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One Bible-based gem addresses debt and wealth.
This is going to be a serious fight. What we’ll need to neutralize selfishness and pride.
The New York Times Bestselling author tells how he confronts racist believers and why he stays in the church with them.
Women who rip from the grip of control garments and garment control.
In telling her story, she learned authenticity breaks algorithms.
Work the Word carefully, for yourself.
As taught by my kid.
“The Good Ship Jesus”
MEDIA THAT TAKES YOU HIGHER
10 PROFILES OF TOXIC RELIGION
REPRESENTATION: MOVING FROM 3/5 TO 60%
DR. EVA B. DYKES
CELEBRATING THE HEALTH OF FATHERS
PHUBBING: THE NEW RELATIONSHIP PANDEMIC
WILL YOU WALK BY FAITH?
MIDNIGHT OIL
WHEN ENOUGH ISN’T ENOUGH
MEN HAVE lost faith—faith in nations, faith in one another, faith in themselves. Why? Because their philosophy of life has broken down. If faith is to be revived—faith in the victory of God—we must have a new view of life. To possess a living faith, we must lose faith in human supremacy. We must believe in the heavenly Father who rules the universe. We must trust Him to be the Omnipotent One.
—Message, circa April, 1951 “Morning Meditations: A Golden Verse for The New Day” By Dr. Merlin L. Nef
Nerva Altino
I’ve known Nerva Altino for over 25 years. I’ve seen him grow and prosper in his musical element for a long time. After releasing recordings and producing major concerts with his brother Robinson, Nerva presents his book, More Than A Gift. After migrating to Queens, his late father taught him how to play the piano at the age of 10. Altino confronts the challenges he faced as a new child in a new culture and language. He talks about the bullying he faced while mastering classical music, uncommon in his community. He also mastered his confidence to serve his local church, teach his passion to others, and to play for heads of state. This book will be a benefit to anyone in their journey to success. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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© 2018 by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, 9705 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, Maryland, 21046, U.S.A. Address editorial correspondence to MESSAGE MAGAZINE, 9705 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046-1565 U.S.A. All subscriptions are prepaid. If you did not order MESSAGE, it is being sent as a gift from a friend. You will not be billed. To subscribe, mail payment to MESSAGE, 1350 North Kings Road Nampa, ID 83687, U.S.A. or call 1-800-456-3991. Subscription price: one year, $19.95 U.S. currency; single copy, $4.00; overseas, add $10.00 per year for postage. Prices subject to change without notice. Periodicals Postage paid at Nampa, Idaho and additional offices. Vol. 87 No. 3 May/June 2021. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MESSAGE, 1350 North Kings Road Nampa, ID 83687, U.S.A. Printed in the U.S.A.
Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts in this issue are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Statements in this issue attributed by an author to other speakers/writers are included for the value of the individual statements only. No endorsement of those speakers’/writers’ other works or statements is intended or implied.
hether it is dogmatic, or an errant interpretation and internalization of a spiritual practice or norm, toxic “faith” emanates from a variety of sources. Rogue religion, and spurious spirituality, having multiplied through the ages are still virulent today. We can trace the resultant strains of mutated faith back to the ancient text.
Annanias and Sapphira (Acts 4:32-5:11) sold some property as part of an early church drive to fund the ministry and support the community of believers. Many believers did the same, bringing all the proceeds to the apostles, church, and community. What a selfless and progressive organization, right? Except for Annanias and Sapphira. When they separately arrived to report to the leaders that they were surrendering all, they concealed the fact that they withheld some; they lied to the community; they lied to the Spirit, and suffered sudden death because of it. People were terrified. So great was the bond among early members then, that the early terminology evinces their offense akin to embezzlement. They held back, when others were giving with abandon. They had every right not to give, not to surrender all the proceeds, not to participate in that way, but they chose, in the moment, to lie about their commitment.
