Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

In our relationship with one another we don’t have to tell someone that our love has grown cold towards them… they know it! They know it because of how we behave towards them. God wants you to know today that He is aware that your love has grown cold toward Him and that it breaks His heart that the thrill is gone.

You know the apostle Paul wrote [1Cor. 13:3 and John 4:24] a message to the church of their need to examine themselves and their love for Christ. He said, “Don’t try to worship God with lies. Don’t’ tell Him that you love Him if you really don’t love Him. Don’t’ try to convince Him that you love Him by telling Him all you do for Him. When two people really love each other, they aren’t mechanical in their relationship. Their love is spontaneous.” When you fall in love with someone, you don’t think its strange to tell them so over and over. And if you can’t see them that day, you’re sure to call or write just to remind them that you love them. You don’t neglect to let each other know you still have that same love. You don’t keep quiet just because you take it for granted that they still know it.  When you stop telling your mate you love them, that’s an indication that perhaps you no longer do love them. You can’t keep love quiet. When you really love someone, you’re not ashamed to express that love. It doesn’t sound repetitious. No, its music to their ears. How much more should we tell the Lord we love Him, even though we know He is aware of it? Because apparently Him knowing is very important [John 21:15]. Listen, there’s nothing harder than a one-sided marriage, where one mate loves the other but receives no love in return. A love relationship needs to be mutual if it is to grow. Now, the Lord loves you, and He doesn’t want that love to be one sided. He gives you His love but also wants to receive your love and devotion. I tell you, some of us need to go back to that, “Old Time Religion, When It Was Good Enough for Me.” Some of us need to ask God to “Take Us Back to Where We First Received Him.” Think back to where the Lord found you and what He did for you when He saved you by Grace. Remember those days when just the mere mention of the name of Jesus was enough to bring tears to yours eyes. Remember those days when “Amazing Grace” made you nearly have a shouting spell. That is where the Lord wants to bring you back to!

Let me tell you a story of, “Undying Love.” …The story of Hosea and Gomer… I want you to know that Hosea is one of the most emotional books in the Bible, an outpouring of persistent love from God’s heart. Hosea begins with a love story – a painful, personal love story, the prophet’s very own. Hosea had married a woman who became unfaithful to him and brought great shame upon him. Yet though she cheated on him, Hosea still loved her. Though she humiliated him, he did not divorce her. Why not? Because God had told him that his painful love story would help him understand and feel with another more painful love story: the painful love of God for His people. Hosea’s feelings about Gomer give us a sense of how the Lord felt about Israel and how He feels about us today.  God made Hosea live the tragedy of Israel’s unfaithfulness by marrying a harlot. And if Hosea scandalized the good people of Israel by doing this, that’s exactly the reaction God wanted… because Israel’s own idolatry and spiritual adultery was shocking and scandalous in God’s eyes! According to one theologian, “In God’s eyes, whoever forsakes the Lord is an adulteress, a harlot, and a whore. There are no religious “singles” in God’s eyes. Everyone is either faithfully married to God or is a prostitute to the idol they are serving” he said. God made you for himself. If you “get your kicks” from somewhere else, you are committing great harlotry against God. That was Israel’s condition.

And so God took Hosea and said, as it were, “Before I give you a word of judgment and grace for Israel, I am going to make you know what it’s like to be married to an unfaithful wife. Hosea, marry a harlot!” His marriage is an acted-out parable of God’s relations to Israel.  Hosea would understand and feel the magnitude of God’s broken heart and deep sorrows. “If the prophet could be so wounded in his spirit by his wife’s adultery, then what must the Lord feel by centuries of such treatment by the very people He had formed for His own glory, as His personal possession?”  Stop and think about what it would take for a loving father or mother to say to a child: “I disown you. I disinherit you. You are no longer my son or my daughter, I will not show you anymore love, mercy, or pity, no matter how much you cry out to me!” It would take decades of rebellion, hate, and evil atrocities on the part of an adult held to merit such a harsh judgment, right? So God wants us to feel His heart here, which has been broken and trampled on, for centuries, by the people He loved and rescued and cared for all these years! To know that you deserve to be broken, disowned, and shown no more love, how could God remain just and righteous in His judgment of us, and at the same time, show us such bountiful mercy? The only answer – God, in His immeasurable grace and mercy, will not give up on His people forever. This is a love that will not let us go! Does this grip your heart? Does this move you to respond to God’s mercy? It should! And if it doesn’t, then you better check to see if you have a spiritual pulse. Cry out to the Lord and ask Him to revive you.

