By W.F. Adeny -
Ephesians 3:1. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, …
St. Paul writes from his Roman dungeon, with the galling constraints of his confinement constantly about him.
There is a pathos in the situation that must move the sympathy of the reader; and yet there is a dignity and even a glory in it that make us feel the apostle's occasional reference to his bonds chiefly a motive for giving the greater weight and solemnity to his persuasive exhortations.
THE FAITHFUL SERVANT OF CHRIST MAY BECOME A PRISONER IN HIS CAUSE. St. Paul was called into the apostleship from a worldly position of great influence and brilliant prospects. He was the most gifted and the most devoted man in the Christian Church. No one labored more assiduously, and no one met with more marked success. Yet it has all come to this, that the great, honored apostle lies chained in a Roman prison, his life at the mercy of the "mad boy" Nero. The end might have been expected in this form. "A disciple is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord." If the Lord was crucified, shall we be surprised that the servant is imprisoned? Still, some are perplexed and disappointed, not at suffering these great hardships, but at having to bear any cross for Christ. Christianity is the religion of the cross for the Christian as truly as for Christ.
LIIBERAL CHRISTIANITY MAY ENDANGER THE LIBERTY OF ITS ADVOCATE. St. Paul was a prisoner "in behalf of you Gentiles." We know, from the history in the Acts, that it was through the enmity of Jews that the apostle was accused before the Roman government, and that this enmity was roused by the jealousy they felt at his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and advocating the Gentile right to an equality with the Jew. St. Paul was the preacher of the more liberal
Christianity of his day and therefore he was most grievously misunderstood and most bitterly opposed. They who feel called to preach more liberal views than are sanctioned by the prevailing opinions of the age may expect opposition but may learn the duty of courage and fidelity to truth and may be cheered by thinking of the lonely sufferers in the same cause in bygone days, when the larger views and the freer doctrines were more vigorously opposed than they can be now. The noble champions of liberal Christianity, from St. Paul to Maurice, have won substantial victories from which we profit.
IT IS BETTER TO BE A PRISONER FOR CHRIST AND LIBERAL TRUTH THAN TO BE AT LIBERTY WITHOUT CHRIST AND IN UNCHARITABLE NARROWNESS, after all, the prisoner at Rome is more to be envied than pitied. He was the prisoner of Christ, and Christ was with him in his bondage. His was the real blessedness of those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. St. Paul was the champion of freedom as opposed to the restraints of Judaism, and this real, spiritual freedom could not be destroyed by bolts and bars.
"Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage." The immortal dreamer had large liberty in Bedford jail when he traveled to the Beulah heights and almost as far as the gates of the celestial city.
THE PRISONER WHO SUFFERS FOR A GOOD CAUSE LAYS GREAT OBLIGATIONS UPON ALL WHO BENEFIT FROM IT St. Paul quietly appeals to his imprisonment as a ground for prayer (ver. 14) and exhortation (Ephesians 4:1). The sufferings of the great martyrs of liberty in the past urge us, who have entered into the heritage won by their toil and death, to be faithful to so great a trust, to walk worthy of it by using our liberty as an opportunity for the highest service of love, and to preserve it from all encroachments and hand it down to our children unfettered by new restraints of theological dogma or of official domination. - W.F.A.
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Be virtuous when shimmering and quivering from the sound of music, especially not knowing the origin!
Scores of humans are not aware that Satan was gifted with anointed music in Heaven. That gift was used to entice other Angles to follow his directives?
Ezekiel 28:13 suggest that Satan was involved with music in Heaven when the scriptures said, “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.”
It is hard to imagine a being like Lucifer would believe he could even do battle with God, much less defeat Him. Even the most depraved mind should be able to see that a creature cannot contend with God the Creator. Yet Satan tried to dethrone God and strives even unto this day to challenge God’ s authority, thwart His plans, and harass His people.
Music is part of every society and important to various cultures as drum -driven song and dance are to Native American cultures. Since music is such an important part of life, it should not be surprising that the Bible says `much about it; in fact, the longest book in the Bible is Psalms.
The two Scripture passages that describe Satan before the fall are Ezekiel 28:12 19 and Isaiah 14:12 15. Satan was the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). Lucifer was adorned with every precious jewel imaginable (Ezekiel 28:13), including the gift of music. The spirit of Satan was “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty ” (Ezekiel 28:12b). Likely the highest of all angels.
Satan was persuasive enough to convince a third part of God's children to follow him. Even after his fall from heaven, not even Michael the archangel dared to stand up to him without the Lord’s help (Jude 9). Satan fell because of pride. He did not like being “second best.” He wanted to be God: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain ’” (Isaiah 14:13).
Since the angels constantly worship God (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), it is possible that Satan as an influencer led that worship. One thing is sure: for Satan to rebel despite having such an exalted position and close relationship with God, the devil is surely due his eternal destiny (Revelation 20:10).
With having such a compelling gift as music would he not use it to persuade humans who God so loved to follow his spirit? And Satan would influence the very elect if possible!
the process would be: He would go to and through the earth seeking whom to devour. He wants to destroy those God loves. It is suggested that Satan’ s gift of music could persuade humans to follow his leadership if humans allowed it.
Watch the serpent like gestures when the evil sprit is allowed to become embodied in a human as in countries where the snake, give physical gestures at the sound of the charming musical flute but without the sound of music the snake will strike!
Authentic worship music can be discerned by the spirit of true baptized believers in Christ.
One of the mysteries of the Christian life is why God did not destroy Satan immediately after Satan sinned. We know that God will one day defeat Satan by throwing him into the Lake of Fire where he will be tortured day and night forever (Revelation 20:10), but sometimes we wonder why God has not destroyed Satan already. We will never know God’s exact reasoning, but we do know certain things about His nature… is to only Rob, Steal, Kill, and Destroy.
Woe to inhibitors of the earth and of the sea: For Satan is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he hath but a brief time.
Revelation 12: 12.
As we continue in houses of worship, it would be most imperative to adhere to the sermon -message that God gives rather than the beat of a song?
Satan’ s often distracts humans by captivating musical sounds which proceeds the message of God by inducing slumber during sermon.
Satan is now using a bunch of 21st Century gospel and secular artists to break -down people’s morals, deceive the masses, and pull people away from Jesus or blind the minds of unbelievers from the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus, so they can go to the lake of fire where he and his angels are headed on the day of Judgment.
What exactly is channeling? “Channeling is where a human enters an ‘altered state of consciousness’ which allows the person to become a conduit or ‘ channel ’ for the spirit of another, who can then use the channel to speak and take limited actions. This is what a medium does to communicate with the dead. The channeling in numerous New Age circles is more widespread than the traditional medium, and sometimes involves the identity of the channeled being taking full control of the channel for a brief period.”
What does the Bible say about these demonic spirits? It is written in Leviticus 19:31...
Lucifer seek vengeance with God for casting the spirit from Heavenly places... Lucifer said
It is i mportant that believers in Ch rist, recog ni ze that innu merable pers ons have s uffered fo r thei r hon orable deeds by going to pris on It has been documented those nume rous saints o f the Bible went to priso n fo r the ide ologies of Ch rist
Yet today, a re we as t rue believers to fo rget those i nmates who have fallen f ro m grace, but ougght we to remembe r that ‘the re go I but fo r the G race of G od?’