Moving from 3/5 to 60%
- State Voting Laws | Brennan Center for Justice
- State Voting Bills Tracker 2021 | Brennan Center for Justice
- Voting Laws Roundup: February 2021 | Brennan Center for Justice
ccording to the Associated Press, more than 155 million people voted in the 2020 Presidential Election. This represented an increase of more than 20% participation from the 2016 election, when nearly 129 million people voted. But instead of a celebration for democracy, the 2020 election became a mockery of democracy, with so much of the disdain emanating from the White House.
va B. Dykes became the first African American woman to complete the requirements for a PhD in March 21, 1921 after successfully defending her 644-page dissertation. Her specialty was in English, Latin, German and Greek language studies. Her linguistic skills promoted racial progress with works such as, The Negro in English romantic thought; or, A study of sympathy for the oppressed.i Even more, she dedicated her talents to writing for Message magazine for 50 years!ii
Dykes was building a brilliant career teaching at Howard University, in Washington, D.C., when her faith journey led her to move to Huntsville, AL in 1944. There she developed and directed the English Department and founded the world-renowned Aeolians choir of Oakwood University. She held her students to the same high standards of excellence she practiced herself. However, she earned their admiration by encouraging them in practical ways, such as selling Message magazine alongside them to raise educational funds.
#showingmercy
ccording to Time, “phubbing is…snubbing someone you’re talking to [by] looking at a cell phone.” We have all done it at one time or another. You are at a restaurant with your bae but you find yourselves looking down instead of into each other’s eyes. You come home from work and you unintentionally begin scrolling through your emails. You are sitting at the dinner table and your good friend texts you some interesting news. It has happened to us all, but is it something that is detrimental to our relationships?
Your Debt
etting out of debt is one of life’s greatest financial achievements. If you’ve ever been in debt and have been set free- glory! But what about having debt that is not or was not because of you or your own making? For example, couples sometimes share debt or end up with joint tax debt obligations usually because one spouse may not have withheld enough taxes from his or her income. So, what to do when the debt is not your fault and your partner, your child, or a friend leaves you hanging? According to expert financial advisers, you could try filing bankruptcy or making a settlement offer to the creditor and hope they find grace and set you free. But of all the financial solutions the experts have ever offered, none seem to include the advice given by Elisha.
In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we find some of the strangest financial advice ever given to someone in debt on how to get out. Not only how to get out of debt but to have enough money to live on for the rest of your life! Let’s examine this get-out-of-debt strategy.
rganizers of a successful advertising campaign for ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, hit upon a viral idea a few years ago. You may remember it as the “Ice bucket challenge.” It raised almost $100 million in donations, not because people were suddenly sympathetic toward ALS. Rather, because it focused on social media and “me marketing,” and allowed participants to be the star of the show.
People started posting videos of themselves getting buckets of ice dumped on their heads, and—even though they donated money to the cause—it was all about individuals: “Me,” “My video,” “My likes,” “My nominations,” on “My page,” “My donation,” and so on. Today, “Me marketing” works!
Our supercharged, over-indulged, self-absorbed, me-centric culture exists on “My wants,” “My desires,” “My likes,” and “What’s in it for me?” Yet, if I asked for a show of hands of those who like being around narcissistic people, probably none of us would raise our hands.
the Racist
Corruption of
Christianity
cannot properly understand racism and white supremacy, unless we understand its religious dimension, specifically, its Christian dimensions. So in the Color of Compromise, we go all the way back to the colonial era. One of the landmark laws that was passed really sticks out to me was in 1667, in the Virginia Assembly—which was bunch of white, Episcopalian men, so Christians—passed a law that said baptism would not emancipate an enslaved Native American or a person of African descent or mixed race descent.
They’re passing a law about religion based on race.
Fast forward to the Civil War, and there were literally what historians call pro-slavery, theologians. They were using their prodigious intellect in a twisted way to make their theology conform to this ideology of white supremacy, and so there you get things like the “Curse of Ham” that says people of African descent are by nature, in the Bible, sentenced, condemned to lifelong slavery.
id you notice the list?”
It happened almost 10 years ago. After weeks of scheduling and receiving appointment confirmations, one of the research assistants and I walked into the research site to conduct an interview with a local pastor on the impact of gentrification on the black church. This Bishop and his congregation were a part of our study, and while we learned quite a bit about our primary subject, another relevant matter emerged.
While debriefing in the car after the interview, the research assistant asked, “did you notice the list? There was a list on the back table about what women could and couldn’t wear. Did you see it?”
She had also noticed one of the young adult members of the choir rush to be in the processional line while trying to put on her long, white dress and covering, presumably so that she could be allowed to sing.
