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ISSUE #40
AUGUST 2016 TEL: 718 684 2510 EMAIL: info@tcjonline.org WEBSITE: www.tcjonline.org
Hillary Clinton Defined her historic moment
Priest Charged with Solicitation of a Prostitute
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10 Details on page 22
STARTING AT
Three Nigerians Executed for Drug Crimes Page 7
Calvary Deliverance Christian Assembly Int’l Church
presents
MIRACLE
TRANSFIGURATION HOUR EVERY SATURDAY
AUGUST 6, 13, 20, 27 Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm VENUE: 737-739 Concourse Village West Bronx, NY 10451
Bishop Dr. Peter Owusu Ansah
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Directions: By Car: Major Deagan Expwy to Grand Concourse By Train: 2, 4 & 5 train to 149th St (Grand Concourse Station) By Bus: BX 1 bus to E 156th street (Grand Concourse) walk on Grand Concourse until you get to 153rd St., turn right on Concourse Village West. The Church is right after the parking lot.
Small, Thoughtful Gestures Make a Big Difference “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14b NLT, second edition). When you’re ministering to a friend who is dying, you should give your physical presence to your friend but also give practical assistance. What does that mean? It means you do whatever needs to be done to help your friend, and you also help in small but practical ways.
You show compassion when you cut them some slack and extend kindness and patience to them. Why is this important? Because another one of the fears that people have when they’re dying is the fear of losing control. First they couldn’t drive. Now they can’t walk or get out of bed or use the bathroom on their own.
People who are dying usually don’t feel good. They are often in pain. You can give comfort by attending to the small things that could make a big difference. Do they want the lights on or off? Can you get some ice chips? Do they need a backrub? You show love by offering practical assistance to relieve pain and discomfort.
You can minister to people who are dying simply by being aware of their needs but also giving them choices in how those needs are addressed. Every time you give them a choice, you give control back to them. “Would you like your slippers on or off?” “Would you like for me to change the channel? What would you like to watch?” “Would you like your breakfast now or later?”
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to suggest things. The Bible says, “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT, second edition).
Sometimes the smallest gesture or thoughtful assistance can make the biggest impact on someone who is facing death. Your presence is a ministry in itself, and so is your compassion through practical assistance.
When people are in pain, they don’t feel happy. When people are dying, they often get cranky because they don’t feel well.
Adapted from Pastor Rick Warren Devotional
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WORTHY NEWS
Iraqi Christians Risk Being Killed by ISIS Pope says Attacks Shows 'World is at War', as Church Leaders Debate Whether to Religion not to Blame Stay or Flee Worthy News
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ope Francis has said that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in France, was proof that the "world is at war". However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. "The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war," he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. "Let's recognize it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces," he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. "Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organized and it is war," he said. "We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace.”
About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted "to clarify" that he was not referring to a war of religion. "Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war," he said. "All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?" he said. He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, "a saintly priest", but said he was just one of many innocent victims. He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the
Pope on.
Muslim Extremist Question Legally of Catholic Prayer site
he Islamic Society Forum (FUI) contested a church’s legally obtained permit establishing a Catholic place of prayer. This permit is issued by the government to provide Catholics and Christians a place to pray in private and in a group. However, individuals from FUI claimed the permit was not eligible and demanded that Bari*, the prayer venue’s Chief of Development, ceases any plans of expansion.
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“Even if we win the case, we doubt the prayer venue can still function or proceed with its expansion plan, looking back at the case of Yasmin and Philadelphia churches [whose legal permits were also revoked]. If we don’t fight back [through legal means], all of our efforts will go in vain,” said Ani*, a member of the National Unity Alliance, who has been standing by Bari’s side during the permit’s process and trial.
The prayer venue is an open space for prayer. The process to become a prayer venue takes five years and is extensive. This particular venue had just received their permit this year. Yet, Muslim extremists found a way to revoke the permit. The court honored the FUI’s demands for a review of the permit, and are not in the process of a second hearing.
Although the prayer room is still functioning, people using the venue in large numbers could jeopardize the case.
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Please pray for a just trial for Bari and the prayer venue. Pray that Bari has strength as he is under a watchful eye of people rooting against him and the prayer venue.