We should have co ncern f or those who were deceived by the tricks of Satan who o nly comes but to rob, steal, kill , and to destroy the lives of those who God created fo r H is Gl ory It is not fo r Christians to laugh at mat ters concerning incarceration fo r God could place Hi s disdained upon us.
Sea rch the scr iptures about the various ones who we re beaten and sent to p rison for the sake o f Chri st
I saiah 61:1. The Spirit of the L ord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to b ring good news to the po or ; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to p roclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the priso n to those who a re bound ...
Mattheew 25:36. I was naked , and you clothed me , I was sick , and y ou visited me, I was i n pr ison, and you came to me.’
Heb rews 13:3 Remembe r those w ho are in pr ison, as though in p rison with them, and those w ho a re mist reated, since you also a re in the body
Psal m 69:33. For the Lo rd hear s the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisone rs
2 Ti mothy 2:9 Fo r w hich I am s uffering , bound with chains as a cri minal. But the wo rd of God i s not bo und!
Acts 12:5 So o Peter was kept in pr ison, but earneest p rayer for hi m was o ffered to God by the chu rch
Psal m 102:20 To hear the groans of the p ris
Psal m 79:11. Let the groans of the prisone rs come before y ou; according to y our great
Acts 24:23. Then he gave o rders to the centu rion that he should be kept in custody but have so me liberty , and that n one of his f riends sho uld be prevented f rom attending to h is needs
Acts 12:1 -25. About that time He rod the king laid violent hand on some who belonged to the chu rch. He killed James the b rother of Joh n with the sword , and w hen he saw that it pleased the Jews, he went ahead to a rrest Peter also This was du ring the days of Un leavened Bread And when he had seized hi m, he put hi m in prison , delive ring hi m ove r to f our squads of soldiers to guard him , in tending after the Passove r to b ring hi m out to the people. So , Peter was kept in p rison , but ear nest prayer fo r hi m was made to G od by the ch urch .
Luke 22:33 Peter said to hi m, “Lo rd, I a m ready to go with you both to pri son and to death ”
Matthew 18:30. He refused and went and put hi m in prison until he should pay the debt.
Matthew 11:2 Now w hen John heard i n pri s on about the deeds of the Ch rist, he sent wo rd by h is disciples.
Psal m 142:7 Bring me o ut of p rison , that I may give thanks to you r name! The righteous will sur round me, fo r you will deal bou ntifully with me
1 Peter 3:19. In which he went and pro claimed to the spirits in p rison,
powe r, p reserve tho se doomed to die!
2 Co rinthians 11:23 Are they servants of C hri st? I am a better one I am talking like a mad man with far g reater labo rs, far mo re i mprison ments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
Acts 26:10 And I did so i n Jer usalem I not only locked up many of the saints in pris on after receiving autho rity f rom the chief
Acts 8:3 But Saul was ravaging the chu rch, and enteri ng house afte r hou se, he d ragged off people and com mitted them to p rison
one rs, to set f ree those who were doomed to die
pr iests, but w hen they we re put to death, I cast my vote against them
Even in this 21st Century, the more things change the more they have stayed the same
Whether we believe or not time is winding up but only God knows when.
At the ‘time of birth; there becomes an appointment with death an appointment we will not miss, for it is set forth in Heaven ‘all things’ that is or will become. Do we know when we are to leave this earth?
The Bible tells us that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). So, yes, God knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. God knows absolutely everything about us (Psalm 139:1 6). So, does this mean our fate is sealed? Does this mean we have absolutely no control over when we will die? The answer is both yes and no, depending on the perspective.
The answer is "yes" from God’s perspective because God is omniscient He knows everything and knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. Nothing we can do will change what God already knows will happen. The answer is "no" from our perspective because we do have
an impact on when, where, and how we die.
How does this affect our lives? We are to live each day for God. James 4:13 15
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'” We are to make wise decisions about how we live our lives and how we take care of ourselves. And we trust God that He is sovereign and in control of all things.
Let us not stress about political matters knowing that absolutely nothing happens without the Lord allowing it to take place. Example: as terrible things come upon us God takes what Satan has processed for evil and turn it into good for the believer … Look to God and the Power of His might!
When troubles come where do we run but into the arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Believers in Christ it is all in the Saviors’ hands, trust Him minus hesitations or doubt. Know that Christ Recognizes His own! Let the people of God, put our trust in the Lord who is the God our Salvation!
that city, spend a year there, continue business and make money.' Why, you do not
Rev. Dr. Harold E. Bailey, Founder and President, Probation Challenge PCC Network. WWW.ProbationChallenge.org The Truth Network.
the Cook County Adult Probation Department, and as Chairman of the Cook County Board of Corrections. Strausberg followed the steps of Bailey throughout each successful court battles. She would then weekly televise her truths with her noted ‘Strausberg Report’ show which
Strausberg with an insight for truth, was one of the first to interview the then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama on the PCC Network. Additional presentations were requested but the Senator was engaged by political crusades.
The courageous Chinta Strausberg has on countless occasions stymied matters that would have caused turmoil within the Illinois vicinity had it not been for her journalist interventions...
•Chinta Sttrausberg is a respected journalist, a producer and host of WVON radio, "On the Case" show. She is a reporter for The Chicago Crusader, editor in chief for the 3:16 Magazine, and TV talk show host...
Strausberg has worked in association with personalities as: the late Mayor Harold Washington, President John Stroger, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Father Michael Pfleger, Rev. Harold Bailey, Justice R. Eugene Pincham, John Sengstack, Justice William Cousins Jr., and other local and international individuals...
Chinta Strausberg who for years has given of her talent to the struggle for justice within the African American community… and also the various communities of the world.
Chinta working 24/7 while always on news alert was saluted by the late Dr. Margaret Burroughs who labeled her ‘Ms. Chicago Defenders,’...
With impeccable credentials, Strausberg has remained faithful to her God and the community by journaling hard-core-truth regarding Chicagoland and Universe events.
Chinta Strausberg, when it was not favorable, recognized the labor of the Rev. Dr. Harold Bailey who fought for justice within the walls of
aired around the world. The shows were streamed from Rev. Bailey Probation Challenge Network then
Chinta said though she has had offers to work elsewhere, her devotion is first to God, Family, Church, and the Chicago community that she loves. Without question the magnificent journalism of Chinta Strasberg speaks volume … Chinta Strausberg a women of God gave her heart to Christ and became His imprisoner for life.
housed on the Chicago City College Olive-Harvey College Campus.
• Pastor Lottie Woods -Hall continues in battle against the deceptions of Satan who has taken off boxing gloves and outwardly combatant against the people of God.
Hall born in Birmingham, Alabama, was acquainted with conflicts as a adolescence. Then as now she continues the fight against the principalities that sit in high places.
After graduating from the Miles College, Woods would join ranks with family members to march in the Birmingham, Alabama streets for the injustices many experienced.