Listen, the Christian life is about loving Christ. It is about loving Him singularly. It is about loving Him totally. It is about loving Him sacrificially. It is about loving Him obediently. It is about loving Him worshipfully. It is about loving Him in terms of service. It really is about loving Jesus Christ. That’s what it means to be a Christian. Now, if you understand the Old Testament, the great commandment was to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the sum of all that God requires, and your neighbor as yourself. But it starts with loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, which is just a way of saying loving God comprehensively, totally, completely. Now if that’s the sum of the law, then that has to be the sum of the relationship. That can’t be altered when it comes to being a Christian.

So I ask you as a believer today – “Have you left your first love? Have you become so busy and preoccupied with life, that Jesus is no longer that important to you? If you sense you have, you need to stop and remember what it was like when you really loved the Lord. You need to repent of the things that have come between you and Him. And you need to return to the basic things of a relationship with the Lord: joyful worship, glad serving, and thankful living. Remember your first love…Remember how much you loved Jesus at the beginning and go back to that. Love Him like you used to!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— From leaving the office to grinding all night in the studio, to street promotions, to doing shows from city to city, Indie Artists hustle and they hustle hard to be heard. On Saturday, August 1, LUE Productions will be acknowledging those hardworking artists at the first annual “My Music, My Mic: Indie Artist Award Show”. The award show will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sports Center at the National Orange Show located at 690 S. Arrowhead Street in San Bernardino.

The night will be filled with photo ops, raffles, live  performances, vendors, a fashion show hosted by Josh Scott and LUE Productions models, and much more! To kick the night off and keep things upbeat, Comedian Anthony Stone and JaNay JaNiece the Model will be the hosts and announcing some of the hottest talent to emerge out of the Inland Empire.

The recipients that will be recognized this year include: Yung Miss, Nya Banxx, Carl Fontaine, Aaron Swift, Teknik Yung Prospect, Official Bizz, Dunamis L1019, Imon, Gwapp Fam, T-Bone, Paul Douglass, Justified Smith, Hannibal Lec, Yung Muuisk, C Dub, Speaker Junkiez, Cali G, Lowla Scott, and Mack Pepperboy. In addition to the artist award recipients, there will also be special community recognition of individuals and companies that will be receiving The Allen Award for their hard work, dedication, and commitment that show in the community and for the support that show indie artists. These individuals include: Westside Story Newspaper, Monivision TV, Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce-Inland Cities, Mike C a.k.a. The Guru of the I.E., The Real dirty Birdy, and Bigg Dee.

Immediately following the award show there will be an exclusive after party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. hosted by Lil Mike Tyson of THAD and LUE Productions models Faith and Cassandra. After party performances include Radio Base, Cali G, Teknik Young Prospect, Imon, Justified Smith, C Dub, and Shafik City.

This will be an epic night that you don’t want to miss out on. The Inland Empire will stepping out in their best and latest attire. Tickets can be purchased for $10 before Monday, July 20 and $15 at the door. For more information or to purchase your ticket, please call (909) 567-1000, (909) 496-2151, (909) 556-7637, or (714) 833-3196.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Nu Omega Chapter announced at their chapter meeting on June 6, at Brandman University in Riverside that five men who provided support to the sorority programs and the underserved in the Inland Empire have been identified and recognized as recipients of the 2015 Men of Valor recognition award.  Ms. Shalimar Anderson Horsley, Committee Chairman stated, the recipients of the Men of Valor 2015 recognition included: Mario Hall, Eric Issac, Ratibu Jacocks, Jerry Murry, and Danny Tillman. Each recipient received from the chapter an Eta Nu Omega Chapter Certificate of Recognition, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from Assembly Member Cheryl Brown.  Congratulations to all recipients who are all so deserving of this recognition for their support to the communities in which they live and serve.

