Wednesday, February 1, 2023
We had our regular Morning Lifeline Prayer, Scripture Reading, Affirmations, Testimonies, and viewing the world.
Our first thought in the Morning Affirmation for the week:
The Lord is blessing me right now
I believe God
I am abundantly blessed and eternally grateful
This is our standard capturing the first thoughts in the morning affirmation. Our weekly meditation was I met with one of my typist assistants, Ms. Sharman Blake. We worked on computerizing my old speeches, sermons, articles, etc. This Wednesday we worked on a sermon I preached a long time ago entitled, The Demonic in Systems and Institutions.
My other typist assistant, we worked on computerizing prayers from the past. In the evening we had Timbuktu Learning Center, our teacher Sis. Leslie’s subject this Wednesday was healing through herbs, spices, and organic foods in comparison to healing via traditional methods of medicines.
She makes it very clear every Wednesday that she is providing information and that persons should check with their doctors or caregivers before making any change in their eating habits.
She has had phenomenal success as evidenced by persons who call in testifying to the success of their life changes as a result of taking heed to the information she provides.
Thursday, February 2, 2023
We had our usual morning prayer, telephone ministry and business. For a portion of the day, it is set aside to deal with telephone calls which include business and counseling, also prayer. This particular Thursday, I would like to tell you an interesting experience which is kind of instructive.
I was packing and getting ready to travel when I received a phone call from one of my daughters, indicating that while we were at a meeting on Monday, one of the persons called her and said she has tested positive for Covid-19. My daughter urged that I get tested and that she would send a home-testing kit to me. My wife indicated that she would be coming home early and she would bring the kit. After the conversation with my daughter, I began to feel chills, aching and discomfort. So I decided that I would do my food medication which includes garlic, apple cider vinegar and I make a HD special and it consists of a tablespoon of flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, turmeric powder and green matcha powder, about 6tbsp medium-sized cloves of garlic and 6 tbsp of organic olive oil. So, I stir this and consume at least 4 teaspoons with my evening lunch/dinner with a tomato or avocado, red peppers and onions. Then I decided to go to bed early, 7pm to be exact and had a good night sleep.
There is no Timbuktu on Thursday & Friday. Only Monday - Wednesday so I had a free evening and went to bed early.
Friday, February 3, 2023
I woke up at my usual time at 5am and got up at 5:30am, did my usual exercises and was ready for the 7-8am Lifeline prayer time. Lifeline lasted unusually long even until 8:30 am. I spoke at length about gratitude and we reviewed Sunday service which will be housed in Jersey City. My point is that I felt my usual vibrant energized self. I didn’t feel that I had contracted the virus. Now the question is how much did the information about the virus from my daughter influence my thinking. I seemed to be alright until she mentioned my being in the presence of someone with the virus. It raises the question; how much are we influenced by what we think and the information that we receive?
So, we should be very careful about the information we convey to people. This does not mean that we should withhold truthful or vital or necessary information. It just means that information that brings unwanted news to a person should be carefully thought through how to convey the information.
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Early in the morning, I attended the Saturday meeting at the National Action Network and shared a few words. Later on I posted on Facebook:
Happy Birthday Rosa Parks
I shudder to think where we would be with out you. You are a courageous woman. We may not appreciate how much bravery it took to do what you did. I was born in the south and spent the first eleven years of my life in the south, and any one who lived in or visited, know what refusing to obey the segregation laws could mean-jail or worse. She was born Feb. 4, 1913 transition led on Oct. 24, 2005.
In the photo: Left to right, former Assembly man Roger Green, Ms. Parks, myself, Bishop Huie Rogers. It was taken at the House of the Lord Churches.
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Sunday, we had our prayer with the basketball players. I did not do the weekly words of wisdom nor did I do the 8:45am Men’s prayer and discussion.
This Sunday, the first Sunday of the month, we worship in the church building in Jersey City. This meant that I had to travel some distance to be there on time. We are worshiping at 322 Duncan Avenue (Community Room) Jersey City, NJ 07306. I was pleased with the attendance. I was especially glad to see several brothers that we had made them the focus of our morning prayers. They have had incarceration experience. One brother had been away for 36 years. My sermon topic was the God of another chance. I used the 8th chapter of Saint John's selected verses. It is the story of a woman who was caught in adultery. Moses and the law had said that such should be stoned to death. The Pharisees had brought this woman to Jesus and inquired what he would do. They were up to their old entrapment schemes. If Jesus said let the woman go free, he would’ve violated the law made by Moses. But if he said stone her, he would be contrary to His own teachings of mercy and forgiveness rather than ask the question, Jesus stooped down and began to write on the ground. And then he asked, "He that is without sin cast the first stone.” There were no stones thrown except the stones in their hands that they intended to stone the woman to death with were dropped on the ground and they disappeared. When Jesus asked, “where are your accusers?” she said, “they are gone.” Jesus responded, “Neither do I accuse you, go in peace and sin no more.” Jesus gave the woman another chance and I emphasize that Jesus gives all of us another chance not forgiveness for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth chance but Jesus gives us another chance.
I did an interpretation that addressed our People of African Ancestry history and institutional rock-throwing. I used the rocks in the people’s hands ready to stone as the history of our people who have created institutions, systems, traditions, etc. as rocks to injure, to damage our personalities and even death. While it is true many of us are guilty of some crime or violation. but the people who have created systems that lock us into circumstances and situations which makes it almost impossible not to commit offenses. When you hate yourself, as Malcolm X says “the greatest crime a white man has committed was to teach us to hate ourselves.” Violence inevitably follows self-violence to the use of destructive substances, violence against the people who look like us, and also complete dependency on the people with the rocks in their hands. But Jesus forgave some of us and opened our eyes to the truth, that we are the creators of magnificent civilizations that have been stolen or denied. What EuroEthnics could not steal they fought contempt upon. So, whatever state we’re in, whatever we’ve done we’ve got another chance.
The title of the sermon was delivered by Evangelist John Lawrence in Trenton State Correctional Facility in NJ. I had organized a two-week revival. The first time in history. He had befriended me and remained so til the day he died.