WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Whatcha Crying For…. Don’t you know that one reason why God allows us at times to be disappointed with our fellow human beings is so that we might learn to stop leaning on man. He desires to free us from such idolatry. So when God orders your circumstances in such a way that you are disappointed on every side, don’t be discourage, just know that God is weaning you away from the arm of flesh so that you might learn to live by Faith in Him. Many times when we experience discouragement the real problem is that we don’t understand God. Romans 11:33 tells us: “How impossible it is for us to understand God’s decisions and His methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking?” God’s purposes are far beyond our comprehension. Listen, God did not save you so you could rest yourself in other people and in things. God saved you to walk in absolute and utter dependence upon Him. And when He sees you leaning on everyone and everything but Him; you can count on His teaching you the lessons you need so that you might learn to lean on Him alone. “Stop Your Crying!” The same God, who opens doors, is the same God that closes doors. A big part of Faith is trusting God when you don’t understand it. If you’ll have this perspective, and not only thank God for your open doors but thank Him just as much for your closed doors, you’ll pass the test. You’ll see the exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond future that God has in store for you.

So thank God for the supporters, props, crutches, or whatever you want to call them that God has placed in your life to help you make it, but don’t get it twisted, make no mistake about it,  it is Jehovah- Jireh, who provides, not them.  As David learned, when you become so dependent on them rather than God, God is going to start shaking up everything around you. There’s going to be some uprooting, tear-downing and destroying going on. Every person upon whom David leaned in his life was taken away. Every dream, every lofty goal, every hope had been dashed to bits at David’s feet. He had nothing and no one on whom he can lean. He was alone, afraid and alienated. God had brought David from the very top to the very bottom of life. Why? Why did God do this to David? God did this to David so that David would learn to lean on the Lord and not on all the other props he had constructed in his life! And believe me, He will do the same to you too if your support system develops to the place where it can take the place of God in your life. God will start dismantling everything around you. Oh, how we need to hear this truth! All the way through life we lean on one thing and one person after another. We trust and look to our parents, teachers, friends, jobs, and money…forgetting a very important truth, that Jesus is our everything! “Stop Your Crying!”

It’s not easy to take, but the truth is when the Lord finds us leaning on everything else in our lives instead of Him; He will begin the painful process of dismantling our support system one prop at a time. He does not do this to harm us; but to help us learn to lean on Him alone! In the end, David learned that the promises of men did not amount to much. But for those who had learned to lean on the hand of the Lord, they saw every promise of God fulfilled in their lives. (Psalm 119:38). I tell you this leaning business hits pretty close to home for me. There are plenty of times I find myself leaning on things and/or people instead of the Lord. But I have also found that when I lean on other things and/or people in my life; God will systematically and painfully remove every crutch I have. He will bring me to the place where I am leaning on Him and on Him alone. That is where He plans to bring each of us. We should not fear what the Lord is doing in our lives. He is merely growing us and teaching us that He is all we need. He is all-sufficient; more than enough; He is God Almighty, and He will never fail us, leave us or let us down. He wants us to learn this truth: When we have Him, we have all the support system that we will every need! (Psalms 46) Sometimes it’s not what we’re going through that’s intolerable. The thing that is intolerable is the lack of meaning. We’re not sure why we’re suffering like we’re suffering. If we only understood God, it wouldn’t be as painful.  I don’t know what you’re going through in your life. But I can guarantee you that God is big enough to handle your disappointment. God is big enough to handle your questions. We need to be reminded throughout our lives that if God is all I have at this moment, then He is all I really need! “Stop Your Crying,” and learn how to lean and depend on Jesus. He’s your friend and He’s your guide. Trust Him and find out that He will provide. Oh, what a fellowship; what a joy divine; what blessedness; what a peace of mind; leaning on His arms.  {Lee Williams}  Praise the Lord!

Publishers commentary by Wallace J. Allen

Dr. King’s Birthday requires us to annually measure the amount of successful change that has occurred since his death. Our friend Celes King IV was quick to say, “Perception is reality.” I think we can agree that the election of Barrack Obama to President of the United States boosted the image of Black men across the planet. It must be considered that if “Black lives matter” is a truer statement today than when Dr. King was alive, that Barrack Obama being President adds to that truth!   In several years, by 2016, people aged ten years and younger will represent members of an exclusive group. The only President of the United States that they will have experienced is a Black Man.  They, having witnessed such proof, will grow up expecting that Blacks can and will excel. That is a major long term benefit of Mr. Obama being President.  He is an inspiration. He inspires young Black children to want to be like him, to become important and influential members of society. He also shows the non-Blacks who harbor the false impression that “Blacks can’t” to understand that “Blacks can” and that society benefits when “Blacks do!  We know that low expectations generally come true.  Increased expectations allow room for increased participation and performance.