For more information regarding Eta Nu Omega Chapter events, contact Linda Gaines-Brooks,  at rmzbroks@yahoo.com

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Craving some local produce wrapped up into warm, freshly baked French bread? Jimmy John’s is coming to San Bernardino and many other cities all over Southern California! Jimmy John’s opened its first doors in 1983 and since then has opened over 3,000 locations in more than 43 states. The franchised company has over 300 in route to open in the next two years in Southern California alone!

Alright, alright enough with numbers and history! What makes Jimmy John’s so special?! Aside from the fact they support local businesses, they deliver! When you call up some of their delivering competitors it can take up to an hour or more… with Jimmy John’s you can expect freaky fast delivery time in less than 10 minutes. Work in the area and can’t find the time to clock out for lunch? That’s no problem! Their veggies are sourced right here within the community and the meats are premium cuts. They also do catering for all occasions.

Come join them on Tuesday, July 21 for the opening of your soon to be (if not already) favorite sandwich location! They open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.! Jimmy John’s is located at 1060 Harriman Place in San Bernardino, right behind the Costco off of Harriman Place and Tippecanoe Avenue.

For Catering Inquiries contact Angie Eichmeier, Director of Marketing, at (480) 818-8254.

Four-D College

For those who may now have heard the news by now, Four-D College has permanently closed its doors due to uncontrollable circumstances. Four-D College has been accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) since 1996. The job placements of its graduates have been accepted without question up until 2011. For unknown specific reasons, the agency began to deny the job-related placements of its graduates without provocation. Due to the actions of ABHES rejecting the placements of graduates into viable employment, ABHES issued an act to deny the renewal of Four-D College’s accreditation. The institution has diligently, with legal counsel, tried to have ABHES accept its placement records in recent years. It should be noted that the placement of graduates in job-related fields from other institutions accredited by ABHES, have been accepted at the same level or below submissions of Four-D College. Due to ABHES’ actions, the Institution’s Title-IV funding has been gravely effected and has made it impossible for the Institution to continue to operate. Below is a statement from the founder of the college, Linda Smith:

“I have had the pleasure of operating a private Christian College for 23 years. In our environment we were able to pray with students, faculty, and staff. Many students accepted the Lord as their Savior while on campus. Students and faculty prayed at the beginning of each class and prayers were read over the intercom daily. What occurred to Four D College was unprecedented and of our control. I sincerely apologize to all that all of my endeavors to keep the school open were unsuccessful. Below is information provided to you, the reader, and agencies.”

Linda Smith

She continues, to agencies:

“This is the official notice that Four-D College is closed. The plague of unfair circumstances brought upon the institution by ABHES and legal counsel are unprecedented. It is a known fact that all schools job related placement for pharmacy technician is pharmacy clerk positions and VN graduates are placed in related fields until they obtain their license.             Four-D College graduates in these fields were placed the same as other ABHES’S schools. The only difference, particular between American Career College and the Dallas School of Nursing, is each of these schools have staff members as ABHES Commissioners. This fact was repeatedly ignored during the multiple presentations with legal counsel and the Commissions.

From 1996 to 2011 Four-D College never was required to place graduates in title specific job only and all of our job related position were rejected by Mike White and the Commission. As the President of a private Christian College, I know that the Lord will oversee all of the ugliness that was directed at us. We all are grateful to God that for 23 years we had an environment where we could pray with our students, faculty and staff. Thank you and God’s speed. Linda Smith.”