Lottie, a loyal employee suffered a back hand slap from her employer with termination of her job... for merely having the name Woods.
Boycotters would no longer tolerate discrimination.
•Continue on page 11.
Christ like Warriors fight daily for the sake of civil human rights. The PCC Network highlights but a few individuals who have devotedtheir lives for the sake of others.
Contin ued from page 10. Lottie Woods’ brothers active in the Birmingham Southern Christian Leadership Conference, request the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to lend support to the cause.
While demonstrating in the Birmingham streets, Lottie with others were arrested with the Dr. King… they were sent to jail for boycotting and marching for justice.
Lottie’s oldest brother the Reverend Abraham Woods, took heroic steps to the front of the boycott movement... Abraham Woods had received a scholarship to attend Morehouse College, completed one year became ill and returned home, where he acknowledged his call to the ministry. Woods received his B.A. degree in theology from the Birmingham Baptist College, his B.A. degree in sociology from Miles College in Birmingham, and M.A. degree in American history from the University of Alabama. He completed credits for his Ph.D.
Leading the charge for justice Dr. Woods became the first to sit in at a department store in Birmingham and jailed for five days.
Imprisoned for Christ, at the age of 80-years, Dr. Abraham Woods completed the task that laid before him… kept the faith… passed away on November 7, 2008.
Caring the Touch was another brother, Pastor Calvin Wallace Woods, Sr., born September 13, 1933, in Birmingham, Alabama. Woods attend the Universal Baptist Institute, the Universal Baptist Seminary and Birmingham Easonian Baptist Bible College. He holds a B.S. degree in social science, B.D., B.R.E., M.B.S. and D.D. degrees.
Together, Rev. Calvin Woods, Rev. Abraham L. Woods, Jr. and Reverend Fred L Shuttleswoth co founded the A la bama Christian Movement for H s (ACMHR) in 1956.
The Woods brothers were introduced to Reverends Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Abernathy in 1962, when they began working closely with the ACMHR.
In 1960, at the age of twenty seven, Woods served as pastor for East End Baptist Church. He was arrested and convicted for advocating boycotts of Bir-
mingham’s segregated city bus system… He was sentenced to jail for six months and fined, becoming the first member of the Woods family to be arrested for their participation in the Civil Rights Movement.
Calvin continued fighting segregation and was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and in 1963, Woods was arrested and beaten by the police for his participation in public protests. The same year, Woods joined the March on Washington.
In 1965, Woods protested Birmingham’s voter registration procedures under the leadership of Reverend Edward Gardner, and one year later Woods worked as the strategy chairman for the protest of the shootings of five Black protesters at a Birmingham supermarket.
There was strong spiritual DNA between the five Woods brothers and seven sisters included Pastor Lottie Woods…
‘
Lottie Woods Leaves Birmingham for Chicago ’
After much of the civil rights dust had settled, Lottie Woods left Birmingham and traveled to Chicago where she would bond with the Tab ernacle Baptist Church, Dr. Louis Rawls pastor, and there met the minister of music Harol d E. Bailey. Shhe united with T he Harold Bai ley Singers, recorded and toured with the group. She married and became Lottie Woods -Hall.
Experiencing a spiritual urgency she left Chicago and moved to Greenville, South Carolina, united with the B ishop Johnny Smith who fought for social justice. Hall recorded gospel music with the church choir.
In spiritual obedience, Lottie departed the Bishop Smith Evangelist Temple in acknowledgement of her call to minister youth.
Later the woman of God would establish ‘The Intercessory Health and Healing Center’ and has recently implemented ‘The Lottie Woods Academy of Education,’ both are located in Greenville, South Carolina. Continue on page 12.
Contin ued from page 11.
• Ella Baker will be remembered as one of the most influential woman in the Civil Rights movement after Rosa Parks, whom Baker mentored before her Montgomery stand. She worked behind the scenes, but associated closely with the major activists, including Randolph and King.
•James Meredith is remembered as a pawn at the Centre of the 1962 Ole Miss crisis, but Meredith consciously pressured the Kennedy administration, forcing it to confront Southern prejudice directly.
•Bayard Rustin was an early advocate for the non violent resistance model, a direct influence on King. He was the chief organizer of the March on Washington, but rarely shared the spotlight with his more illustrious comrades.
•Senator Everett Dirksen: As Senator for Illinois Dirksen was an essential figure in passing the sixty-four′ act. His support for the Bill undermined the traditional alliance between Southern Democrats and Western Republicans over Civil Rights.
•Rosa Parks: In Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, Rosa Park’s single act of defiance refusing to obey a bus driver’s order that she give up her seat in the colored section of the bus to a white passenger – sparked the first major coordinated civil rights protest the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Although this failed in its immediate aims it precipitated later protests, and Parks became an emblem for peaceful stoicism in the face of white oppression. Her act of civil disobedience set an example for future protests.
•James Farmer: As Head of the Congress of Racial Equality, Farmer coordinated the Freedom Rides and other emblematic protests.
•John Lewis: The last surviving leading member of the Big Six Civil Rights organizations, Lewis was head of the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee from 1963 to 1966 and helped organize the March on Washington. He was also one of the Freedom Riders.
•Whitney Moore Young Jr. entered the National Urban League’s Omaha, Nebraska chapter in 1950, and rose to become the organization’s Executive Director in 1961. Under his leadership it evolved from passive protest toward aggressively lobbying large businesses to increase Black employment, and Young himself as a direct advisor to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon until his death in 1971.
•Fred Shuttlesworth: As head of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, Shuttlesworth orchestrated the era’s most significant civil rights protest – Project C in Birmingham, Alabama. He also helped organize the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs.
A range of others have suffered a painful Civil Rights experience and should be applauded for the freedom we enjoy today.
Do not mislead youths to believe that the struggle for freedom is over because we have yet many miles to travel… however, given the political Climate in the 21st Century, there is much to be learned from the Civil Rights Movement, such as self-control and patience that various youths and adults are not willing to digest.
Though the U.S. Court Systems has slowly progressed it must gain in its consideration for the sentencing of African American and Hispanic youths.
Without hesitation we suggest that the racial theories of yesterday continue today but with unfamiliar faces...
As persons on their spiritual assignment to make a difference via moralities and righteousness, they learned that discipleship COST!
Enlistment in the Army of the Lord, you may want to consider the price tag! Serving as a soldiers for the Lord could mean imprisonment for your life. Countless Saints of yesterdays and today have lost their lives for the sake of Christ.
Please continue to read on page 13.
•Roy Wilkins: Wilkins was Executive Secretary and later Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was an articulate and well-respected activist who helped organize the March on Washington and the Selma-toMontgomery marches of 1965.Contin ued from page 13
Traveling the straight and narrow-road to Eternity Life will initiate a separation from illegal activities and to no longer deal in crime and drugs. However, the benefit of righteousness outweighs the evils... dividends pay with an everlasting life spent in God ’s Eternity.
