A Man's Dream versus God's Reality

       I have a dream......free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty we are free at last (http://www.examiner.com/article/martin-luther-king-day-quotes-thank-god-almighty-we-are-free-at-last). Many times, especially during my adult years, I have heard Martin Luther King Jr's most famous speech. When I was younger I used to cling to these words both seriously and proudly with the intent to show the world how far the black race has come and how far we will advance. A few years later while living in a new environment a roommate of mine and during that time also a mentor, who was then attending the same church as me gave me caution that the feelings churning inside of me, the lessons I was taught as a young man involving black power and strength was racism. After hearing his warning I suddenly took both my emotions and thoughts a step back. I did not respond to him. Looking inside myself I knew as a Christian, as an individual who has devoted himself and his life to Christ I had to reconsider some of my own thoughts and beliefs, some of them long held and compare them to God's plan.

       Jesus as a Jew was persecuted and tortured even though He was perfect and without sin. People felt offended by Him. Even His own people hated Him. He was drilled with many tricky questions and traps. The type of questions that would make any of us respond with a "why don't you mind your own business?!", or with a plain expletive, but He miraculously held His cool and answered their questions with such confidence and calmness that one could use Him as a basic answer towards anger management.

       What does Jesus have to do with Martin Luther King Jr? Much. As someone living within a family who left a major city to reside in a city hardly known by even residents of the state wherein it resides, a person who grew up as a child in a school system that hardly mentioned the famous Civil Rights Leader, I had to play catch up after graduating from high school and hearing more of this brave man during my very late teens and early twenties (college years). African Americans and some whites hold on to Martin Luther King Jr with a lot of pride and joy. He represents someone who stood up to the often barbaric way that the majority white as well as the upper class treated black people soon after slavery ended and at times even up to now. During the Civil Rights leader's time on earth there still existed white and black only restaurants and businesses. There were strictly black and white neighborhoods. Young black men were often picked on by cops, prosecuted and sentenced by local courts with hardly a fair trial. In the fifties and sixties a galvanization of the young black population occurred led by people like Dr King, Jesse Jackson, and Rep. John Lewis that has largely helped African Americans and other minorities gain more rights in America.

       Now African Americans have much rights and freedoms. Some have gone on to college and have been or are currently successful. There are many notable African American celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Bill Cosby, and many more.Hospitals and schools within major cities, and the south region of the country employ plenty of black doctors, nurses, teachers, and other medical and scholastic employees of various professions. Some minorities have begun their own law offices, drug abuse clinics, and various major or small businesses. But sadly there are still millions of African Americans who face poverty, are sitting in jail with plus five year sentences, or are on parole. HIV/AIDS has hit the black community hard. Many African Americans are homeless, dependent on government welfare program. The African American family unit has suffered heavily from many social, spiritual blows, caused by many families not having a father in the home, individual African American adults who commonly involve themselves with more than one sex partner, increasing drug abuse problems, an over reliance on using sports and entertainment as a means of getting rich (comparable to hitting the jackpot) and a lack of inner responsibility toward taking care of children whom are often left to fend for themselves. Many of the high African American achievers who have gained much success have left their black friends and neighbors behind. Even family members have been left alone to as they say: "fend for themselves". This scenario relates to a popular comment often mentioned within the black community by both the young and old: "I'm looking out for my own". In other words "sink or swim". I am sure that if Martin Luther King Jr was still alive over the last few decades he would have made a whole lot of mentions maybe even several new speeches made directly to the African American communities to shape up and to the men, man up.He would speak directly to the selfishness burning withing the communities, families, and hearts of many African American individuals.He would tell over sexed hip hop performers, entertainers, and other such celebrities to stop sending the wrong message of raunchiness. He would tell the preachers to quit selling out the Civil Rights, and most importantly their own flock to the wrong message of pro-homosexuality.

       But the problem of much of African Americans in the United States as a whole is much bigger than any speech than any one man who has long since been assassinated can cure. The problem in this country is immense and even with there being a current black president, a few more senators, and congressmen, the problem is likely to grow bigger unless individuals begin seeking Jesus for the answer to their problems. Only God can provide the type of freedom struggling, angry members of the black community are seeking. The question is will they seek Him or will they continue to devote all their time and energy to the media and members of the army of politicians? Will they continue to replay and commentate on Dr King and his walk?