LONG BEACH, CA- The Fifth Annual Long Beach Gospel Fest, founded by Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr. and wife Myesha of the Antioch Church of Long Beach, just added Grammy-nominated star of WEtv’s hit series Mary Mary, Tina Campbell, to this year’s star-studded lineup for the highly anticipated citywide worship event. Showcasing some of the best gospel artists in music today, Campbell joins previously announced multi-award winning performers Tasha Cobbs, Deitrick Haddon, Kierra Sheard, Jonathan Nelson, Myron Butler, Jessica Reedy, Brian Courtney Wilson and more. The free, open-to-the-public event takes place on Sunday, July 19, at Marina Green Park.

Inspiring fans on the shores of Long Beach since its inception in 2009, the successful annual event is one of the city’s premier summer festivals.  Anticipating more than 20,000 attendees, the Festival experience includes a monumental morning worship service led by Pastor Chaney, followed by the afternoon concert with Gospel’s top performers.  A special tribute with clergy and performing talent honoring the victims of the Charleston Emanuel AME Church mass shooting is planned. In addition to the worship service and concert, a vibrant marketplace with vendors for food, merchandise, and fun family-friendly activities is accessible to festival goers throughout the day.

The Gold Experience ($50) is also available to attendees who prefer to enhance their Festival experience through priority check-in, reserved seating, vendor concierge service and artist meet and greets. Tickets are available online.

Marina Green Park is located at 386 E. Shoreline Drive in Long Beach. The worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the concert at 12:30 p.m.  Red carpet arrivals begin at 3 p.m.  Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are still available for a limited time only; for more information, tickets, and updates, please visit www.longbeachgospelfest.com.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

If you have to die and go to Heaven or Hell, it just makes sense that you should go to Heaven, doesn’t it? Just stop and think, how ridiculous it is to try to talk someone into going to Heaven. To have to holler and scream and beg and plead and pry and kick, to try and talk someone into going to Heaven is, to me, one of the most absurd thoughts in the world. You ought to be jumping at the chance. You ought to be begging, “TELL ME HOW!” It ought to be that anybody who knows he’s got to die would have enough sense to want to go to Heaven when he dies. Listen, I have not been commissioned to tell you what I believe, or what I think. I have been commissioned to tell you what God says. We know what God says is true. We know that there is a Hell. We know that we must warn men to escape the “wrath to come.” So my question to you,  is anything worth taking a chance of going to Hell over, any sin or any personal rebellion? … No, certainly not… Is it wise to gamble with your soul?… No, because life is so short and can end so quickly…. That is why the Bible says, “Now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” Jesus expressed it is senseless to “lose your own soul.” Jesus said, “What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” You would be a wise man, woman, boy and girl to come to Jesus before one day you wake up in a dreadful permanent place called Hell. Why not come to Jesus today? He will save. He will satisfy. He will secure, if you will only come to Him. It’s an awful thing to remember that you could be in Hell in another minute. David said, “there is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam 20:3) What if Christ is not your Savior? This means that you would be doomed forever.  Now you may deny the fact of Hell, but that does not change the fact that it exists. Fire burns, whether you choose to believe that it does or not… poison kills, whether you believe it will or not. The world is round, whether you believe it or not and Hell is a reality whether you believe it or not. And if you reject the offer Christ is making today, you will go to Hell, whether you believe you will or not.

Now listen to Jesus. He knew the truth about Hell. He spoke more about Hell than anybody else in the Bible. In fact, He spoke more about Hell than everybody else in the Bible combined. And He defined it as conscious, eternal punishment. He told the story of a certain rich man who died and went down to Hell and was in torment. He said that the man cried out, “I am tormented in these flames.” He said that the man was anxious for his brothers to repent, so that they would not come to that “place of torment.” [Luke 16:14-31]. Now look at the biblical expression which describe Hell. It is called a Lake of Fire – a bottomless pit – a horrible tempest – a devouring fire – a place of sorrows – a place of weeping and wailing – a place of torments – everlasting destruction – a place of outer darkness – a place where men have no rest – a place where men are tormented with fire and brimstone – a place where the fire is not quench. It is a place of separation from God.  It is a place of unsatisfied desires.  It is a place of vilest companionship. The worst people, the meanest, cruelest, filthiest people will be there. And to add to the horrors of Hell for some people. They live clean lives, they are cultured and refined, they are good citizens, and they are nice to their family and friends, but they reject Jesus Christ. One day they will be cast into Hell, to live the rest of eternity with liars, adulterers, murderers, drunkards, homosexuals, and the vilest of creatures. This will be an awful thing for them and will last forever. They can never die and leave these people, and they can’t get up and move away. It is a place of hopelessness. It is a place of suffering. It is a place of memory. The misery of hell will be so great that you will not want to be there. Whatever you believe or do not believe, when you choose against God, you will be shocked beyond words. Your misery will be so great that you will want to do anything in your power to escape. Esau wept bitterly that he could not repent [Hebrew 12:17]. The Hell he was entering into he found to be totally miserable, and he wanted out, but it was too late! Don’t wait until it’s too late?