•Imprisonment is not a terrible th ing if confinement is for the sake of Christ… Civ Human Righ ts Warrioors, were chosen before the foundatioon of the world and were set aside for the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chri
God has a special place in his heart for prisoners. How else do we explain the frequent mention of prison and prisoners in his word? Imprisonment is one of the most wretched situations into which humans can fall in this world.
Not only are prisoner movements and activities restricted, they are deprived of family ties and forced to dwell among some of the most vicious company on earth…. they enter a slave like relationship where others who care little for their well being, order them about, and even abuse them.
God, whose love and mercy cause him to commiserate with the downtrodden, sympathizes with the sufferings of prisoners, and so the Bible speaks often, and with compassion, of those in prison.
Thus we have one of Isaiah ’s great Messianic prophesies that the Suffering Servant would set captives free, a prophecy which Jesus applied to himself at the beginning of his ministry (Luke 4:18,19).
Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the meek; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound …
This concern also appears in Isaiah 49:9 and is likewise evident in Psalms 102 and 146: For he looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven the Lord viewed the earth to hear the groans of the prisoners, to loose those who were appointed to death
Psalm 146:7.
Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
The magnanimous character of God is shown in the extent of his concern. It is not just those who are captive for their faith, or falsely accused, or in the bondage of persecution whom he remembers with his liberating grace. Quite the contrary; in Psalm 107 we see his concern even for those who find themselves in prison because they rebelled against his word.
Psalm 107: 10-15.
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the words of God, and rejected the counsel of the Most High: therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in two. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
The majority of prisoners mentioned in the Bible were not rebels, but rather saints cast into prison as a result of their faithful witness. The first recorded in the sacred text is Joseph, and the last was Paul. (Although John was exiled, it is not clear whether or not he was imprisoned).
The first mention of prison in the Bible occurs in the story of Joseph, whose honorable refusal to indulge in adulterous sex with his master’s wife infuriated her. She retaliated with false accusations that prompted her husband to cast Joseph into prison.
Joseph, hated by his brothers, is sold into Egypt and faces crushing tests. His master’s wife falsely accuses Continue on page 17.
Continued from page 16.
him of attempted rape and he goes to prison. What looks like tragedy ends in triumph as God transcends the evil intentions of men.
Contin ue on page 16.
Continue from page 13. Imprisoned for Christ.
Refusing to be crushed by his circumstances, Joseph did his best in prison and gained the confidence of his jailers. Eventually he rose to rule Egypt. A man who makes the most of his opportunities in prison will probably make the most of opportunities granted him elsewhere. Genesis 39:20- 41:14.
And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, where the king ’s prisoners were confined: and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden. And the warden committed all the prisoners who were in the prison to Joseph ’s care; and whatever they did, he was responsible for it. The warden did not inspect anything that was under his care; because the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with these two officers of his, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was locked up. And the captain of the guard entrusted Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a while in custody. And they each dreamed a dream, both men in the same night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, this butler and baker of the king of Egypt, who were locked up in the prison.
And Joseph came in to them in the morning, and looked at them, and noticed they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
And they answered him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. ”
And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you. ”
And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, look, a vine was in front of me; And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and its blossoms shot out; and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes: And Pharaoh ’s cup
was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
And Joseph said unto him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days: within three days Pharaoh shall lift up your head, and restore you to your place: and you will place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just like you used to when you were his butler. But think on me when things go well with you, and show kindness, to me, I beg you, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: and in the top basket there was of all manner of baked goods for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.”
And Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets are three days: within three days Pharaoh will lift your head off you, and shall hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh off you. ”
And it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief butler to his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. And it came about that at the end of two full years Pharaoh dreamed: and, look, he stood by the river. And, look, there came up out of the river seven well favored fat cows and they fed in a meadow. And, look, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, bad-looking and skinny and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river. And the bad looking, skinny
Contin ue on page 18.
Contin ue from page 16.
cows ate up the seven well favored and fat kin. So Pharaoh awoke.
And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, look, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprang up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, look, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
Then the chief butler said to Pharaoh, “I remember my faults this day; Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker. And we dreamed a dream one night, he and I; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams to us; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And the outcome was just as he interpreted to us; me he restored to my office, and him he hanged. ”
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him out of the dungeon quickly: and he shaved himself, and changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
Joseph had the wisdom to make the best of bad circumstances. Instead of stewing over his situation, he worked hard to become a reliable trustee. Like many prisoners, he suffered disappointment when his hopes for release were raised and
dashed. In the end, however, his virtue and innocence were rewarded.
•M any Saints Were Prisoners…
Prisoners of faith tend to be strong followers and practitioners of the Lord’s Way. That is not a knock on other. It is just an effect of incarceration. Paul once called himself “a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ” (Eph 3:1)
It is not just that Christian’s have a soft spot for those incarcerated. Jesus does, too.
The New Testament is filled with stories and mentions of prison and prisoners. Throughout the Bible, prisoners are spoken about with great compassion and love.
Al l the apostles were imprisoned at one point or another It was a badge of courage to be imprisoned for their beliefs. Amen.
People are some times humorous. There are so many things they know nothing about, but it doesn’t stop them from making judgments or forming opinions about how things or people “must be”.
Prison is a good example. It’s not hard to imagine that prison is an awful experience. It goes against our most basic human desires and emotions.
That does not mean prisoners are all sad, despondent people. It does not mean they are all poor, ignorant, or uneducated. It does not mean prisoners are not kind, good hearted, and Godly men, and women. Guards are not all abusive, conniving wanna-be police officers, either. But whether it is the influence of old movies, television, peers, or prejudices, these are the things heard when visiting prisons.
Prisoners are in a better place than most when it comes to faith. While others are fighting to fit in life’s distractions and pressures, prisoners maintain a controlled environment and schedule.
A very prominent and long-time friend of mine doesn’t understand why I chose to work for the black press for more than two decades with few benefits and for a worldwide known social justice organization.
He doesn’t understand why I don’t use money as a litmus test in choosing a career. No matter how I explained to him that my work as a reporter, radio/TV talk show host and editor-in-chief of the 3:16 Magazine was based on my personal passion and not money which can be snatched away in the blink of an eye.
I thought long and hard about the challenging questions my friend asked me, and the answer always came back to fulfilling my passion of wanting to serve people, help save and educate people.
I began my career in journalism back in 1977 when I was a proofreader/copyeditor for a North Side health association. That’s when I saw an ad in the newspaper seeking an on-air reporter for WSSD radio. Since it was in South Shore and I lived in Hyde Park, I drove there one day after work.
When I arrived, I was asked to read some copy and was told I was on air in five minutes. I soon gained a weekly political talk show where I met most the black and white elected officials including Harold Washington. I was also acting Public Affairs director for WSSD.
I began writing stories from my talk show for the South Shore Scene Newspaper which caught the eye of Joy Darrow, managing editor of the Chicago Defender. I would distrib-
ute flyers about my show throughout Hyde Park and South Shore. I was in search of social justice stories.
I guess that means all my adult life I fought for social justice for the voiceless, and that is what I told my friend, but he still questioned even ridiculed my passion. “But you aren’t making any money…or much,” he kept saying belittling me for remaining in a field that did not rack up piles of money he felt I deserved.
