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VOL . 2/I SSUE 1
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" Bl ack Hi st or y an d Love" Febr uar y. W hat an outstanding m onth. So m any things to celebr ate and look for w ar d to. Aside fr om the obvious, Febr uar y is such a gr eat m onth for so m any r eason. Right off the hills of Januar y and the globe's com m em or ation and celebr ation of the life and legacy of Dr. M ar ting Luther King Jr., w e ar e eased r ight into the univer sal celebr ation of Black life, Black cultur e, Black notables, and the Black exper ience her e in Am er ica all together. And, yes w e know that you ar e Black 365 days of the year , and you, as your as w ell as your achievem ents ar e notew or thy far beyond one m onth. How ever , Febr uar y is also the tim e r ecognize and honor the lives, accom plishm ents, and sacr ifices of those fr om the past, pr esent, and futur e. Also, w e w ouldn't do this conver sation any justice if w e did not m ention tw o other m ajor events that occur in Febr uar y such as the Super bow l for our spor ts fanatics, and ever yone's favor ite, Valentine's Day. W ith that said, be sur e to check out our Black Histor y M onth tr ibute in this m onth's issue. We w ant you to feel pr oud of w ho you ar e, w ho God m ade you be, as w ell as acknow ledge your cultur al and histor ical her itage and lineage.
Also in this issue, r ead our featur e ar ticle Tonight's the Night, our ode to "Date Night", follow ed up by Popping the Question and Do Things W ith Class. We ar e definitely m aking a statem ent her e. Also, don't skip our Special Repor t on R&B m usic icon R. Kelly. We w ouldn't be a tr ue, and full-scope m agazine if w e couldn't r epor t on stor ies such as this and his cur r ent situation, yet still do so in a Godly, Chr istian, and Biblically speaking m anner . And finally, w e w ant you to sit back, r elax, and enjoy r eading this publication.
StephanieMaxwell- Robles Publisher/Editor- in- Chief
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS 1. EDITORIAL 2. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT 3. FAMILY VALUES COURTESY OF BLACK FAMILY MAGAZINE
4. POPPING THE QUESTION 5. DO THINGS WITH CLASS 6. GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED 7. SPECIAL REPORT: R. KELLY 8. BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTE 9. HAVE YOU TRIED GOD LATELY? 10. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
DATE NIGHT PG. 14
God Shall Not Be Mocked PG. 18
SPECIAL REPORT: R. Kel l y - W h at i n t h e w or l d h apped t o t h i s m an ? PG. 20
Black Hist or y M on t h Tr ibu t e! PG. 22
M ecca Black M en's M agazine, Febr uar y 2019, Vol. 2, No.2 is published m onthly, Š Copyr ight by Lanar e Publishing 2019. All r ights r eser ved. You m ay not m odify, publish, tr ansm it, par ticipate in the tr ansfer or sale of, cr eate der ivative w or ks fr om , distr ibute, display, r epr oduce or per for m , or in any w ay exploit in any for m at w hatsoever any of Lanar e Publishing's content, in w hole or in par t w ithout pr ior w r itten consent.
R. KELLY COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Nicholas Ballasy [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons
M ECCA BLACK M EN'S M AGAZINE
T ON IGH T 'S THE N IGH T ! Preserving RelationshipsThrough Pre-arranged Appointments - Yes, Date Night! by S.L.M. Robles Accor din g to www. cou pl esth er pyin c. com , "Date n igh t h el ps with com m u n ication . Th is is an essen tial el em en t of an in tim ate r el ation sh ip". As a Pastor , Ch r istian , an d som eon e wh o is al so m ar r ied, Date Nigh t is an occu r r en ce th at can an d does h el p m an y cou pl es to "pr eser ve" th e in tactn ess,
wh ol en ess, an d m aybe even , if h on est, th e in tegr ity of th eir m ar r iage.
N ot a Luxur y, A N ecessity by Dian n e Gr an d, Ph .d, "pl an n ed tim e togeth er ,wh eth er for a r om an tic din n er or a wal k on th e beach en h an ces you r fr ien dsh ip as wel l as you r em otion al con n ectedn ess".
Ju st as with you r ch il dr en , an d fam il y al togeth er ,I do bel ieve it is im por tan t to spen d qu al ity tim e al on e with you r spou se al so.