C
haldean Christians are caught in the middle of a "furious debate" over whether they should stay in their ancestral home in Iraq despite the ongoing genocide at the hands of the Islamic State terror group, or flee as refugees. Fox News reported Thursday that the debate is causing fractions within the C h a l d e a n c o m m u n i t y, w i t h Baghdad-based Patriarch Sako, who aligns with Pope Francis and the Vatican, urging Christians to stay put and not to abandon their homeland despite the atrocities being carried out by IS. The other side of the debate is spearheaded by Bishop Sarhad Jammo, who has called on Chaldeans to flee for their own survival. Mark Arabo, the national spokesperson for the AmericanChaldean community and founder of the California-based Minority Humanitarian Foundation, who sides with Jammo, has called on the United States government to step up its efforts to help relocate and resettle Christians. "We wanted to ensure that people who wanted to leave had the means to do so, but we also supported those who wished to stay," Arabo said. He added that Christians simply have no other choice but to seek refugee status. "You cannot preserve a culture when the people are being systematically exterminated," he added. "During genocide, politics must be an afterthought to the lives of Christian families." Sako warned, however, that a large exodus will lead to Christianity disappearing from its ancestral lands. "A Christian community that was born in these lands cannot organize
exodus trips that will mark its distinction," Sako has said. Other Christian leaders, such as Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III, have also spoken out on the issue, and warned that if Christians flee in masses as refugees, the religion will be wiped out from the region. "The almost communal wave of youth emigration, especially in Syria, but also in Lebanon and Iraq breaks my heart, wounding me deeply and dealing me a deadly blow," Gregorios said in 2015. "Given this tsunami of emigration ... what future is left for the Church? What will become of our homeland? What will become of our parishes and institutions?" he asked. The IS-led genocide of Christians and other religious minorities has had a devastating impact on local Christian communities, with Christians in Iraq declining from 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 275,000 today. The terror group has in some cases been forcing Christians to choose between their lives and converting to Islam, or giving them the option to pay a very high tax. Juliana Taimoorazy, a Chaldean Catholic and ethnic Assyrian, said in April that Christians both in Iraq and Syria are on the "brink of extinction." "We gave a lot to Christianity as Eastern Christians, and we gave a lot to humanity as the Assyrian people: Our history is 6,700 years old, and we established the first library in the world, among other contributions," added Taimoorazy, who is the executive director and founder of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.
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COMMUNITY NEWS Ghanaian Woman killed while driving to work at Worcester
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Ghanaian family is mourning after 48year-old Joana Nyarko died in a car crash. Joana Nyarko was driving her Jaguar to the supermarket where she works as a baker when she apparently lost control and crashed into several other vehicles. Benidict Atta, a friend of the family, happened to be riding his bike in the area at the time of the crash, he said
Nyarko's car appeared to accelerate as at it came down the Whipple Street hill. “It was coming very fast and I could tell she was panicking and grinding her feet and moving her right hand trying to reach for something,” Atta said. Worcester police tell FOX25 Nyarko was also honking her horn before she collided with three other vehicles. “That tells you who she is if even something was
going to happen to her she didn't want to get others involved. By honking it was to warn people there was danger and please speed off,” a family friend Raymond Ansong said. Nyarko's car flipped and she was thrown through the front windshield. Her husband John said he used the car earlier in the day and he can't fathom what went wrong. “I think it's in the hands of the almighty God,” he said.
Three Nigerians Executed for Drug Crimes BBC
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ndonesia has carried out the executions of four drug convicts, including three foreigners. Australia briefly withdrew its ambassador from Indonesia in protest over the execution of its The Indonesian man and three Nigerians were citizens, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. killed by firing squad shortly after midnight local Cases of concern time (17:00 GMT) at the Nusakambangan prison Those executed on Friday have been named as island. Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Nigerians Seck A further 10 convicts who had been expected to be Osmane, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike and Michael killed had a last-minute stay of execution. Titus Igweh. Amnesty International condemned the killings as a Relatives had gathered at the prison earlier in the “deplorable act” that violated local and day to say final goodbyes. international law. In the early morning, ambulances returned to the Indonesia’s Deputy Attorney-General Noor mainland carrying the prisoner’s bodies to be Rachmad said it was “not a pleasant thing but it was returned to their relatives for funerals. to implement the law”. Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve “The executions are only aimed at halting drug given to the other 10 inmates, but island was hit by crimes,” he said, adding that the rest “will be a major storm as the other executions took place. carried out in stages”. Those awaiting executions include three Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug Indonesians, a Pakistani, an Indian, one laws, and has faced intense criticism Zimbabwean and four other Nigerians. internationally for resuming executions. Activists have been particularly concerned by the In April 2015, the execution of 14 drug convicts, cases of the Pakistani man, Zulfiqar Ali – who they mostly foreigners, was widely criticised.