When he asked me to give him some results of my passion, I told him how it took me nearly 12 years to get Lo renzo o Turner out of prison—a black man who was sentenced to 120 years for killing a white man all based on circumstantial evidence.
Allegedly, Turner, who had never
been arrested in his life and who owned 19 dry cleaners, had bought his 20th dry cleaning store from the white man and was allegedly the last one to see him alive.
Turner was convicted and spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he never committed a bodiless crime for the alleged victim’s body has yet to be found.
One time when I drove down to a southern prison to visit Turner and prison officials knew I was coming, when I got there, they told me he couldn’t have company that day. That is when I said to myself, “It’s on.”
I went to just about every social justice agencies/organization for help in getting Turner released including black lawyers. Except for Rev. Ed Ridd ick from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, they all said I was wasting my time.
I turned to then Rep. Monique D. Davis, and it was she who took on the Illinois parole board that helped me set Turner free. That was an excellent example of fulfilling my passion.
But there were other examples like the time I was talking to then Chicago Board of Election Commission Corneal A. Davis who casually told me how two white police officers knocked off 5,000 blacks from the polls.
I said what did you say, and he repeated it chuckling. I wrote a frontpage story about this in the Chicago Defender newspaper, and it forced the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners to pass a bill saying if you don’t live in a ward, you cannot knock
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Contin ued from page 19.
them off the polls. All 5,000 black voters were restored. They lived in the Ida B. Wells complex.
I realize now that I had sat down with a great hero because Comm. Davis, who was born in Vicksburg, MS, was the longest black serving in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Davis was born in Vicksburg, MS IN 1900, but he left Mississippi after watching his friend being lynched.
Davis came to Chicago with his parents and eventually became the longest serving black in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1943 to 1978.
But like the South, Davis soon learned he couldn’t stay at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel because he was black. Davis, who was a light-skinned African American, had to sit on a bench in the railroad station.
He soon learned he could not eat at the restaurants and could not sit on the first floor at movie theaters He was an awesome civil rights leader and minister many called “The Deacon.”
I never thought that getting those 5,000 voters restored to the polls was a victory because that was my passion. I simply went on to the next story always in search of another social justice problem.
Chronicling Harold Washington’s career was a highlight in my journalistic career. I covered him when he was an Illinois House of Representative member, an Illinois Senator, a U.S. House Representative and when he became Chicago’s first black mayor in 1983.
I began my journalistic career really when I was a student at Roosevelt University. The same institution Mayor Washington attended. I was a student reporter for the Maroon Newspaper. When my political science teacher told us if we got anything published, we would get an “A,” I accepted that challenge. So, in 1977, I put together a mayoral debate and invited all of the candidates. Washington was a no show as was Michael Bilandic, attorney Ellis Reid, Ald. Roman Pucinski and Anthony Martin Trigona. Only A. A. Rayner, a funeral director, and controversial former State’s Attorney Edward V. Hanrahan showed up. Washington came in a distant third with 11 percent of
the vote. He ran against four candidates with Bilandic winning. He once told me, “That’s when I learned how to count.”
After the debate, I called a press conference and most of the media outlets showed up. ABC 7 interviewed me, and later that day I watched myself on TV and forever caught the bug of journalism. That night, I wrote a front-page story for the Maroon.
So, if you ask me today why I still chase stories, I will tell you because I am a prisoner for Christ and like Christ, I want to help people, to be there for them, to be their voice and to give them a platform to air their concerns.
Currently, I am Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.’s media specialist/press secretary and freelancer with the Chicago Crusader, producer/host of WVON’s “ON THE CASE,” editor in-chief of the 3:16 Magazine and talk show host of the PCC-TV’s “The Strausberg Report. ”
I’m still chasing social justice injustices because that is my passion. Yes, I am a willing prisoner for Christ. I keep chasing after Him and chasing after another story. The chase for truth and justice continues.
Jeremiah 10:1-25.
Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Isra el. Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, noor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the naations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peo ples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They deco rate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with haammer and nails so that it cannot move Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and theey cannot speak; they have to be carried, for theey cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for theey cannot do evil, neitheer is it in them to do good.”
...
Isa iah 44:1 4-1 7. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an id ol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the
fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
2 Kings 17:10 .
They set up for themselves pillars and Ash erim on every high hill and under every green tree, Jeremiah 2:20.
“Fo r long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, ‘I will not serve.’ Yes, on every hi gh hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore.
Fo r they also built them high places, and images, and gr oves, on every high hil l, and under every green tree
1 Kings 14:23 King James Bible
Examine the Sccriptures of and see what come to you r understanding.
From the PCC Network Family
•Chinta Strausberg •Geri Patterson •Pastor Mitty Collie •Clarence McMillian •Pastor Lottie Wood Hall •Brandy N. Baile •Rev. Dr. H arold E. Baile
Is God allowing the works of Satan to prevail, and if so, why? You will have to war against Satan himself, but you can prevail with the infinite power of God. Disciples ought to remember that only Jehovah is God. Satan is less than nothing compared to the infinite power of God.
What is the purpose of Satan?
Satan’s purpose is always the same: he seeks to exalt himself above God by opposing God and men. While his goals are always the same, his methods differ greatly. We see this in the way Satan opposed our Lord at the time of His first coming. (1) Satan directly opposed God through the temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no biblical proof that Satan always needs God specific permission to act against Christians every time he wishes to attack them. We know that Satan needs permission at least sometimes. Job 1 shows that Satan was not able to afflict Job without God mission. However, consider Satan argument before God: not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land” (Job 1:10). Satan is obviously familiar with who Job is and is aware of Job and blessing by God. How could Satan have known of Job tion unless he and/or his demonic
minions had not already tried to work their will against Job? What Satan is really asking is for God to remove Job’s protection; of course, in asking that the protection be removed, Satan is seeking permission to attack Job. Does Satan have to seek such permission every time he attacks us? The Bible does not say.
Another relevant passage is Luke 22:31–32. Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as
God allowed the harassing of His disciples, within limits, but He had a higher purpose in mind the strengthening of them all.
In Job 38:11 God says that He limits the waves of the sea: “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt. ” In the same way, there are boundaries and rules that Satan must abide by. He can go so far but no farther. As the devil “prowls around like a roar” (1 Peter 5:8), must he stop and ask s permission for every step? Or does he only need to ask special permission when he runs into an obstacle to his hatred? There is no biblical proof either way. Job and Peter were hedged about by the Satan could not get to them without the Lord ’s first removing a measure of His protection. We know that God cares for all His children, so it is reasonable to assume that God has a measure of protection surrounding each of us. And we know that God controls everything in the universe, including In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his (Romans 8:28).
How does Satan tempt us?
Satan and his demons are constantly tempting human beings to sin against God, and the Bible gives us many examples. The devil “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). s hearts with lies the tempter”
n page 25.
from page
(1 Thessalonians 3:5).