Sh e al so goes on fu r th er to say th at "fr ien dsh ip is a cr itical par t of an y com m itted r el ation sh ip". An d fin al l y,accor din g to Gr an d. " It
Qu al ity tim e is wh er e you r eal l y get to k n ow a per son . Accor din g to a r ecen t ar ticl e in Psych ol ogy Today,Date N ight: 16
m ak es for open an d h on est com m u n ication an d an assu m ption th at th e oth er per son "h as you r back ", an d "It is easier to addr ess a con fl ict with a spou se wh o is al so viewed as a fr ien d ver su s on seen as an d adver sar y (Gottm an , 1999)." Often tim es in ou r society,ju st as in th e Ch u r ch , em ph asis is m ain l y pl aced on gettin g m ar r ied itsel f, h owever ,n ot so
m u ch on h ow to m ain tain a su ccessfu l , h eal th y,an d h appy u n ion .
If you h aven 't don e a date n igh t, get star ted today, an d r em em ber , wh en ever It's n ice to k n ow spen din g tim e with th at a l ittl e extr a you r fam il y, tim e spen t, wh ich spou se, or l oved on e, it's n ot th e can al so be fu n , "qu an tity" (or cost) r om an tic, th at m atter s, bu t en joyabl e or th e "qu al ity" (val u e excitin g, can cr eated). cu l tivate a str en gth , r en ewed Never sen se of on en ess, u n der estim ate a an d wal k in th e par k , wel l -devel oped h ol din g h an ds on fr ien dsh ip in pu bl ic, or between a gr abbin g a cu p of h u sban d an d wife. coffee on a r ain y
day at you r favor ite l ocal , cafe or coffee sh op. Tak e tim e ou t to pl an for you r date n igh t, today!
P opping the Q uestion by S.L.M. Robles
It's February, and love is in the air. There's just something about this month. Even when considering the obvious, Valentine's Day. According to https://closeronline.co.u, Valentine's Day ranks number four as one of the most popular days to get engaged on. With that said, we wanted to offer a little Godly/Christian perspective if you are considering popping the question this year The Bible states, "W hat t herefore God hat h joined together, let no man put asunder" Mark 10:9
(KJV). Getting married is a wondrous, historical and joyous occasion. After you have potentially sought pre-marital counseling, and perhaps consulted with your Pastor, and most definitely the Lord, and are feeling confident altogether, move forward with you decision in positivity and love. Also, take note, it is very important that at this stage you don't allow the unsolicited opinions and advice of others to undermined or cloud your decision, especially after you have taken all of the necessary steps to support it.
You may not initially appreciate this analogy, however, getting married can be likened to purchasing a car . If you are very conscientious of your budget, wants, needs, and desire,you probably will consider all of the above to guide your choices. If money is no object and you can "spare no expense"you may approach it that way also. However, the truth being told, you will be ultimately blessed if you simply allow for the Lord to do the picking for you. As I have gotten older, and gained more wisdom, and knowledge, I have learned that marriage in and of itself is a ministry. So it is of my opinion that individuals planning on or desiring to get married need all the help they can get, from the Lord that is So again, after you have taken all the necessary as well
precautionary steps to ensure that you are not only ready to embark upon such a quest in life, but you are also able to handle everything that comes along with marriage such as love, commitment, fidelity and long suffering or patience. Now, if you've suddenly had this thought, and I must say that I wholeheartedly agree, "no one is perfect", which brings me to my next Scriptural Reference. "A threefold chord isnot quickly broken" Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV) As a married couple, the single most important thing that you can do is include God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (who are actually all the same) into your marriage, your household, you lives, and essentially all that you do, because yes, an threefold chord is not easily broken!
Do Things w it h Class and Decor um.
"GOD SHALL NOT BE MOCKED" "Be not deceived: God isnot mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to hisflesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8 (KJV)
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R. Kelly Wh at in t h e Wor ld Happen ed t o Th is M an ? by S.L.M. Robles Life does happen. And it seems like the closer it gets for Jesus Christ to return, the more we see the fallout within man kind.
review further what the rest of this verse goes on to say: "because thou hasrejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children".
This article was never intended to do a complete analysis of R. Kelly, nor a survey of his particular case, rather, to review some basic, Biblical principals that number one: you the reader should be aware of, and number two: having knowledge of one day may save your life.
This second half of the verse may be even more powerful than the first because it flat out states that man does not die because he never heard of or was never given the word of God, it states that man will seemingly perish by his own hands as a result of "rejecting" the knowledge given.
First off, the Bible teaches us, in regards to man, God's creation that: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hosea 4:6 (KJV). This Scripture Reference is so important because even the Father himself acknowledges that man will attribute to his own demised due to not knowing God's commands, God's precepts, God's expectations and ultimately God's will for his own life.