say was beaten into confessing to heroin possession – and an Indonesian woman, Merri Utami – who says she was duped into becoming a drug mule. Ricky Gunawan, lawyer for Humphrey Jefferson Ejike, said the execution process was “a complete mess”. “No clear information was provided to us about the time of execution, why only four [were executed] and what happens to the 10 others,” he told AFP. A number of Europeans on death row for drug offences, including Frenchman Serge Atlaoui and British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, seem likely to avoid execution. Indonesian President Joko Widodo vowed to take a hard line against drug trafficking when he was elected in 2014, saying he would not compromise over death sentences to convicted drug dealers. This is the third round of executions under Mr Widodo.
Surgeon Operates man by roadside
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Ghanaian doctor based in Perth, Australia, Dr. Kwasi Yeboah, has been making the headlines across the globe after he performed roadside surgery without anaesthesia on a man involved in a fatal road accident. The victim known as Simon was returning to Perth when the unfortunate incident took place and was critically injured with multiple broken bones and a punctured lung. Dr. Kwasi Yeboah, a registrar at the Royal Perth Hospital, was the saviour on the day when he chanced upon the accident after missing his turn in search of mangoes at a mango farm. Having come across the victim, who was in a critical situation, Dr. Yeboah believed the only decision was to operate him right there if there was any chance of
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him surviving. “I was going to find mangoes to buy on a mango farm and I think I missed my turning or I couldn't find the sign so I kept driving north. “It was chaotic and hard to describe as there were cars driving past and people pulling up as well and at a distance running across the road, I didn't think he will make it. “At that time the assessment was that he had a tension pneumothorax which is a life threatening condition and could be fatal. “He was deteriorating before our eyes, his blood pressure was going down, his heart rate was rising, his oxygen level was dropping, and I thought he was going to die. “Anything you do for a patient is a calculated risk and
at that time it was a calculated risk that had to be made within seconds. “He was going to have a cardiac arrest so I said to him, mate I am going to do something which is going to hurt, but it will save your life, then he put his hand on my knee and said go for it. The Helicopter “When he was ready for transfer back into the helicopter, he deteriorated again so he kept saying doc doc doc you've got to do something so I run back, and they took him out of the ambulance unto the road and then I had to open up his chest again through the old wound to let out the air trapped in his chest.” The victim after four months is still in a wheelchair and is expected to walk again.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
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Hillary Clinton historic moment
A
s Hillary Clinton playfully batted away an avalanche of balloons Thursday night, she appeared proud, happy and reconciled to her historic moment. She had accepted the Democratic n o m i n a t i o n w i t h " h u m i l i t y, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise," taking her place as the first woman to lead a major presidential ticket on a night pulsating with emotion. "When there are no ceilings," she declared, "the sky's the limit." Her speech lacked the poetic sweep of the President Barack Obama's address Wednesday, but it was in keeping with someone who presents herself as a practical, dogged, policy-oriented striver who gets knocked down and then gets straight back up. The choice she defined for the nation in 2016 is stark: a "moment of reckoning." The former first lady, senator and secretary of state set her sights on the White House and blasted Republican nominee Donald Trump, portraying him as a small man who got rich by stifling workers, who peddles fear and who lacks the temperament to be
commander-in-chief.
she could be trusted.