In Satan’s temptation in of Eve in Genesis 3 and in his temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4, we see the tactics he used and still uses with us. While varied in their details, most temptations fall into one of three categories listed in 1 John 2:16: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
In Satan’s first temptation of Jesus, he appealed to the lust of the flesh. Jesus was very hungry, and Satan tempted Him to use His power to make bread for Himself. Jesus resisted the temptation, but the encounter shows that Satan does not play fair. He exploits our physical weaknesses and kicks us when we are down. He knows the weak places in our flesh and looks for opportunities to stir illicit passions inside our hearts.
When Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he suggested to her that the Lord was keeping something delicious from her (Genesis 3:6). When he tempts us with the lust of the flesh, he points to a natural desire and suggests that we should meet it in our own selfish way. Eve’s natural desire for food was not wrong, but Satan exploited it. That desire became sin when she fulfilled it in an ungodly way. Sexual immorality begins with a natural desire for intimacy. But if we have not allowed Jesus to become a greater passion, the tempter may convince us that we must meet this need our own way.
The second way Satan tempts us is through the lust of the eyes. Eve eyes told her something about the fruit that conflicted with what God had said about it. Eve’s eyes rebelled against God’s commandment and “saw that it was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6). Our eyes play a significant role in our decision-
making. We see something we want, and our flesh agrees that we must have it. In this age of visual overstimulation, our eyes take in millions of bits of information through the day, and, unless we filter that information through a pure heart (Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:4), our eyes will lead us into sin.
Judges 14:1 3. When Satan tempted Jesus, he tried to get the Son of God to lust with His eyes, showing the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and offering to give Him everything—without the cross. Jesus defeated Satan’s temptation with the Word of God (Luke 4:8, Deuteronomy 6:13. Despite what His eyes saw, Jesus would not be swayed by it. Therefore, in Jesus’ case, Satan could not exploit the lust of the eyes.
The pride of life is a weakness we all succumb to at times. Satan tempts us with the desire to be our own gods, and he is adept at stroking our ego. Eve’s desire to be made wise led her to sin in Genesis 3. In her pride of life, she rejected the Lord’s right to rule over her and chose instead to make her own decisions. She became her own god. Christians can play into Satan ’s hands when we hold out on full surrender to the lordship of Jesus. We tend to give more consideration to pleasing other people than to pleasing God. We like to retain “veto power,” just in case God wants us to do something we do not want to do.
Satan tempted Jesus with the pride of life in Luke 4:9 11. He gave Jesus an opportunity to “show off” and publicly prove that He was the Son of God. The act would involve a spectacular miracle, the Father’s care, and many angels. Jesus’ response to Satan’s third temptation was to again quote Scripture Luke 4:12. Deuteronomy 6:16.
Satan tempts us in many ways, but we are not unaware of his schemes”.
tine territory, much less flirting with their women. But his eyes led him into sin: “Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. So, he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman... Get her for me, for she looks good to me”
We know Satan masquerades as an angel of light trying to make evil look good. 2 Corinthians 11:14.
We know he manipulates with false guilt, exploits natural weaknesses, and twists Scripture . Amen.
People today have certain ideas about what the church is. These ideas have been shaped primarily by religion, history, tradition, and even society.
Some think the church is a special building or place Christians go to worship God on Sundays. Others think the church is an organization of people who agree with the teachings of Jesus. And others think it’s a group of people who carry out charitable works to benefit society.
But to really see what the church is, we need to go to the Word of God so we can grasp God’s thought concerning the church.
The subject of the church is a tremendous matter in the Bible with many aspects that can ’t be covered in a single post. We ’ll look at one initial aspect of what the church is according to God’ s Word, with help from notes in the New Testament Recovery Version.
The first time the church mentioned in Bible. The first time the word church is mentioned in the entire Bible is in Matthew 16:18.
In Matthew 16, Jesus and His disciples went far away from Jerusalem, the religious center at that time, and came to Caesarea Philippi. There, Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was, and they told Him what some had said about Him. Then Jesus asked His disciples, “ But you, who do you say that I am?”
In verse 16, we have Peter’ s answer to this all -important question:
“And Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In response to Peter ’s declaration, Jesus said in verses 17 18:
“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.”
Peter realized Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, because the Father had revealed that to him. Then the Lord joined the revelation of who He is with the revelation of the church.
Now read verse 18 in the New Testament Recovery Version:
“The Father’ s revelation concerning Christ is only the first half of the great mystery, which is Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32). Hence, the Lord reveal to Peter the second half also, which concerns the church.”
Ephesians 5:32 tells us of the great mystery:
“I speak with regard to Christ and the church.”
So, Christ and the church together are the great mystery. Since Christ is the Son of the living God, the church, as part of the great mystery, must also be a living entity. So, it certainly doesn’t make sense that the church would be a physical structure...
‘Bible: Meaning of Word Church ’
So, what is the church? To answer this question, we first need to see the meaning of the word church in Matthew 16:18. “Gk. ekklesia, meaning an out calling. This word is used in reference to a called out congregation.”
In Greek the original language of the New Testament the word for church, ekklesia, means out calling. So, the church is the congregation, or assembly, of all the people who have been called out of the world by God.
The second part:
“A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” John 13:34 35
Love is the most powerful force for good the world has ever known, because love is of God. GOD IS LOVE. I concur with the writer of the hymn (“Love Lifted Me”) when he proclaimed that “when nothing else could help, Love lifted me.” Even those in the secular music arena exclaimed, - “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” That’s the only thing that there’s just too little of“ (D ionne Warwic k) and “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (Tina Turner ). Love has everything to do with it.
As our scripture indicates, love is the identity and command for all those who will represent and serve God in the earth. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. It is the mission and mandate of all those who follow Christ to imitate and emulate His life. “For God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:11. “For we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” 1 John 3:14.
“Ye are the light of the world, a city that sits upon a hill cannot be hidden.” Matt 5:14. This light is LOVE; love doing all that is humanly possible to manifest itself.
Love embodies service. It is “others” focused. It is uncondi-
tional and knows no boundaries or restraints. Because of its source and nature, it never fails. Human or fleshly love is limited in its power and sustainability. Love that is rooted only in our own honest efforts is not the love described in our scripture. (John 13:34 35), when Jesus told his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you” he was referencing the love that brought him from the comforts of heaven to earth to redeem man and reconcile him to the father. He sacrificially gave his life to set the world in divine order. This love comes only through a personal relationship (not religion) with God through his son, Jesus Christ. His name is LOVE. If we are following in his footsteps, our name is LOVE. We have the power to change the course of this nation; to bring back order where there is disorder. The panacea (Cure) is LOVE.
COVID 19 has been described as the greatest and most devasting pandemic that this generation has experie nced. A pandemic of greater proportions has been brewing for many years. It is the failure of God’s people to Love. It is now manifesting itself in political and social unrest, hatred, division, racism, and attempted destruction of our democracy. We can still turn this nation around. It is not too late. We can still return to LOVE. Jesus said in Matthew 16:19, Whatever you bind on earth, I will bind in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth, I will loose in heaven. Let us bind those forces which have brought us to this crossroads in America. Let us loose LOVE, for love is of God.