Increased expectations will cause among other things, a greater competition for participation and an expectation that winning is for the well prepared. Just because the world is more willing to accept that a Black man can do, does not mean that it will be easier for him to do; however, easy is not a requirement!

As we measure successful change, access to opportunity for those who have been deliberately denied that access, is an issue. The imagery of success is great for perception, but reality requires a job count and a measurement of education and quality of life. Access to education, jobs and quality of life for most Americans, Blacks in particular, has diminished since Dr. King’s death. The image of the most prestigious office holder on the planet, being racially disrespected under the guise of politics has been a reminder to “old school” witnesses, that racism is alive and that to some Republicans, greed and or “white privilege” is more important than the welfare of the Country.

So, in closing, I will say that the fresh sheets and pillow cases of opportunity make the American bed look better, but the mattress is still lumpy with racism, making a peaceful night hard to come by. Change is occurring but the need for hope is very alive!

Imani Hakim

PHOTOS AND WRITE UP BY NAOMI K. BONMAN

 BEVERLY HILLS, CA- The stars of Hollywood, along with authors, poets, screen writers, and directors came dressed to impressed as they stepped on the red carpet prior to the 34th annual NAACP Image Awards luncheon. The private luncheon was held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, January 17. The 34^th Annual NAACP Image Awards will be held on Friday, February 6 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium located at 300 E. Green Street in Pasadena. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is a black tie affair. To purchase tickets, please visit www.naacpimageawards.net. To view more photos, visit sophisticatedrelations.com/naacp-luncheon. 

Dr. James L. Snyder

By Dr. James L. Snyder

I must confess I do have some old-fashioned biases. I would be the first to admit I’m not up to date on the latest fad or trend.

I come from that era that believed the well-dressed man is one that doesn’t stand out from everybody else. I’ve tried to keep to that all these years. I certainly don’t want to stand out and have people recognize me or point their finger at me and whispered to each other.

For years, I’ve been very careful about that. Now, it seems that because I try to dress like a well-dressed man and not stand out I am in fact standing out. Nobody, except me and two other people, really care about being well-dressed.

This has never been an issue with me and it even now is not an issue. But reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year before me, I have to take some calculations. According to my calculation, I no longer fit into that “well-dressed man” category, because the term “well-dressed man” does not mean what it used to mean.

I hate it when something outlasts its definition.

To be a well-dressed man today, according to the latest fads and trends I have noticed, I need to throw away my belt and let my trousers drop all the way down to my knees.

Let me go on record as saying, never in a million years will that happen.

Then there is the issue about a necktie. Am I the last person on planet earth wearing a necktie?

Very few people today know how to tie a necktie. Well, I do and I will until they put me in a casket and then I hope I’m still wearing a tie. So if you come to my funeral and look at me in the casket and I’m not wearing a tie, complain to someone for me.

The latest trends and fads have no interest to me whatsoever.

This came to my attention recently when I had to sign some legal papers for something to do with the church. I had to sign here, initial there, sign the next page, initial three pages and it went on and on until I ran out of ink.

I’m one of those old-fashioned guys that use a fountain pen and all that signing and initialing drained all of the ink out of my fountain pen. Before I finished, I was on the verge of carpal tunnel.

I sighed rather deeply, looked at the gentleman (I think he was a gentleman because he was dressed like a gentleman), and said kind of sarcastically, “Do you remember the old-fashioned handshake?”

He looked at me without smiling and then said, “Here are some more papers for you to sign.”

I thought I was signing my life away, but in reality, I was just signing my ink away.

I do remember when a handshake really meant something. Just about everything was sealed with a handshake and both parties were as good as their word. It would take a lot of undoing to undo that handshake. Now, you’re only as good as the word on a piece of paper over your signature. Then, some lawyer can finagle it around to mean something other than what you really meant it in the first place. So what’s the purpose of all this?

I know you’re not supposed to say this, but I will, I sure long for the good old days when a handshake was all you needed. I get tired of the rigmarole passing as business these days. I get tired of paperwork that’s piled higher than the tallest tree in the forest.

Of course, if we go back to that handshake scenario, it will put many lawyers out of business. What would these people do for a living? I have some ideas, but I’m going to keep that to myself.

Trust has gone out of our culture today because everybody is only after what they can get for themselves and they don’t care how they get it.

A handshake met something in “the day.” In fact, I believe it was more binding than all of the paperwork and signed documents and legalese we have today. It’s hard to sue a handshake!

What I want to know is simply this. When we replaced the good old-fashioned handshake with all of this legalese stuff, are we better off? Have we simplified everything and covered all of the bases?

The answer is a loud no.