You know, the 19th chapter of Genesis gives a very sordid picture of the city of Sodom. In that great and wicked city lived a man named Lot. God was about to destroy Sodom in a fiery judgment. But He sent two angels to lead Lot and his family out of the city before judgment fell. Yet Lot lingered. He knew the city would be destroyed, but he hesitated. In doing this he reminds us of an awakened sinner. Like Lot, the awakened sinner knows that judgment is coming. Like Lot, he knows he must turn away from sin, come out of the world, and come to Christ. But even as Lot lingered in Sodom,  an awakened sinner hesitate, hold back, and linger on, without coming to Christ. Don’t do it! Don’t go to Hell! The angels were sent as messengers to lead Lot out of danger. And so it is that the Holy Spirit has compelled me to lead you out of the path of destruction, and point you to Christ. It is a sign of God’s mercy to encourage you to come to Him. Don’t defy God in salvation. If God is dealing with you with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, pressing you to come to Christ, oh, don’t strive with Him! Don’t stand against Him as did Pharaoh of old. If God wants you saved, submit to His wooing’s. May you make the right choice.

By Johnni Matthews

The Los Angeles Sparks came home to Staples Center from a three game road trip on Thursday, July 2 to play three homes games in a 96 hour period.  Coming home to their own beds and their faithful fans, the Sparks were ready to put a spark in July!

The Sparks took care of business against the San Antonio Stars on Thursday night 86-81, then played a back to back Friday night against the Tulsa Shock when the Sparks’ fans witnessed Kristi Toliver score 43 points to break a franchise record set by Lisa Leslie’s 41 points.  The Sparks won 98-95!

Sunday, July 5 the defending WNBA Champions, Phoenix Mercury came to town for the first time this season.  The game was well played requiring an extra five minutes to decide the winner with the Mercury sliding by the Sparks 94-91 in overtime.

The LA Sparks have eight more games in the month of July to continue to make it a hot July!  The Sparks hit the road again for another three game road trip before returning home to Staples Center on July 16 against the Atlanta Dream coached by former LA Sparks Coach and Lakers great, Michael “Coop” Cooper.  Game will be an early 12:30 p.m. (PST) tip off.

Our Beloved 777 Community Warehouse – a Nonprofit Public Benefit Organization located in San Bernardino, California – needs your help! Every Tuesday, from 10 am to 2 pm (and by appointment on all other days) the Food and Clothing Ministry of 777 Community Warehouse is open to the homeless population and anyone in the community who is in need of clothing and food. According to an exclusive study done by Graduate students from the University of Redlands, 777 is in a prime location in regards to the homeless population and the far distance of sparsely located food banks in San Bernardino (2015). Unfortunately, the Warehouse has recently fallen on hard times and is in immediate need of donations.

During the dates of July, 17^th – July 20^th 777 Community Warehouse will be hosting a marathon of fundraisers, entitled “Save 777”. There will be various live entertainers volunteering their time to entertain those that would like to contribute a donation. These entertainers include local acts, such as Marwan Freeman (from the Frienz Band), CATERPILLAR FLIGHT, and the Young Ladies in Training (from the C.H.O.R.D.S. children’s music program) just to name a few.