I had noticed the list, but had not paid much attention to it or the hurried movements of the young choir member, but the research assistant had. The document, prominent on a crowded back table, listed several scriptures that specifically spoke to the comportment expectations of women which the young choir member seemed to have been trying to adjust to. Interestingly, there was no such list for men.
acqueline Horbrook, the Founder and CEO of Black Christian Influencers, Inc. engages a fresh method of ministry. Since 2018, her non-profit organization seeks to influence future world changers, “to promote social integrity through online interactions that exemplify the teachings of Christ.” Horbrook’s Masters in Counseling and College Student Development, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing have come together into a platform that boasts more than 54K followers on Instagram.
But, she wouldn’t say “boast.” Horbrook has a heart for ministering to those that are striving to create change in their communities, and celebrate even amidst the real downside. It was her own powerful story about battling with and overcoming depression, starting her own business, mothering her daughters, and learning that God empowers that has catapulted her brand.
he week after I was baptized in June 2019, I traveled to India to tell my parents and sisters about my decision to grow as a Christian for the rest of my life. I was holding a small New Testament Bible in my hand, and the pages of the book were becoming moist from my sweat as I was speaking. I was nervous; I could lose them forever. Praise God, nothing changed with them! My parents and my sisters still want to hear my voice every day and want to see my face on What’sApp. They still love me.
I found freedom in idol-free worshiping (which I was looking for since 2006) that clogged my access to the true, living God. Now, I wonder, how to tell them how precious God’s promise—heaven—is? How do I tell them that all the good works they have done in the past, or currently doing, still fall short in front of God? How do I tell them that no matter what, we are all sinners and remain sinners? How do I tell them, we need a Savior—now and forever! How do I tell them no amount of good work will help forgive our sins if we don’t have faith in Him?
After explaining my reasons to her, she finally complied. However, as we were on the way to church she hit me with the most serious question to date:
“Daddy, if I have to mind you and Mama, which one of you is stronger?” I almost ran off the road. My wife, turning to me silently (but sternly), mouthed the words, “Answer her!”
“From the time Europeans arrived on American shores, the frontier—the edge territory between white man’s civilization and the untamed natural world—became a shared space of vast, clashing differences that led the U.S. government to authorize over 1,500 wars, attacks and raids on Indians, the most of any country in the world against its indigenous people,” according to a History.com article regarding the genocide of Native Americans in the United States. “By the close of the Indian Wars in the late 19th century, fewer than 238,000 indigenous people remained, a sharp decline from the estimated 5 million to 15 million living in North America when Columbus arrived in 1492.”
The formation of the first 13 colonies in America, mainly by Protestants fleeing religious oppression, brought with it religious oppression against Catholics and other minorities, just as they had been persecuted in time past. These colonies denied access to Catholics, Jews and Quakers, passing laws that required imprisonment or death merely for their presence in the colonies.
Now, Abraham didn’t slay any giants like David did. Abraham didn’t write any proverbs like Solomon did. But Abraham believed God.
Abraham didn’t confront any Pharaohs or dispense any laws like Moses did, but Abraham believed God.
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ELLEN G. WHITE
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.”
Rashad burden
s it possible to have too much God? What about reading too much of the Bible? Maybe there is such a thing as going to church too much? Surely, there is a point where there is too much prayer? Okay, maybe not, but maybe you’ve felt that you’ve had enough of some of these things. Join us today as we explore when enough isn’t enough.
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Knight: There’s really no way that having sex the way God intended is to be compared with doing it outside of God’s will, because good sex is when you are in covenant relationship with a person, and with God who has brought you together so that there is no issue, so that there are high levels of trust. There’s a vulnerability. There is mutual ownership of the spouses, that I can be, literally, naked with you, emotionally, mentally and physically, that—that’s good sex.
Cadet: Sex was designed to remind us of what it means to be in the presence of God. So in the presence of God we experience safety; we experience love; we experience unconditional love and acceptance, which allows us to be vulnerable and it allows us to be, to be our full selves, right? So, I think sometimes we see this in marriages because they haven’t learned that sex was designed to remind people of what it means to be in the presence of God.
The reason why I say that is because sex makes two, one, right? And the community of divinity as we see multiple beings coming together and being one as well. So in our sexual experiences we should be experiencing the same kind of self-love and reciprocity, and safety and security and empathy and celebration that that is experienced within divinity. The challenge is that many Christians, many church members have not experienced what it means to be in the presence of God,
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