off for the land of promise, but he had many experiences on the way. Laban came after him, but God spoke to Laban before he came up with Jacob, warning him to be careful of what he said to Jacob. The angels of God met Jacob, and God Himself came to him before he met Esau his brother. On leaving Esau, he came to Shechem, and there pitched his tent, and bought a field.

At Shechem Jacob evidently intended to stay, for having purchased his field he built an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel (Gen. 33:20), which means, God, the God of Israel. Jacob's intentions were good, but it seems clear that he had not fully entered into the mind of God. It was Bethel that God had spoken to him of while still in Padan-aram, for had He not said, "I am the God of Bethel"?
The sad story of Genesis 34 is a warning to us of the sorrows that can come through coming short of the purpose of God for us as His saints. God allowed his dear servant to pass through his trials and testings that we might learn from His ways with him. Having allowed Jacob to learn the lessons of Shechem, "God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother" (Gen. 35:1). At once Jacob realises afresh that he has to do with a holy God, for he says to his household, "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments".
Although Jacob had his altar at Shechem, there had been the allowance of much that the God of Bethel could not allow to proceed, and this surely accounts for the solemn and sad discipline that came on the house of Jacob. There was the outward appearance of communion with God in the altar of El-elohe-Israel, but the God of Israel could not tolerate the idolatry that was evidently in the house of Jacob, and known to him. God had allowed shame and dishonour to enter the house of Jacob, and his sons had sought to deal with it in a fleshly way, only to bring fear on Jacob. God has to intervene to tell his servant the way to separation from evil and to divine blessing.
All that was dishonouring to God having been put away, hidden by Jacob under the oak by Shechem, the patriarch and his household go up to Bethel, as God had commanded. God put His terror on the cities surrounding Shechem, so that Jacob and his house were not molested by those who would have done him harm. Coming to Bethel, Jacob built the altar for which God had asked, and he called the place El-beth-el, which means, God of the House of God. The patriarch had now entered into God's purpose for him, that which he had spoken of so long before, when, fleeing from the anger of his brother, he had vowed, "If God will be with me . . . so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house" (Gen. 28:20-22). How good it is when the soul enters into God's purpose and acts in accordance with it.

Spotlight on Using Assessment to Support Teaching and Learning - Education Week

A Special Thank You

A Special Thank You to all those in the military who have served, who continue to serve and those who have died for our country! We appreciate you and your sacrifices..

Monday, November 10, 2014

Granlund cartoon: Veterans Day - News - Du Quoin Evening Call - Du Quoin, IL - Du Quoin, IL

History of Veterans Day - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs

Friday, November 7, 2014

Milwaukee Community Journal » WISCONSIN'S LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPEREducating Yourself and Coping with Bi-Polar Disorder - Milwaukee Community Journal

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Hazing "Blame" Game | Gregory S. Parks

Know Your Rights When Confronted by the Police - The Root

Building A Foundation For Success For Black Boys And Men: Start Early, Start Strong | Ingrid Ellerbe

Thursday, October 23, 2014

What Does it Mean to Be "Called"- Rev. M.D. Rogers

What Does It Mean to Be "Called"?
The closest clue about the meaning of "called" in romans 8: 28 is verse 30 where Paul says, "And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified." What we learn from this verse is that God justifies everyone that he calls. He acquits them. He pardons them. They are treated as righteous. They are his children. "Those whom he called he justified."
Those Who Are Called Are Justified
This means that the call referred to here is not the general call that goes out to all men in the preaching of the gospel. If it were, then all who heard the gospel would be justified. For verse 30 says, "Those whom he called he justified." If everyone who hears Billy Graham calling them to Christ on the television is "called" in the sense of Romans 8:30, then they are all justified too. For "those whom he called he also justified." But Paul plainly teaches that not all who are called in this general sense are justified. "We are justified by faith!" (Romans 5:1). Not all who are called in this general sense have faith, and therefore not all are justified. Yet Paul says in 8:30 that "those who are called ARE justified!"
What Christ Is to Those Who Are Called
He clarifies this for us in 1 Corinthians 1:23–24. "But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Notice carefully that Paul preaches Christ to Jews and Gentiles indiscriminately. In that sense all are called. But that is not the sense in which Paul uses the word. He says that out from among those who hear the general call there are those who are "called." And the difference is that those who are called in this narrower sense stop regarding Christ as a stumbling block and as folly. Instead they regard him as the power of God and the wisdom of God. Verse 24: "But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [becomes] the power of God and the wisdom of God."
So Paul teaches that when the gospel is preached, God calls some so powerfully that their hearts and minds are changed about Jesus Christ and they embrace him in faith and love. That's why Paul can say in Romans 8:30 that "those who are called are justified," even though justification only comes by faith—the call of God produces faith; it opens the eyes of the blind to see that Jesus is the wisdom and the power of God.
The call of God that Paul has in mind is not like the call of a pet: "Here Blackie. Here Blackie. Come on girl." Blackie may or may not come. The call of God is like the call of Jesus to the corpse of Lazarus: "Lazarus, come forth!" The call contains the power to produce what it commands. It is an effectual call. That is why Paul can say in Romans 8:30 that all "those who are called are justified." The certainty of their justification lies in the fact that the faith by which men are justified is produced by the effectual call of God.
Therefore when Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together to good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose," it means that the beneficiaries of this massive promise are those who once did not love God but now do love God because God himself has called them effectually from darkness to light, from unbelief to faith, from death to life, and has planted within them a love to himself. The effectual call of God is the new covenant fulfillment of the promise in Deuteronomy 30:6,"And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
The reason that the beneficiaries of Romans 8:28 can have such certainty that God will indeed fulfill this promise for them is that God himself has effectually called them into his covenant and caused them to qualify for it. It is one thing if God sends out a mass mailing addressed "to whom it may concern" inviting all to the banquet where all things work together for good. But it is quite another if God himself drives up to your front door, walks in, picks you up, puts you in the car, drives you to the banquet of Romans 8:28, gives you the banquet garment of love, and then seats you at the right hand of his Son. Would not his own personal initiative in the second case give you a deeper confidence that God does indeed intend to pursue you with mercy all your days and work everything together for your good?

Why Paul Adds "According to His Purpose"
What is Paul's reason for adding this phrase: "according to his purpose"? I think it was to make perfectly clear and forceful that the call of God originates in God's purpose not ours. The call of God is not a response to anything we purposed to do. God has his own high and holy purposes that govern whom he calls, and his call accords with these purposes not with ours. He did not drive up to my door and pick me up and bring me to the banquet of Romans 8:28 because it accorded with my purpose of salvation, but because it accorded with his. Had he waited for me to have a purpose of salvation, I would still be watching television at home.

The Enemy Prevails Not -Rev.M.D. Rogers

Though the infirmities of Christians are many and great, so that they would be overpowered if left to themselves, yet the Holy Spirit supports them. The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for; as a sanctifying Spirit, works and stirs up praying graces; as a comforting Spirit, silences our fears, and helps us over all discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all desires toward God, which are often more than words can utter. The Spirit who searches the hearts, can perceive the mind and will of the spirit, the renewed mind, and advocates his cause. The Spirit makes intercession to God, and the enemy prevails not.