Pastor Lottie Woods-Hall, Shepherd Leader of ‘The Intercessory Health and Healing Center ’ and ‘The Lottie Woods Academy of Education’ is located in Greenville, South Carolina
Congress enacted the Espionage Act of 1917 on June 15, two months after the United States entered World War I. Just after the war, prosecutions under the act led to landmark First Amendment precedents.
Espionage Act limited dissent to the war The Espionage Act of 1917 prohibited obtaining information, recording pictures, or copying descriptions of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.
The act also created criminal penalties for anyone obstructing enlistment in the armed forces or causing insubordination or disloyalty in military or naval forces.
Further, the Wilson administration determined that any written materials violating the act or otherwise “urging treason” were “nonmailable matter,” and Postmaster General Albert S. Burleson ordered local postmasters to report any suspicious materials. Along with Attorney General Thomas Watt Gregory, Burleson led the way in aggressively enforcing the Espionage Act of 1917 to limit dissent.
By 1918, in actions that seriously threatened First Amendment freedoms and that likely would not be up-
held today, 74 newspapers had been denied mailing privileges.
The Espionage and Sedition Acts are still implemented today. In 2005, Lawrence Franklin, a Pentagon Iran expert, was indicted under the act. Franklin ultimately plead guilty to conspiracy to disclose national defense materials to lobbyists and an official for the Israeli government.
Is the Espionage Act still active?
792 Harboring or Concealing Persons
793 - Gathering, Transmitting or Losing Defense Information
794 Gathering or Delivering Defense Information to Aid Foreign Government
795 Photographing and Sketching Defense Installations
796 - Use of Aircraft for Photographing Defense Installations
797 - Publication and Sale of Photographs of Defense Installations
798 - Disclosure of Classified Information
798A - Temporary Extension of Section 794
799 - Violation of Regulations of National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Would there be a formal accusation (Indictment) if for an average John/Mary Doe citizen?
Chicago, IL: Reformer Howard Saffold was born January 26, 1941, in Chicago. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Army. Saffold earned his B.S. degree in business administration from Chicago State University and his M.A. degree in urban studies from Northeastern Illinois University. Saffold worked as an expediter for the regional office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before joining the Chicago Police Department in 1965. In 1968, he joined the Afro American Police League, serving as president during a successful racial discrimination suit against the Chica-
go Police Department. Saffold co founded Positive Anti Crime Thrust to promote cooperation between police and the communities they serve. When Harold Washington became mayor in 1983, one of his first official acts was to name Saffold chief of executive security.
After retiring from the Chicago Police Department became CEO of the Positive Anti Crime Thrust, working to stem the flow of young black men into the penal system.
The Howard Saffold book @ Amazon.com. Information contact: WWW.postiveact@info.
Impeachment: President Trump became the first American president ever to be impeached twice. Regarding the Trump Ukraine scandal that led to the first impeachment, critics say that it was part of a pattern of Trump illegally asking for foreign interference for his own political gain, misusing his powers of office to do so.
Trump's second impeachment came about after his months long quest to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election were linked to the deadly riot at the Capitol.
Then The Russia Scandal: Russian President Vladimir Putin denied his country sought to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
The Russia scandal was the most serious of the controversies surrounding the Trump presidency in its early days. It involved several key players besides the president himself, including the national security adviser and the FBI director. The Russia scandal had its origins in the general election campaign between Trump, a Republican, and former U.S. Sen. and onetime Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat. Both the FBI and CIA said hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, and the private emails of Clinton s campaign chair were working for Moscow, hoping to sway the election to Trump.13 U.S. intelligence agencies also said that Russia was working to sow dissent and confusion among American voters to undermine its democratic institutions. U.S. citizens were troubled by the connections between the Trump campaign and Russians.
Then Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017 and blamed senior Justice Department officials for the move.
The Resignation of Michael Flynn National Security Adviser. Trump tapped Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to be his national security adviser in November 2016, just days after the presidential election. He
resigned the position after just 24 days on the job after it was reported that he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his meetings with a Russian ambassador to the United States. What if he were Black and conducted firings like this?
The meetings Flynn had with the Rus-
ty for a government sponsored event.
Throughout his presidency, Trump also spent a large amount of time at resorts and golf courses owned by his own company meaning that the U.S. government and taxpayers have been paying for presidential trips and security to properties that directly profit Trump himself… One estimate had the cost at over $142 million as of November 2020. What if a Black person spent taxpayers money on self?
Dozens of lawmakers and several entities have filed suit against Trump alleging violations of the clause, including the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. What if a Black man did this? Recently, Trump had no apologies for the recently discovered removal of U.S. Classified Data from the White House. And did invaluable information fall into the hands of United States enemies?
Regarding President Barack Obama administration: The View s Joy Behar said it best that President Obama, for eight years, was completely scandal free.”
NBC s Tom Brokaw said, He s been scandal free, frankly, in the White House we haven t had that for a while.
Obama s supporters in the media, academia, and the workers of the Democratic Party are devoted that his presidency was unmatched.
sian ambassador were portrayed as being potentially illegal, and his alleged cover up of them concerned the Justice Department, which believed his mischaracterization made him vulnerable to extortion by the Russians. What if Flynn were Black!
Donald Trump inaugural ball: Trump, a wealthy businessperson who runs country clubs and resorts, profited from at least ten foreign governments during his time as president. They include the Kuwaiti Embassy, which booked the Trump hotel for an event; a public relations firm hired by Saudi Arabia that spent $270,000 on rooms, meals, and parking at Trump's hotel in Washington; and Turkey, which used the same facili-
All said and done, given the past and present White House events, if they were under the auspices of any minority, sources said, there would not be enough prison time on the books to give the alleged offender. ’
W hat a re the Five B asic F reedo ms Gua ra nteed by the Fi rst Am end ment?