       14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

God asks His people, that if those who call on His Name and intentionally follow Him, will humble themselves, pray, seek, him, and turn from their wicked ways, in other words repent, He will forgive them of their sins and replenish them. God will heal them from their worldly wounds. Famine, poverty, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, heart disease, asthma, diabetes would at last be conquered. Obesity, domestic violence would have a straight forward answer. Black on Black crime and violence would be purged.

       7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
       If individuals within the Black American community will remain in Jesus and keep God's words within their hearts and minds all of their requests would be answered. There would be no need to spend millions of dollars to win the lottery or bet one's entire youth toward making the NFL or obtaining a college scholarship. God will offer so much more if only Americans, as a people will humble ourselves and seek Him, First.
       This message does not just apply to African American. The same message applies to all people of every race or color for God shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34-35). For every ethnicity has at some point or another in the world's history received abuse or been treated unfairly by another ethnic group. Individuals are often abused and mistreated by members of their own race. People many times are mistreated by members of their own family via domestic violence, child, or sexual abuse, verbal abuse. Friends, co-workers, classmates, church members often violate each other. Abuse comes in many shapes and forms. 
       With God we as people both black, white, red, and yellow, don't have to dream. He already has the answer and we don't have to wait and depend upon the response of others. Just seek Him. Seek Him first and everything, all He has and more will be added unto you. Everyone will be judged, black or white, rich or poor, based upon their own performances and decisions made while their time was spent living here on earth. Some will go ahead to meet their Lord in Heaven, because the Great Equalizer, Jesus Christ came down here upon the earth and laid His life down for the Great Sacrifice. Yes, the Great Equalizer, here on earth. He died and rose again so that me and you, you and me do not have to spend our lives and sweat relying on another man's dream. We have access to the Great Reality. A reality filled with enough rewards that will endure for eternity.

But the Weather is Cool

       The world is repeatedly reminded of Global Warming during consecutive days of hot weather or amid long periods of drought. But what happens when a large geographic area goes through weeks and weeks of receiving cool or even at times frigid weather? What happens when it is in the middle of the summer and the weather has not reached above 70 degrees in the southeastern area of the United States? What happens when southern states in America has been pounded by rain repeatedly, day after day, causing floods, damage to trees, and pretty much making 2013 a wet summer. We are in the middle of the summer and the weather is cool outside. In fact the weather has been cool for much of August and part of July. Can we call this phenomenon global cooling?

        During online conversations and chats face to face, I have asked global warming enthusiasts why the weather is cold during certain days. I often read and hear the same response: the weather data is supposed to resemble temperatures collected over a long period of time. Supposedly, the past 100 years, even with recent years massive snowstorms repeatedly falling over 10 inches, is supposed to be extremely hot compared to the last hundreds, thousands, even millions of years on our planet Earth. The big catch is the length of years. Who was alive back in 1000 AD that will be able to compare the weather then to what is occurring with the weather now? Even if one was to have temperature collected from data hundreds or even thousands of years ago, no one is alive from hundreds, thousands of years ago who can convince everyone that the data is one hundred percent accurate. We don't know for sure whether they did not have long hot streaks with the same or even at much higher temperatures than we do now. We don't know for sure if there were thousands plus days of 100 plus degree weather that did not make it to the record books.