As Christians, I'm sure we can all attest to the fact that our walk with the Lord, at times, may not always seem easy, however, if you stick with God, we also know that that which the world could never give us, such as eternal peace, love, joy, happiness, fulfillment and total deliverance of a person, place, thing, or situation is bestowed upon
However, wait a minute, lets 28
PHOTO CREDIT: Nicholas Ballasy [CC BY-SA 4.0 ] via Wikimedia Commons
us, if you don't give up. And after all, and realistically, what choice do you have, if your desire is an expected place and end, in mind? And given the current subject/situation surrounding R. Kelly, you many ask yourself, and why, would man chose this?
for ourselves, and lastly but surely not least, allow our lives to be governed by God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, any man or woman for that matter, are at grave risk of falling into these same "diverse temptations".
The answer is simple, we live in a fallen world, and unless we are not careful to adhere to those commandments, precepts, Biblical principals and Godly expectations that are jam-packed throughout the word, in addition to reading and studying the word
However, if you do find yourself in diverse temptations, do like the book of James instructs and "Count it all joy" James 1:2 (KJV. ) In fact, to receive the absolute best instruction on this topic, read all of James 1.
CELEB
Th is Is Us!
30
BRATE
SOURCES 1) Not listed 2) Library of Congress 3) Nobel Foundation 4) Library of Congress [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 2) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Black_ People-_Historical_African-American_figures.png
3.) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_People-_ Historical_African-American_figures.png 4.) [[File:Black History Month luncheon 130219-F-PO402-461.jpg| thumb| Black History Month luncheon 130219-F-PO402-461]] 5.) [[File:Black History Month luncheon 130219-F-PO402-461.jpg| Black History Month luncheon 130219-F-PO402-461]]
6.) [[File:A black mother and child, Chicago. - NARA 556145.jpg| A black mother and child, Chicago. - NARA 556145]]
7.) [[File:BLACK MOTHER AND FATHER WITH THEIR EIGHT CHILDREN IN CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE GHETTO. ALTHOUGH FIGURES IN THE 1970 CENSUS... - NARA - 556173.jpg| BLACK MOTHER AND FATHER WITH THEIR EIGHT CHILDREN IN CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE GHETTO. ALTHOUGH FIGURES IN THE 1970 CENSUS... - NARA - 556173]]
8.) Shutterstock.com 37066289
9.) UNESCO [CC BY-SA 3.0-igo (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0-igo)], via Wikimedia Commons
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FAM ILY VALUES
Courtesy of Black Family Magazine!
By St eph an ie L. M axw ell-Robles Family Values...does your family have them? It is important to understand how values outlined as a set of rules and expectations impact our world and society. At best, family value is the underlining core and principals associated with living in a thriving, healthy, and satisfying world. We create value everyday. From the things we say to people, from the way we treat them, etc. Value determines something's worth. It determines how we hold that something in our precious little hands to mirror or marvel at. Value is ultimately what Jesus Christ did when he died on the cross showing and giving us the mind set that life matters, your life matters, and the way we treat people in this life time matters. Value is a measure of importance that we place upon a thing. How you value life will determine how you live it. If you value education , you will obtain it. If you value work, you will obtain employment. Values in life determine and set the structure of how our families will operate, also. Clear and distinct values are necessary for a thriving and successful culture. We must have an atmosphere of mutual respect to see each other's point of view and determine which is the best course of action to take. Wisdom will carry you a long way. If it is not demonstrated, it will not be obtained. We must teach our children the value of life through our values. Each life matter's and represents a fundamental unit in the grand scope of Gods will and purpose here on earth. Treat your family with regard, and love. Define what is important for you and your family and place it on your wall so that each parent, child, and additional family see what is important. "Train a child up in the way he should go, and when he isold, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) This message is so very important as it equates to the measure of wealth that is instilled in a child during the development process of the early years. We must teach our children this early. Value.
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PR AY ER FA I TH
HARD WORK
DIGNITY
RESPECT WISDOM PATIENCE FORGIVENESS
COM M ITM ENT
Have you tried God lately In all that you do?
Have you tried God lately To help guide you through
Have you tried God lately Instead of standing on your own
Have you tried God lately He still sits on the throne
Have you tried God lately?
Š 2019 By S. L. Maxwell-Robles
Have You Tr ied God Lat ely?
The Road Less Tr aveled Being a Christian today is not as easy as one thinks. The ridicule, the judgment, the mis-quoting and lack of reading the Bible, it stinks. But no one can out-give, out-restore, nor out-pay the way God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit can help you parlay. Those with a real testimony know what I'm talking about. Others until now have experienced him vicariously, But still have to scream and shout . Therefore, whatever space, time, or position that your in today, Just know, without a shadow of a doubt It is the road that is less traveled that is real, true, and the only way.
Š 2019 By S. L. Maxwell-Robles
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