She quickly reached out to disappointed Bernie Sanders voters at the end of a convention dedicated to healing the deep rift from their contentious primary race. With the Vermont senator watching from the arena, Clinton told his supporters: "I've heard you. Your cause is our cause." Chelsea Clinton embraces role in her mother's campaign President Barack Obama congratulated Clinton at the conclusion of her speech. "Great speech," he tweeted. "She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)" In the audience, Clinton supporters were moved to tears, including 16year-old Victoria Sanchez. "This is more than I ever could have imagined," she said. "I know that I have just lived history and I can follow in her footsteps. This changes my entire life." After a lifetime in a polarizing political spotlight that has left her with plenty of enemies and dented approval ratings, Clinton set out to prove to voters that
She avoided any show of contrition for controversies like the one over the private email server she used for official business while secretary of state that has again provoked questions about her honesty and integrity among many voters. Instead, she presented herself as a dedicated and indefatigable fighter for children, the disabled, blue-collar workers, women and the poor, while promising a backbone of steel as she vowed to take out ISIS. Throughout a speech punctuated by roars of applause and watched by a misty-eyed former President Bill Clinton, she repeatedly returned to attack Trump -- who laid out a much darker vision of America's future at his own convention last week. "Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes," Clinton said. "Most of all, don't believe anyone who says: 'I alone can fix it,' " a reference to a part of Trump's acceptance speech last week.
Dedicated fighter
Highlife musician Daasebre Gyamenah is dead
A
Daasebre Dwamena
ce highlife musician Daasebre Gyamenah is reported dead. He was said to have died in Accra Friday morning. The Koforidua based music legend was said to have died after an illness. At Korle Nkwanta in Koforidua in the Eastern region where Daasebre had his personal house located on a hill, his brothers and friends gathered amidst wailing when news of the death got to them. One of his friends, Francis Amevor, aka area Commando and a neighbour Brother Kwame told Accra based radio
station, Pluzz FM that they were devastated by the news. Gyamenah spent most of his time in Koforidua but occasionally visited his wife and children in Tema. He was recently in the news accusing radio stations for the inability of his latest album Yenfii Ta to do as well as he had wanted to on the market and blamed the radio stations for not playing his songs. “Some radio stations are pro-Lumba and pro-Amakye Dede so although the radio stations have my songs, they have refused to play them but I know my
work speaks for itself. If an artiste does not have money to promote his works, does that mean he should not receive the due recognition?” he queried in an interview with the Graphic Showbiz newspaper. Yenfii Ta was released in 2015 and there were indications he was about releasing another album this year. Gyamenah shot to fame in 1999 in the 'Kokooko' hit song collaboration with Hiplife rapper Lord Kenya and late earned the nickname 'Ahoofe' handsome paddy.
Priest Charged with Solicitation of A Prostitute
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hen it comes to prostitution, the law is a little funny—while prostitution is not a crime in most jurisdiction (sex in exchange of money), solicitation stays as a crime in these jurisdiction. According to police press release, “investigation into the solicitation of prostitution in Hamburg, resulted in the arrest of a man from Page County” and this man is Rev. Dominic Yamoah, 40 years Page 8
old. The reports say, Rev. Dominic Yamoah “tried to persuade an undercover source to perform sexual acts in exchange for money.” Yamoah, a priest at the Saint Clare Parish, in Clarinda, and St. Joseph Parish in Villisca, was arrested and taken to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center where he was charged with solicitation. “His bond was set at $2,000. The Iowa State
Patrol assisted in conducting the investigation.” Perhaps we should also mention that, a former US intelligence chief who's retired and is currently writing a book, has revealed that over 80% of the files discovered on the computers they seized from ISIS extremists contain porn. There seems to be blatant hypocrisy in the house of God….
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church and ministry United Methodist church elects
First openly gay bishop despite marriage ban The Guardian
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he western district of the United Methodist church (UMC) has elected an openly gay bishop, despite its ban on same-sex relationships. The Rev Karen Oliveto was elected late in the evening at a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, of the church's western jurisdiction.
has 12.7 million members worldwide and remains deeply divided over LGBTI rights. Though same-sex marriages have been legal across the US since a Supreme Court decision in June 2015, Methodist rules say “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
In remarks published on the UMC website, Oliveto said: “Today we took a step closer to embody beloved community and while we may be moving there, we are not there yet. We are moving on to perfection.”
Several regional districts, however, have appointed gay clergy and allowed same-sex weddings. Some such cases have led to trials under the church legal system. In June, Matt Berryman, executive director of the Methodist LGBTI advocacy group Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), told the website ThinkProgress: “Three [openly gay] candidates being nominated is yet another indication that there is a groundswell of grassroots movement within the church to remedy inequality.”