The Fi rst Ame nd ment gua rantees ce r tain rig hts and f reed oms fo r A meric ans It is i nteresting that t he cou ntry’s fou nd ing fathe rs met an d sa w the need to h ave a constitution that pr otects and gua rantees the basic rights of each A mer ican Tho mas Je ffe rson, one of the fou nding fathe rs, f am ously said that h e w ould p refe r a country that is full of ne wspa pe rs but lac ks a gove rn ment. He re, he w as stating that A me rican’s r ights over ri de the needs of the gover n m ent
The fol lowi ng a re the five b asic f ree d oms that the First A men dm ent gua ran tees all Ame rica ns:
F reed om of Religio n Fo r ce nturies, the US has bee n refe rre d to as the “lan d o f the f ree ” What t his m eans is that A me ricans a re free to do w hatever they want T o this e nd, t he co nstitution th roug h the First A men d m ent of fers them the F ree do m of R eligion With it, t he gover nme nt is p ro hibited f rom pu nishi ng you for p racticing wh atever religion you co nsid e r a pp ro priate fo r you Ho wever, alt h ough y ou a re gua rantee d this free do m, you do not sac rifice any hu man being W hat is mo re, this free do m pro hibits
the govern ment fr om fo rcing any A me r ica n t o pr act ice a p art icula r kin d o f r eligion Th rough this gua rantee, y ou can w orsh ip th e deity of y our choice w ithout having to wo rry about bei ng r idicule d A dditio nally, you a re free to sue a nyone w ho ri dicules o r punishes you fo r pr acticing your p refe rr ed reli gion Witho ut the a men d ment, the gover nm ent w ould p robably have p ushed one rel igion do wn eve ryone ’ s th roat
F reed om of Speec h Seco ndly, the Fi rst A mend me nt guara n tees the Free do m o f S peech to all A mer icans W hat this mea ns is you a re f ree to sha re you r t houghts r egarding a ny issue un de r the e arth pub licly a nd o n a ny pl atfo rm As you do this, the co nstitution p rotects you f ro m bei ng subbjected to any fo r m of pu nish ment, especi ally by t he gover nme nt. Ho wever, ove r the years, the A mer ican c ourts h ave gra pp led with v ario us issues re ga rdi ng this gua ranteed f reed om
M ost critically, the cou rts h ave sought to d iscover or inter pret t he li mits of this f reed om Despite al l the l itigations r egarding this f reedo m i n the cou rts, Fi rst Ame nd ment pr ohibits the gover n m ent o r any o f its agencies f rom de ny ing you this right Neverthe less, the cou rts m ay dete rmi ne th at you have
abuse d this free do m i f you r sp eech th reatens the count ry th rough a clea r a nd p resent da nger
F reed om of the P ress
F reed om of the P ress sha res seve ral p ri nciples with F ree do m o f S peech. Ho wever, the cou rts h ave di ffe rentiated the two by p roh ibiting the gove rn ment
ro m ce nsori ng any inf ormatio n p rio r to p ublishi ng or w riting. W hat this mea ns is the gover nme nt can never fo rce a ny o ne inclu ding the m edia fr om pub lish ing a ny in fo rmatio n th at the public d
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• Jami e Morgan
Many Christians celebrate Halloween. Some churches and pastors even do. I recently saw a church advertising they were having a Zombie Run. Seriously? God's House? This pastor does not celebrate Halloween and neither does her church.
In a spirit of full disclosure, when I was a brand new believer, I allowed my son to go trick-or-treating. Part of the reason was because my husband was not yet saved and insisted, we do. The other part was because I did not see the harm in it. After all, many Christians I respected did it, so as a new Christian I justified that it must be OK. Right? Wrong!
As I grew closer to the Lord and gained more knowledge of His Word, I began to feel convicted about Halloween. I had thoughts like:
1. God is a God of life, but Halloween focuses on death. Should I celebrate a holiday where people decorate their front yards with tombstones?
2. The Scriptures tell us to put away deeds of darkness (Rom.13:12) and that light has nothing in common with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14). Is celebrating a dark holiday something a child of the light should be doing?
3. I had been delivered from fear and panic attacks and knew that fear comes from the enemy. Should I participate in a holiday that is afraid as its very foundation?
4. Witchcraft is clearly detestable to the Lord (Deut 18:10 13). Shouldn't something that glorifies witchcraft (just take a walk through the Halloween store) be detestable to me as well?"
5. Halloween is a sacred, high holiday for Wiccans (the official religion of witchcraft). Is this a holiday Christians should celebrate alongside Wiccans?
6. Is it cute when we dress our kids like the devil (or witches, ghouls, scary characters, etc.)? Isn't it, well, demonic?
7. What if my child dresses in a wholesome firefighter costume? Romans
16:19 says that we need to be wise to what is good and innocent of evil. If I let him participate in Halloween, even while dressed as a firefighter, aren't I sending him a mixed message by allowing him to participate in a celebration of evil?
8. The Lord said in 2 Cor. 6:17, "Come out from them and be separate ... Touch no unclean thing ..." Doesn't God want His children to be set apart from the
God's? Should not pleasing God be my utmost concern?
10. If there is even a question in my heart and mind that it might be wrong, shouldn't that be my first clue? Why would I continue to do so with even a lingering thought that it is wrong?
11. Does Halloween bring glory to God? No! It glorifies the devil! Nuff said.
So as a new believer, saved only two years, I responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repented of displeasing the Lord and put a stop to Halloween. And as a pastor, after observing firsthand the amount of destruction that the enemy brings into peoples' lives when they give him a foothold, I am even more convinced I made the right decision to close the door to the enemy and on this evil holiday.
Setting aside a day to celebrate evil, darkness, witchcraft, fear, death and the demonic brings disdain to God. Period. A Christian celebrating Halloween would be like a Satan worshiper putting up a nativity scene at Christmas while singing, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" The two just do not go together. Jesus has nothing in common with Satan (2 Cor. 6:14), and neither should we.
So, what did we do instead? Hide in the basement with the lights off? Hustle the family out of the house? No, darkened homes are the enemy's victory! Where does your light shine the brightest ... in the darkness!
Halloween is the one day a year when neighbors come to your door expecting to receive something. So, give them JESUS! Our family chose to give God the glory and the devil a black eye by reaching out to our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ! "You are the light of the world ... let your light shine among men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).
world and from sin and evil? Aren't we supposed to be peculiar people?
9. My extended family thinks it is ridiculous that we do not allow our son to dress up for Halloween. Should their opinions matter to me more than
So, stop justifying why it is fine to celebrate this demonic, worldly, evil holiday. There are no muddled lines or gray areas about it.
A committed follower of Jesus Christ should not celebrate Halloween
Martin Luther King Jr. "We are not makers of history. We are made by history." "Let no man pull you so low to hate him."
Martese Chism, a retired nurse and a Civil Rights Activist, grew up fighting for Justice. Martese Chism's, great grandmother was Birdia Keglar, spoke at marches in Selma , Alabama and worked with Dr King, Jr., was murdered, decapitated by the Klan 1966 for registering people to vote.
Maureen "Moe" Forte', the niece of the late civil rights leader Rev Fred L. Shuttlesworth,, beaten, water hosed, attacked by dogs, home bombed and stabbed, one of the right hand men to Rev Martin Luther King Jr., responsible for bringing King to Birmingham and also spoke at the 1963 March on Washington.
He wasn't scheduled.to speak, but Rev King asked Shuttlesworth to say a few words!
We are the Descendants of Freedom
We were sadden to see No Clergy, No Organizations, No Students, No Civil Rights Leaders, No Activists as we stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where in 1963, 200,000.people gathered for Voting Rights, Jobs, Education...
God asked who will go. We the Women of God answered the call and went and stood on the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial in honor of our ancestors with our Voices and celebrated the 59th Anniversary!
Fighters!
"Dr. King told us to keep moving."
On 8-28-22, Martese Chism and Maureen Moe Forté went to the Lincoln Monument to celebrate the 59th Anniversary of the March on Washington.
We got to keep moving until we Cancel Student Debt, win Medicare for All, Reproductive Rights, Climate Change, Housing for All, Reparations and Stop the Gun Violence. Qual ity Education, Voting Rights,
People of the United States this election reflects the racism and bigotry in this country. No longer is hatred camouflaged but frameworks political prejudices. Such outlandish offensive behaviors must be disallowed by
People of Color have political power and can effectively use that ability to benefit all people of the International
Youth and Elders now is the time to consider standing for virtue, morality, justice, and for the good of our chil-
