Anthony J. Carter is the lead pastor of East Point Church in East Point, Georgia. A graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando, he is the author of several books including Running from Mercy, Blood Work, and Black and Reformed. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

he United States of America is built upon the ideal of freedom. Though it has not always lived up to the true meaning of its creed, the great struggle in the conscience of America has been the struggle for freedom. On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry spoke the immortal words in defense of freedom and the American Revolution: “Give me liberty or give me death!” For Henry, it was liberty or death. For Jesus Christ, it was liberty by death. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ set us free. Yet, as all Americans know, freedom is not free. This is never truer than of the freedom we have in Jesus.

The Good News of the gospel is that Jesus died and rose again so we would be free from sin. Sin is a power that enslaves. From the beginning, the sin of Adam and Eve became the sin of all (Rom. 5:12). Consequently, being born in Adam is being born in bondage to sin. This is much like the great evil of human slavery we see in our history; one of the tragedies of the American slave system was that children born to slaves were slaves as well. But Christ broke the curse of sin in Adam and thus set the children of Adam free (v. 19). No longer slaves to sin, but now slaves to righteousness. No longer bound by the yoke of bondage, but now free in Christ. Nevertheless, that freedom is always under attack.

Following the Emancipation Proclamation and the formal end of slavery in the United States, there came a new kind of slavery, namely the oppression of Jim Crow laws. In some regards, this was more insidious and demeaning than the first. It gave the impression of freedom, yet it systematically and institutionally kept black Americans in bondage. This new slave system was not formal bondage, but it was oppression and bondage nonetheless and, as such, needed to be broken. Similarly, when a person has been set free from the penalty of sin through the cross of Christ, often that person may remain in bondage to the guilt and shame of his or her sin. The Cross sets us free from both slavery to sin and its guilt. This is where the promise and pronouncement of Romans 8:1 is critical to the Christian life. Anyone who is in Christ Jesus is no longer under condemnation for sins committed. In other words, Jesus not only paid the debt but also carried the guilt and shame often associated with it.

Guilt is one of the Devil’s most-utilized weapons against the Christian. Because sin yet remains in our lives and many live with daily struggles to overcome it, the Enemy of our souls often seeks to convince us to doubt the efficacy of God’s grace and the assurance of his mercy. He knows feelings of guilt and shame can be overwhelming and can lead to despair. If the Enemy can get you to despair and to wallow in your failures, he can keep you from living in the freedom Christ secured for you on the cross. And thus, he can bind you in a new kind of slavery—daily living below the dignity of your freedom in Christ and the joy of your salvation.

Yet Christ would have us remember that he put an end to all condemnation for sins past, present, and future. As the Bible asks and answers, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Rom. 8:33–34).

The Irish hymn writer Charitie Lees Bancroft said it well:

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

The work of Christ sets us free from sin and guilt in the past so we can live free today. This freedom is complete and demands we proclaim it.

Source: Christianity Today

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I am a teacher of primary-age children, and I am continuously looking for developmentally appropriate ways to engage my students in conversations about kindness and friendship. Bibliotherapy is one of my favorite methods for encouraging such conversation, as children readily identify with storybook characters. It is rare for me to read aloud a story and my young students not offer immediate commentary about characters or events or connections to their own lives. “That happened to me!” someone will inevitably raise their hand and launch into an applicable (or not applicable) tale.

I recently was given a picture book worth sharing. It is a marvelous story for children, and it is perfect for parents or teachers who wish to teach children about kindness and empathy and helping others and doing the right thing. The title is Who Is My Neighbor? written by Amy-Jill Levine [my dad’s friend] and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.

Who Is My Neighbor? tells the familiar parable of the Bible’s Good Samaritan but in a version highly relatable for young children. The story begins, “Once there was a town where only Blues lived…” The Blues, of course, thought they were the coolest color, far superior than Yellows. Blue parents warned their children to avoid Yellow children, and Yellow parents told their children the Blues were not their neighbors. One must only associate with one’s own group, taught the parents. “Yellows are the hottest,” the parents explained.

But then one day. One day Midnight Blue went for a bike ride, lost his balance, and tumbled off his bike. Navy and Powder Blue saw and ignored the injured Midnight Blue, leaving him to wonder why his neighbors left him ignored and bruised on the side of the road. “They must not be true Blue,” he concluded. But then Lemon rode by, saw Midnight Blue needed help, and stopped despite her fear of Blues. Lemon picked up Midnight Blue’s books, loaded him onto her bike, and sat with him at Dr. Gold’s office where he was cared for by a friendly and soothing Yellow doctor. “Good as gold!” the Yellow doctor encouraged his Blue patient.