The president of the UMC's council of bishops said the election raised “significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity”. The leader of an evangelical group within the church said the result could lead “to the brink of schism”. Oliveto, 58, one of three gay clerics nominated to become bishops, is pastor of Glide Memorial United Methodist church in San Francisco, which describes itself as “a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization”. She is the first openly gay bishop in the UMC, which
The RMN greeted the election of Oliveto “with great joy” as “an historic moment” that “breaks through anti-LGBTQ law in the UMC and carries queer people to the highest levels of church leadership”. In a statement however, Bruce R. Ough, president of the UMC council of bishops, said: “Reverend
Oliveto has been described as 'an openly lesbian clergyperson'. This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity. “Our Book of Discipline has clearly delineated processes in place for resolving issues even as complex and unprecedented as this election.” The Rev Rob Renfroe, president of Good News, an evangelical organization which seeks to uphold the UMC's stance on homosexuality, said: “If the western jurisdiction wanted to push the church to the brink of schism, they could not have found a more certain way of doing so.” The other gay clerics nominated for election were the Rev Frank Wulf and the Rev David Meredith. Wulf, pastor of United University Church in Los Angeles, withdrew from the ballot by which Oliveto was elected. Meredith, from Cincinnati and at the center of church controversy over his own same-sex marriage, was not successful in elections in the north central jurisdiction.
Zambia: Opposition Parties Hail Church
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wo opposition political parties have praised efforts by the Church to pray for peace and unity in the country, and have promised to firmly deal with their members who engage in violence. United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president for politics Canisius Banda, who was among political leaders during the national day of prayers at the Lusaka showground main arena, reaffirmed his party's commitment to upholding peaceful elections. Dr Banda said the UPND was grateful to the Church for bringing Zambians together at the prayer gathering regardless of political affiliations. "We are happy that the Church is working hard to unite Zambians and, as a party, we are condemning
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political violence because we want peace and unity to prevail," Dr Banda said. He said the party leadership was restraining its cadres from committing any acts of violence and promised to carry out peaceful campaigns ahead of the August 11 general elections. United National Independence Party (UNIP) deputy secretary general Alfred Banda hailed President Edgar Lungu for being among the political leaders at the prayer gathering. Reverend Banda said UNIP was dismayed with escalating violence being perpetuated by cadres from different political parties and called for an end to the vice. He said it would not help any political party to use its members to cause anarchy to amass support ahead of
the polls when the country was enjoying peace and unity. President Lungu on Sunday led Zambians in prayers for peace and unity with an appeal to politicians to bury their differences and campaign within the rule of law as a way of curbing political violence. Mr Lungu called on all political party leaders to advise their members to restrain themselves from retaliation when they were provoked. "To all my fellow political leaders, let us remember that Zambia is bigger than any candidate. Therefore, let us respect and operate within the rule of law. "All of us have a responsibility to maintain our unmatched record as a beacon of peace," the President said.
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Thousands register for mass wedding in Nigeria
AFRICAN NEWS
ore than 10,000 Muslim women have registered their desire to be married at a mass ceremony in Nigeria's northern city of Kano, religious official Abba Sufi has told me.
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therefore, turned to the Hizba for help. Others said they had turned down marriage proposals because they couldn't afford the cost of a wedding and have now decided to marry at the Hiza-organised ceremony.
The Hizba board, the main Islamic authority in the predominantly Muslim state, arranges the ceremony in a bid to reduce the number of single women.
Mr Sufi, who is a senior Hiza member, told me he expected the number of women seeking to marry to rise by the time the next ceremony takes place.
It introduces the women to possible husbands and leaves them to make the final decision. Some of the women told me they had searched but couldn't find a suitable partner. They had,
No date for it has still been set. A total of 5,000 men and women have been married since mass weddings were introduced in Kano in 2012.
GAMBIA
Gambia and Tanzania outlaw child marriage
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he Gambia and Tanzania have banned child marriage, with tough penalties for those who breach the rulings. Gambia's President Yayha Jammeh announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years. In Tanzania, the high court imposed a landmark ruling outlawing marriage under the age of 18 for boys and girls. Some 30% of underage girls are married in The Gambia, while in Tanzania the rate is 37%.