A man’s word used to be his bond and something he would never go back on.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I have lived on that marital philosophy all of our married life. I know in the marriage ceremony there is no “handshake.” But the philosophy of that handshake is right there. When I said “I do,” and she responded by another “I do,” we were shaking hands and saying to everybody around us but particularly to one another, “We do.”

I think James shook the right hand when he wrote, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation” (James 5:12).

I’m all for getting back to the good old days when a handshake was all you needed.

Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net or website www.jamessnyderministries.com.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman 

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…” Prosecutor Opening Statement…. Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury; the defendant has been charged with disobedience, backsliding, unbelief, unfaithfulness, breaking of vows, rebellion, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, pride, foolishness, blasphemy, malice, slander, arrogance, idolatry, jealousy, hostility, selfish ambition, division, envy, drunkenness and folly. The evidence I present will prove to you that the defendant is “Guilty as Charged!”…. The event took place in an open air arena beside the Jabbok River as it were with Jacob. In one corner stood the defendant {insert your name} and in the other corner of all people was God Himself… You versus God… You versus Jehovah…  Who would want to take on God, one on one, in a wrestling match…? How could one every hope to win… “How foolish,” you say? Well the truth is that all of us at some point in our journey have taken on God. We have all stepped into the ring with God and wrestled with Him about life. Matter of fact some of you are wrestling with God right now about some situation, some problem, some difficulty or some injustice in your life. It would behoove you though to sit down in your ringside seat and learn the lessons from Jacob’s wrestling match with God. You see God preserved the historical event in Jacob life to teach us lessons concerning our own struggles. Because just like Jacob we all have the tendency to wrestle with life, to take things in our own hands, to set our own agenda, and work things out in our own strength… Your Honor, I would like for this to be marked as People’s Exhibit #1… I will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty as charged and should be convicted. All because you, the defendant wanted to do things your way and not God’s way. The Lord has set this hearing. God is letting you know just what happens to us if we refuse to do things His way. He knows how to get our attention. He knows how to deal with us that we might know we’re not doing it the way He wants us to do it. ”Guilty as Charged!”

Listen, God wants to be quick to bless and slow to wrath. He doesn’t want to go to war with you! Solomon said in Proverbs 21:30, “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.” In other words, anybody who goes against God is a Fool! What we need to understand is that nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, can stand against God. From the beginning God had standards.  Eve decided to fight it and Adam decided to join the fight and because of that, all of us are cursed. God had a standard for sacrifice. Abel obeyed it and Cain fought it and was cursed. God had a standard for morality. Noah kept it. The rest of the world fought it and drowned. God had a standard for spiritual priority. Jacob bought it; Esau fought it and lost the blessing. Saul went about ravaging the church, seeking to destroy this new sect who followed Jesus Christ. Until of course, Jesus Himself appeared to him, blinded him, pinned him to the ground and said, “Saul, it is hard for you to kick against the goads.” In the end God won and Saul lost. There is no way to fight God and win! True, it mays seem like someone is opposing God and getting away with it temporarily, but when ultimately it spells eternal disaster. The story of Herod exalting himself and how God judges him. Herod and God are prominent in both stories. But in both stories, God comes out the winner, and Herod the loser. You can’t fight God. It does not work! If you go to war with God, you will surely lose. Do you see that it is madness? You lose! God wins every time! Instead of opposing God, His Word, His Law, start surrendering. Because the only way to true happiness, joy, fulfillment and satisfaction is in surrendering completely to God, and allowing His Spirit to live through you. In the end, Jacob did what we all must do. He confronted his failures, his weaknesses, his sins, an all the things that were hurting him, and faced God. Jacob wrestled with God all night. It was an exhausting struggle that left him crippled. But it was only after he came to grips with God and ceased his struggling, realizing that he could not go on without God, that he received God’s blessing (Genesis 32:29).

What we can learn from this remarkable incident in the life of Jacob is that our lives are never meant to be easy. This is especially true when we take it upon ourselves to wrestle with God and His Will for our lives. God wants to put a stop to our old way of living so that we might experience His restoration and know His love just like in Paul’s life, as he was busted, arraigned, convicted, sentenced and finally restored. Jesus wants to arrest you by His love. He wants to get a hold of your life and make something wonderful out of it. Can I tell you that when it was all said and done, Paul saw himself as being under the direct sovereign of God Himself and he understood the truth that God was the Master of all the paths of life? Who’s your Warden today… Will the jury foreperson please stand…Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict… Yes, Your Honor….The jury finds the defendant…. You fill in the blank {guilty/not `guilty} … Court is adjourned!

By John H. Peterson

Jesus through God said, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all they mind.” This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it; “Thou shall love they neighbor as thyself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and prophesies.