       The over thousands, millions of years theory is pretty much a synonym for evolution. We are supposed to be convinced by the theorists that over millions of years somehow the ape turned slowly into a man. Man's back and shoulder shifted more and more erect while the brain grew more and more complicated. Not a bit physical of evidence but some pictures of old fossils like Nebraska man who many believe represent a pig's tooth and Lucy who some say resembles a pygmy chimpanzee. French and American paleontologists believe that Piltdown man's jawbone and skull actually represent two different animals. Peking Man is believed to be a collection of facial bones, skull fragments, seven sections of a broken femur, shinbone, upper arm bone, clavicle, a piece of a wrist, all representing more than 40 people of different ages and sizes. Now what about the weather? What does global warming represent? And if the earth is supposedly getting warmer and warmer why is the American south, a usually hot climate region of the world so cold? Why has the rain been pouring down continuously when a year ago the media daily kept a chart of the long drought and the amounts of lengths below sea level our large lakes (ex. Lake Lanier) have fallen?
     The answer if people, including the "educated" and "experts", were honest is that nobody really knows. Who can predict what the weather is going to actually be like this November or December? Can anyone honestly forecast the amount of rain we are going to receive next year in 2014? Global warming enthusiast will likely lean towards a long, continuous hot climate weather pattern for the very near future with much dry seasons. But they have been saying the same thing for the past several years and it just has not come to reality. The past winters and even springs have been cold. Cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, and even Atlanta have received plenty of snow and plenty of cold weather.The sunny state of Florida has received plenty of cold weather in recent years. Sorry but global warming in English means the globe, earth, is warming. I am not feeling the heat. In fact it is getting kind of drafty. As they famous saying goes: seeing is believing. Don't tell me anymore stories about weather changing over millions and thousands of years. We have no quotes from any human being made millions of years ago and no one can truthfully say that they know what the exact winter or summer temperatures were back in 2000 or 3000 AD. No one can honestly tell me the exact inches of rain fallen on the earth from the years 2000 BC to the year of the Lord. What I do know is that the summer of 2013 is pretty cool compared to what the summers were like in the late 90's and the earlier 2000's.  And if I am not feeling the heat then I can in no way feel any truth nor have any faith in this global nonsense.

Boko Haram vs the US???

       Boko Haram is at it again. Much earlier yesterday Boko Haram an Islamic terrorist group based in the Muslim dominated northern half of Nigeria gunned down 44 people in Maiduguri, Nigeria. This time, surprise, the 44 people Boko Haram violently murdered were not Christians or even neutral civilians these individuals were themselves Muslims. 12 civilians were also killed via gunfire by Boko Haram in another incident. But we don't know what set that bullet tantrum off. Seems like Boko Haram, like their fellow Muslim buddies in Afghanistan and Iraq thrive within a hobby of plain murdering people, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, whomever.
      These 44 people were shot down while praying, in a mosque. Boko Haram insists on having an Islamic State. They want everyone to be Muslim and live by Shariah law. Why are they killing fellow Muslims? The same reason why insurgents in Iraq would send a suicide bomber to blow up fifty plus fellow Iraqis in order to kill a handful of US soldiers. These men, women have an oddly, shared fanatacism involving bloody murder and just plain violence. Recent stories have read that the Nigerian army ordered by current President Jonathan Goodluck have decisively won several gun battles with Boko Haram, killing many of their members. Some say that Boko Haram is only a few young gullible men led by a few manipulative leaders backed with a lot of hype. But fact is the group still exists, they are still making news, and obviously still motivated to kill Christians, non-Muslims, and oddly Muslims. Boko Haram still wants to spread Shariah Law throughout the entire country of Nigeria. And not just Nigeria, surrounding countries like Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Boko Haram leader Abubaker Shekau even boasts about his group being strong enough to attack the United States? Is this guy serious or is has he been busy smoking on some kind of weed while trying to avoid filling his mouth with pork? But a la 911, you never take what a serious Muslim group says for granted. Not that your nation lives in fear but common sense states that you take what this terrorist leader says seriously while making some behind the back plans to do some ?!?!***?!?! you know what.
       The point is that Boko Haram could possibly be the next Al Quaida. Leaders like Abubaker Shekau could be a Bin Laden in waiting. There are many reasons why some Nigerians leave their homeland in order to settle in places around the world stretching from Far East Asia, to Western Europe, to the Americas and don't come back. Harassment by criminals and gangs is one of them. Currently the criminal gangs have gained more concern from the Nigerian people who don't reside in the northern, especially the northeast part of the country, but Boko Haram is quietly relentless. President Jonathan Goodluck is doing a good job in putting pressure on this terror group by bringing the attack on them now but he needs to do much more especially now before the leadership of the country is passed on to the Muslims dominated northern half of the country. (If you are not familiar with Nigerian politics the Northern Muslim half and the mainly Christian southern half both take turns for each election, electing a president for their country).
       Bet ya that Barak Obama has Boko Haram on his sites. After the beating he gave the Iraqi, Pakistani, and Afghan insurgents he won't play with any Islamic Shariah plans coming out of Nigeria. For Nigeria's sake. For the beauty, the peace of its country and especially its people of all tribes and cultures. For the sake of Nigeria. We don't want Barak Obama to bring US war planes and machinery down to our beautiful lands in order so he can take care of this group of crazy warmongers himself. Nigeria would be wise to use all force and power to take care of this Boko Haram once and for all. Clean them out. Then don't worry, Chad, Niger, Cameroon all those countries will soon tire of them too. No one likes a bully. No one wants anyone telling their daughter how to dress, who they can marry, and what customs and traditions they are allowed to partake in. No one wants anybody telling them who they can worship or whether they can or cannot go to church. "You telling me what?" Excuse me, I am going to worship Jesus if I wish and I will go to church. If you want to follow Allah to your grave that is your business. Don't bring me and these people whom I love dearly on that fatal journey with you.