Before the Tanzania ruling, girls as young as 14 could marry with parental consent, while it was 18 for boys. The BBC's Tulanana Bohela in Dar es Salaam says this is a big win for child rights groups and activists, who will now have an easier time rescuing girls from child marriage. The case was brought by lobby group Msichana Initiative. Gambia's President speaking at the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan, said parents and imams who perform the
ceremonies would also face prison. "If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see," he warned. Women's rights campaigners have welcomed the ban, however some say that it would be better to engage with local communities to try to change attitudes towards child marriage instead of threatening families with prison sentences, "I don't think locking parents up is the answer... it could lead to a major backlash and sabotage the ban," Isatou Jeng of the women's rights organisation Girls Agenda told the
Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the Gambian capital, Banjul. In December last year, Mr Jammeh also outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM), with a prison sentence of up to three years for those that ignored the ban. He said the practice had no place in Islam or in modern society. Three-quarters of women in the mostly Muslim country have had the procedure, according to Unicef.
GHANA
There’s also hardship in America - Minister
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he Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, has advised critics of the economy to stop criticizing every move of the government because there is hardship everywhere including America and the United Kingdom. In an interview with Atinka
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News, Nii Laryea AfoteyAgbo mentioned that critics especially the political opponents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have stopped talking about the developments in the country and have resorted to so-called hardship in the country as a yardstick in measuring the government’s performance .
He stated that Ghana is doing very well compared to other countries on continent. He mentioned that other countries rely on bank loans to pay salaries of workers but Ghana doesn’t . According to Nii AfoteyAgbo, Ghanaian workers are paid every month and that developmental projects are
going smoothly which we should be proud of. He stressed that Ghanaians need to work hard in order to ensure the growth of the country because Ghana is not going through any difficult times.
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EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS A SHEPHERD
Pastor Tim Godwins " And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them
many things. Mark 6:34 The above scripture tells that Jesus could not overlook the state of the people because he knows how dangerous a destiny could be when one is without a shepherd. Just like in the natural no matured sheep can look after itself, in same vain no believer is too matured not to be without a shepherd. If a believer does not have a shepherd he has become a destitute and living at a risk Many believers do not fulfill their destiny because they lack a God ordained shepherd over their lives these are a few reasons among others why
every believer needs a shepherd. 1.To ensure availability of pasture (spiritual meal) for the Sheep. The primary job of a shepherd is to feed the sheep. Since no one, outgrows feeding, none can outgrow the need for a shepherd. (1 Peter 5:1-2, Acts 20:28) 2.To ensure protection always, since every believer is a sheep sent among wolves (Matthew 10:16). Note that the security of a sheep is only guaranteed by a shepherd; the sheep cannot defend himself against the wolves. 3.To ensure proper care.
Killing In America I
don't know how to write a column on this theme except to say, stop, stop, please stop the killing.
Killing somebody is the not the answer. Killing people because of race, gender, religion, or for any reason under the sun is wrong. Killing does not eliminate problems. Killing does not solve family or neighborhood squabbles. Yet, we kill all the time. America is a nation of killers. We're all about killing, killing and killing. Do we want to start counting all the people killed in all the wars just in the last couple of hundred years? How many have we killed on foreign soil? How many have been gunned down in Chicago in the last ten years? When you start adding up the deaths during the last ten years in school shootings, theatre shootings, nightclub shootings, alleged wrongful shootings by police and police themselves, it goes on and on. People are sentenced to prison or sometimes the death chamber because of killing. People are filled with rage over somebody they love being killed and want to kill the person who killed their loved one. People who are emotionally able to reach a point in their lives
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TOTAL REDEMPTION Hebrews 13:17, Ezekiel 34:10 4.To ensure fulfillment of destiny (Jeremiah 3:15-16) A God ordained shepherd and a spiritual home awaits you at Pastor Tim Godwins is the S e n i o r P a s t o r o f To t a l Redemption Ministries Inc Located at 3432 – 05 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx NY SERVICE TIME: 3:00PM6:00PM EACH SUNDAY PHONE: 917-519-8140 / 3148593971
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where they can sleep and even forgive someone who murdered a loved one, do so often after years of emotional, spiritual and psychological help. Many are never able to reach this point in their lives.