In addition to the live entertainment, there will so be a Flea Market with various donated items for sale. These items range from beautiful one of a kind consignment items (such as, antique chinaware and mink coats) to African essential oils and African Shea butter. If you are limited to donating items of value, we will gladly accept those donations as well.

777 Community Warehouse as an experience

To date, Mr. Walker has transformed the warehouse into the community resource and event center that he envisioned, presenting the community with a beautifully furnished, art decorated environment for population of San Bernardino to enjoy. 777 Community Warehouse is designed to accommodate conferences, meetings, business/social mixers, performing arts presentations, visual arts presentations, religious services, educational seminars, musical concerts, wedding receptions, quinceaneras , and other events that support the needs of the community in a spirit of excellence.

Again we ask for your help so that our team at 777 Community Warehouse can continue helping the San Bernardino community by contributing to the expansion of community peace, cultural awareness, artistic expression, educational enlightenment, and consciousness building for personal/collective growth.

For other inquires please contact 777 Community Warehouse, located at 777 South Allen Street, San Bernardino CA 92408. Phone: 909-890-0999. 

By Manny Otiko / California Black Media

In 1998, San Pedro resident Alaina Howard was diagnosed with Takayasu’s arteritis, a disease that narrows and obstructs the arteries. Her doctors gave her two years to live. Faced with the difficulty of accepting her diagnosis, Howard also had to deal with frequent fainting spells, caused by the limited flow of blood to her brain.

Seventeen years later, Howard has beaten the odds and is still alive, but she had to go on disability.

Unable to work, Howard —  a Pennsylvania resident at the time — was forced to apply for public aid. During that process, she learned her status also qualified her for health insurance through Medicaid. In 2007, she moved from Pennsylvania to California and enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income individuals or families.

Howard says Medi-Cal has been invaluable for maintaining her health, even though she faced a few challenges along the way —  like the long lines at her county human services agency. She says the wait was well worth it, though, when she is faced with huge medical bills from frequent hospital visits. Not being on the hook with collection agencies for bills she cannot afford for services she needs to control her chronic illness, is the best part of the coverage, says Howard. And even though she still has to pay some out-of-pocket medical expenses for her two children, she can’t imagine what her life would be like without her Medi-Cal coverage.

In addition to providing health care for people with chronic illnesses like Howard, Medi-Cal offers a variety of preventive health care programs, according to Adam Weintraub, a spokesman for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS.)

The state’s government-funded health coverage program, which has historically focused on services to children and families, has now expanded to include single men and women without children and disabilities who qualify based on their annual income. To be eligible, an individual would have to earn less than $16,105 every year or $32,913 for a family of four.

“Medi-Cal provides Californians with access to affordable, high-quality health care, including medical, dental, mental health, substance use disorder treatment services, and long-term care,” Weintraub said. “Among the programs administered by DHCS are: California Children’s Services; Child Health and Disability Prevention program; the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program; the Newborn Hearing Screening Program; the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment Program (PACT); Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); Every Woman Counts; and Coordinated Care Management. DHCS also administers programs for underserved Californians, including farm workers and American Indian communities.”

California is also working to expand the number of people with access to health care through Covered California, a marketplace where individuals whose incomes exceed the threshold to qualify for Medi-Cal can access private health insurance, potentially with financial assistance. Covered California is part of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act commonly called “Obamacare”                                 and is a partner with the California Department of Health Care Services, together providing affordable, quality health coverage options to Californians.

On the Covered California website, Weintraub says, individuals can find out if they qualify for low-cost, private health insurance or Medi-Cal.

“New enrollment for 2015 coverage is strong and has brought in consumers our marketing and outreach targeted,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “It is clear Latinos, African Americans and young adults not only heard, but acted on increased advertising and person-to-person outreach.”

People who are interested in applying for Medi-Cal can sign up year-round online or by mail. They can also enroll in person at their local human services agency. For more information about Medi-Cal enrollment, go to www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/pages/applyformedi-cal.aspx or call your local county human services agency. You can also visit Covered California’s website at www.coveredca.com or call 1-800-300-1506.