America's Stance Against God

⁸ The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹ All the people will know it—
    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
    and arrogance of heart,
¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹² Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
    have devoured Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.

¹³ But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
    nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴ So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed in a single day;
¹⁵ the elders and dignitaries are the head,
    the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
¹⁶ Those who guide this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
    nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
    every mouth speaks folly.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised. Isaiah 9:8-17

       America has endured much tragedies over the past12 years including 911, the Boston Bombing, The Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting,  the Fort Hood Shooting,  not to mention the many shootings occurring within US schools. One mass murderer dared to even gun down elementary children along with their teachers during a crime spree that shocked a nation. One that has sadly become accustomed to hearing about shootings in our schools, but 5, 6 year old kids?
       Since the terrible event occurring at Sandy Hook elementary school I have heard preachings and reminders of Isaiah 9:8-17 and similar Bible verses. Prophesies detailing a proud, stubborn nation, viewed as mighty by her leaders, people, as well as her many admirers spread throughout the world. A nation leaning on a storied past filled with many victories, accomplishments, as well as a spirit of superiority.

¹¹ The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
    and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

¹² The Lord Almighty has a day in store
    for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
    (and they will be humbled),
¹³ for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
    and all the oaks of Bashan, Isaiah 2:11-13.

After 911 our country heard comments promising repentance from some of our leaders. Pastors from various churches made public speeches concerning the attack and the nations need to repent and come close to God. Churches everywhere were packed with crowds. They came with tears running, arms wide opened, asking why. God became relevant to the nation again. But for a short while, a very short while. Now people are again questioning the Bible's relevance. Educators insist even more that God be kept out of our schools. The national media assumes that God Almighty is nonexistent. Our president is rooting for gay marriage. People are trying to push homosexuality into our churches. The divorce rate is skyrocketing while calls for legalizing polygamous marriages is quietly pleading its case.


¹⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, ¹¹ I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, ¹² and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. ¹³ All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches. ¹⁴ Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead. Ezekiel 31:10-14.

     Now America has suffered through many natural disasters, tragic accidents causing catastrophic damages, injuries, and deaths. Hurricanes after hurricanes, floods after floods, droughts, scorching heat, what's next? Cries of global warming have been questioned by record breaking snowstorms that have fallen on America in recent years. Snow so heavy that when melted has transformed into bodies of water flowing through and around major cities, like newly created rivers, flooding nearby lands and buildings. "Cut it down", the Lord said. "Cut that tree down", let it lay aside. It's beauty and pride faded. Oh America please, please listen. There is still time for repentance. There is still time to call out His Name. The Lord is ready and willing.
       Now is the time, oh people. The time has come. Time not meaning panic. For our Lord is not the god of confusion. But He is willing to carry and care for all who is willing to come to Him. His arms are wide opened. Will you come?