If somebody assaulted your child, spouse, parent, sibling or friend you would be filled with hurt and rage. If somebody tries to enter my house and hurt our family I will utilize one of my handguns and shoot with the intent to kill. My hope and prayer is that it never happens. I'm sure that is your hope and prayer as well. Somehow we must ingrain this hope and prayer in every American, the hope to never hurt of kill. Old time church preachers used to preach about "Thou Shalt Not Kill and love your neighbor as yourself." Most of America's churches gave that up a long time ago. Today, the focus of the church is entertainment, and creating a feel good environment. Churches used to send missionaries around the world preaching, "Thou Shalt Not Kill and to love God and love your neighbor." When I was a child I used to read, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" written everywhere. I saw it in such places as public classrooms, courthouses and even Sunday school walls at church. For some crazy
reason America started thinking that the Ten Commandments were offensive and that the sixth commandment was no longer necessary. Having the sixth commandment posted throughout America was a lot less offensive than this killing that's going on in our country. The sixth commandment did not prevent killings. Black people were still treated cruelly and even murdered with the sixth commandment posted everywhere. A chapter and verse is not a cure all and even stupid if we just ignore it. In the days when Thou Shalt Not Kill was written people were killed all over the Middle East and it hasn't stopped. Somehow we have to get to the hearts of people and that means all races, nationalities, genders and religions have to quit hating, biting and fighting. The Golden Rule says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." If all churches, communities, religions, political parties, race groups, gender groups and the whole world would just truly embrace this principle then the world would do much better. Bad stuff would stop and so would the killing.
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Not by Might
By Dr. Steve Danso
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echnology has made life better. From computers to telephones to satellites and cars to the internet, it has enhanced man's imagination and inquisitive character, leading to important innovations and discoveries. Thanks to technology, many people today have become efficient in executing complex tasks. A troubling trend of this advancement however, is its appeal to many believers, whose quest for instant spiritual gratification lead them to artificial adventures that promise spiritual enrichment and maturity. There is nothing wrong when people explore various avenues to get things done. It is part of how God created us to function in this world. Whether it is browsing the web for information on a research project, assembling a shelf or planning how to maintain a beautiful backyard, the desire to get things done is a craving we all have. But when it comes to things of the spirit, dwelling on one's own strength to get things done is
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a different ballgame altogether. God is a Spirit and we worship Him in Spirit. This suggests that we cannot rely on our own strength without the help of the Holy Spirit. God made this clear in Jeremiah 17:5, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” The Godfearing King of Judah, Jehoshaphat, took this to heart. During his reign, he faced the attack of the enemy. This attack came from nations that had nursed hostility against Judah over the years with memories of slights and anger. Before the attack, King Jehoshaphat received the message: “A vast army is coming against you from beyond the Dead Sea, from Edom, and behold, they are in H a z a z o u - t a m a r, w h i c h i s Engedi” (2nd Chronicles: 20:2).
Incensed by the threat, the king asked his people to fast and seek the face of the Lord and during the fast, the Lord revealed to Jahaziel, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's” (vs. 15). The Scripture says as the people sang and praised the Lord, confusion erupted among the enemies and they fought and killed themselves. Jehoshaphat was one of God's
FILLING UP favorite Kings and knew that God's favor was upon him, yet, he didn't second-guess the might of the enemy. He admitted their inadequacy and sought God's intervention. The Word tells us in Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” When the Lord charged Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, little did they anticipate that tough hurdles awaited them on the journey. Day after the day, night after night, fear hung over them in a pall as real as acrid smoke that wafts from a burning bush, but the Lord kept them marching on with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God's power stymied all hurdles on their methodical march to freedom. We encounter so much in the spiritual realm that keeping God out of our focus in times of trials and tribulations is not the best way to live. “He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). In Him, we find an omnipresent God, whose grace and mercy are new every morning and never ceases. And as He assures us, His arm is not short to save, nor is His ear too deaf to hear. What a friend we have in Christ!
is in you than he that is in the world.” God has such power that no force or innovative tool on earth can stand Him. Our humanly efforts to reach our goals and desires would be doomed to fail until we come to terms with His might and die to all efforts of the flesh. Under intense pressure by the Egyptians, God assuaged the fears of the Israelites, “The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together” (Isaiah 31:3). This is how our God functions. He made it clear to the Israelites that all victory depends on nothing else, but Him alone. We have a God who never fails. Let us learn to lean on Him in the midst of our overwhelming struggles, remembering His Word to Zechariah: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).