To me, this capsulizes much of what is expected of those who profess to be Christians. Some of the superfluous tangents we sometimes pursue are unbelievably unproductive. When the idolatries of such things as putting (1) money, (2) reputation and world renown, (3) selfishness and ease, (4) jealousy and envy, instead of taking responsibility for others (as we can ) and for oneself and our actions; we are not following God and His first two commandments. And always remember, vengeance is only God and the Lord’s domain. Dignity and respect are words only, but they need to be followed by positive actions and words of all concerned. In my 76 ½ years of living I have truly found it is more blessed to give and more rewarding than to receive.

The carnal world of ego, vanity, false pride and foolishness, is far from the spiritual world. Righteousness (not self-righteousness) is the goal in dealings with others. Truth is the one thing that is a sure way to complete justice. If all of us could put others needs ahead of our own selfish and ulterior purposes, this world would be a better place to live in.

I can’t help but think when God gave us His ten commandments through Moses; He was directing them to all earthly beings – not just a chosen few.  Certainly Jesus talked in His Sermon on the Mount about, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” He was talking to the whole world. Far too many people in this world do not practice any of these sage teachings from the Almighty. Some secular – learning human beings would say what I just said is just religious dogma. But to me it is just common sense before the harbinger come true.

For some it is hard to envision a God we cannot meet or see. Complete faith is hard at times; however, in my opinion, the secular world and the United States of America, in particular, could use some religious common sense.

John H. Peterson is a life-long advocate of racial and cultural harmony. He is from San Bernardino.

By The Institute for College Access & Success

“The White House plan announced today elevates the universal need for some post-secondary education in today’s economy and the need to make college affordability a national priority.  The White House plan differs significantly from Tennessee’s and other “free community college” plans and addresses many, but not all, of those plans’ limitations.

“In particular, low-income students could benefit from the White House proposal because it is not a “last-dollar” scholarship like the Tennessee Promise, which only helps students who don’t already get enough aid to cover tuition. This is a critically important distinction because, given the relatively low income of community college students and the relatively low tuition charges at community colleges, last-dollar scholarships rarely benefit community college students with the greatest need and rather benefit those with the least need.  Instead, the White House plan provides greatly needed additional federal funding to states that make key reforms, including not charging tuition or fees at community colleges. The proposal is aimed squarely at stopping state divestment from public colleges, which is crucial to making college more affordable.

“Still, making community college tuition free for all students regardless of their income neither  focuses resources on the students who need aid the most, nor addresses the bulk of the costs of attending community college since tuition charges comprise only one-fifth of the cost of attendance. Consider California community colleges, which have the lowest tuition in the nation plus waivers for low-income students; application rates for federal aid are notoriously low, part-time enrollment rates are sky high, and too many students still can’t afford to stay in school and graduate.

“This Administration has rightly made college affordability a top priority, from increasing need-based Pell Grants to making student loan payments more manageable, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to increase college access and success for students who need help the most.”

# # # #

Via Highland Desert Inland Valley News

Crouch, sometimes called “the father of modern gospel music,” led the choirs that sang on such hits as Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror and Madonna’s Like a Prayer. As a songwriter, he wrote several gospel favorites, most notably The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To God Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, a song sung at Jackson’s public memorial service.

A San Francisco native who grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards.

He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural “Jesus movement” and also bringing him attention beyond the church.

Elvis Presley recorded Crouch’s I’ve Got Confidence for his 1972 gospel album He Touched Me, and Paul Simon recorded his Jesus Is the Answer on 1974’s Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin’. Crouch also became the go-to vocal arranger for Los Angeles recording sessions that needed a gospel sound, working not only with Jackson and Madonna but also Elton John, Quincy Jones, The Commodores, Diana Ross and Ringo Starr.

Crouch’s gospel albums often featured guests from the R&B and jazz worlds, including Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Wilton Felder and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey. Chaka Khan, Sheila E. and vocal group Take 6 appeared on his most recent album, 2011’s The Journey.

His recordings brought him seven Grammys, and Crouch also received an Academy Award nomination for his arranging work on the 1985 film The Color Purple.

Throughout his life, Crouch struggled with dyslexia, sometimes memorizing words by the shapes of their combination of letters. He often drew simple pictures to help him comprehend words and write songs.

Crouch’s sister, Sandra Crouch, served as his spokeswoman, and the siblings were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in San Fernando, Calif., carrying on a work begun by their parents.

Crouch survived multiple bouts with cancer and also suffered from diabetes. In early December, Crouch was hospitalized with pneumonia and congestive heart failure, forcing the cancelation of his Let the Church Say Amen Celebration tour, which had been scheduled to begin Dec. 6 in Philadelphia. He was re-admitted to the hospital Saturday with what his sister characterized in a statement as “serious health complications.”