We discount His power when we fail to acknowledge His presence in our lives. The Scriptures say in 1st John 4:4: “Greater is He that
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HIV Treatment Lagging in West Africa HEALTH
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he prevalence of HIV/AIDS is relatively low in West Africa compared to the rest of Africa, but treatment rates there are equally low, say activists and health care workers. In Ivory Coast, about two-thirds of people living with HIV/AIDS are not on antiretroviral treatment. Stéphane Alliali Dié Kouamé walks one neighborhood in Abidjan every day to visit people living with HIV/AIDS. "I encourage you to take your treatment so you can get better. Have they already done the last test for the child?" Kouamé asks a woman holding a baby. "No, but I have the first one," the woman replies. "And what did it say? Oh, negative," Kouamé remarks. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can reduce mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy and
birth. Kouamé works for the local NGO Lumière Action, which runs a treatment center nearby. He says people fall out of treatment for many reasons. Some become discouraged. Some become misguided by charlatans touting cures. Others don't have enough money to pay for transport to the clinic. And then, there is the stigma. "Just last week, a couple came to the clinic and they recognized one of the nurses, so they didn't want to come back to get their treatment. They asked me to bring it to them," Kouamé said. "They stigmatize themselves sometimes." The clinic also offers free HIV tests. Ivory Coast made antiretroviral medications free in 2008.Since then, the percentage of people on ARV's has doubled to about 30
percent, but aid groups say that is still too low. Low ARV Stocks Clinics frequently run out of stock. "For first line treatment, there is no problem. But for the second line, there are always stocks outs. We are people living with HIV/AIDS. We are told we have a lifelong treatment to follow. We cannot understand that today there are stock outs," says Leontine Sidye of RIP PLUS, a coalition of 68 local NGO's working on HIV/AIDS.
"We could better the situation by producing the ARV's locally. Not necessarily within the country, but within the sub-region. That could lower the costs," says Tamsir Sall, a UNAIDS representative in Ivory Since last year, an alert system has Coast. been implemented. When a clinic runs out of stock, it contacts RIP About 80 percent of ARV's used in PLUS. The group gets in touch with Africa are imported from abroad the Ivorian authorities to try to get and many countries are pushing to the medicine. produce locally. South Africa recently announced the creation of a Treatment with antiretroviral drugs s t a t e - o w n e d c o m p a n y t o can slow the virus' spread in the manufacture ARV's there. body and delay the onset of AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs or ARV's, in
Ghana's returnee migrants: 'stigma of failure'
T
hey left Ghana in search of a better life. Some got as far as Libya only to be forced to return. There are Ghanaian returnee migrants who are bitter at seeing their dreams shattered. Others are more pragmatic. In Tamale, capital of Ghana's Northern Region, there are more than a thousand deported migrants. Most returned from Libya empty-handed and found rebuilding their lives a challenge.
Ivory Coast are financed by initiatives like The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), along with the government, but the demand remains high and so is the cost.
feels he took a wrong turning in his life by leaving for Libya. His contemporaries at school, who stayed behind, are now better off than he is. "My mates, those who were back home here, they have educated themselves well and got jobs," he said.
Immigration "They were rather complaining that I came without money," he said. Extra money for the family In northern Ghana, families tend to encourage their sons to migrate, hoping they will soon receive remittances. But those sons who have left and come back want to spread the message that this sort of thinking can be a costly mistake. It's an uphill task because many young Ghanaians believe life abroad really is better.
Mashood says he now has to live with the stigma of failure, which doesn't make reintegration into Ghanaian society any easier. The returnees are also given a Every week a group of Ghanaian Libya frosty reception by local residents. returnees meet in a park in Tamale under "The community doesn't trust us," he "I want to go outside and further my the shade of the trees. Umar Mashood said. studies, because in outside countries as a regrets having gone to Libya. student they motivate you with some "I went for money. I did not get money. I Mashood was in Libya while fighting allowances, but in Ghana there is nothing only suffered and came back," he told was raging. But his relations were like that," one young man told DW. DW. unimpressed that he managed to get out Another returnee, Mawiya Issah, also of the country alive.
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