Source: Christianity Today

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Daniel Whyte III Preaches and Adapts Part 2 of an Article Written for a Magazine That He Owns Called the Torch (Now Called the Torch Leader) by His Late Younger Brother Mark Anthony White on the Day of His Homegoing Service Perfectly Titled “The Next Level”

TEXT: Hebrews 11:6

6 For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

TEXT: Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

———-

My Younger Brother Mark Anthony White Has Gone to ‘the Next Level’ and was Laid to Rest yesterday, Saturday, February 29. Please Pray for His Family. Today I am continuing to preach an Article That He Wrote for One of Our Other Publications ‘The Torch’ (Now Called ‘The Torch Leader’) Some Years Ago Titled ‘The Next Level.’ Out of my immediate family, Outside of My Father Bishop Daniel White Jr., the Mark Anthony White That I Remember, Who We Called Tony, Was the Most Sincere About His Christian Faith, and He is Now in That Most Beautiful Place Called Heaven and His Days of Pain, Heartache, and Sickness Are All Gone. Please Pray for His five Children That He Left Behind, Tsciena White, Danari White, Talia White, Salomé White, and Mark White Jr.

In the first part of this message, we saw that “without faith it is impossible to please God”. We must know in our heart that our heavenly Father is all that Scripture says He is. And further, by knowing these things, we rest in the assurance that our Lord always has our best interest at heart.

But what about those seemingly “crazy” detours that we’re forced to take? You know, those times when we are confident that we’re heading in the right direction when, out of the blue, something happens to hinder our stride. It is these times when we hold fast to that which we don’t see and wait for that which has yet to be manifested.

A look back at Hebrews 11:1 makes it clear to us that, among other things, possessing faith is essential for us to be able to walk honorably with the true, invisible God who has made us His own. This well-known verse asserts that our conviction consists of our confidence in the Lord, and that this same assurance is the proof of what we know to be true, all-be-it unseen.

But how can this be? How can we reach a point where we cease to have doubt about our ultimate well-being in any circumstance?

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

A good starting place would be to accept from God’s Word that, by His Spirit, He has given us faith with which to believe in Him.

Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

I Corinthians 12:7 says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

Once we have accepted this truth, we’ll need to submit ourselves to God’s “maturity plan” for believers which consists of inconvenient and oftentimes, painful trials. The reason for this method has nothing to do with sadism, but a lot to do with the fact that our Lord, sadly, doesn’t get our undivided attention until our personal agendas are interrupted. This can sometimes mean grave disappointment which, in turn, can mean emotional hurt. But what we, as believers, can hold fast to is that all people undergo some type of hardship in their lives, but we have the benefit of these experiences resulting in wonderful blessings at key points in our lives.

So, there is a point to this after all. God communicates the stages of His process in His Word:

Romans 5:1-5 says“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

These truths clearly steer believers from accepting the humanistic notion that events that occur in our lives are often happenstance. Indeed, occurrences in the Christian’s life, even some of those which strike us as insignificant, have meaning. These occurrences serve as both minor and major contributions to our respective developments as productive servants of the most High.

THE GAIN OF PAIN

Verse 3 of the above text alludes to the tribulations or trials that inevitably enter our lives from time to time. They appear for a myriad of reasons such as: (1) tests of our faith, (2) adversarial attacks, and (3) sin. Nevertheless, our God is able to turn these adverse situations into great advantage for His children, if we trust Him. Such trials often bring with them difficulty and heartache, In fact, the Lord consistently impacts our sensitivities just enough to make us stop and, if we are wise, become introspective and examine ourselves for such things as priority (i.e., Who’s really number one in our lives?); purity (i.e., Are we ignoring some habitual sin in our lives?); purpose (i.e., Are we carrying out the duties that the Holy Spirit has convicted us to?).

WAITING ON THE LORD

Tribulation triggers the exercising of our patience. A new trial not only requires the endurance capacity that we presently possess but also that which only God, and not we, know that we have. This waiting can be the hardest part, and sometimes spiritually dangerous, as we tend to steer toward carnal comforts (eg.: unhealthy relationships, compulsive self-abuse, withdrawal from fellowship). Again, there is a fruitful purpose to this. James 1:3-4 states that “the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect (complete) and entire, wanting nothing.” We see here that the trials that God allows to impact our lives, force us to begin to rely on that which is not temporary and that which we cannot lose—the Lord Himself. We become complete by attaching the placentas of our souls directly to Him by feeding on His Word and by consistently praying. Our Lord wants us to tap into a direct feed as oppose to relying on indirect and occasional transmissions of His nourishment. It is good for us to remember that God’s schedule, no doubt, is very different from our own timetable. He contemplates the entire season, while we’re entranced with but a moment of a day.

Psalm 27:13 says “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”.

Romans 5:4a informs us of the result of patience. And it is that time which we can look back in our lives and be reminded of God’s faithful deliverances. It is the proof of the fact that, in Christ, we are overcomers; indeed, solid proof, as we are the ones who have been made victorious. In order for us to obtain this knowledge of both crutches, He disallows our spouses or other close friends from meeting our needs, no matter how well-intentioned they may be. Our favorite pastimes and hobbies often lack appeal during these times. Career goals strike us as meaningless. At the cost of our discomfort, our loving God is greatly blessing us to see what we should always see—at all times, sunshine or rain. He’s all we have. With each trial we see more and more clearly that our Lord can always be trusted.

God uses each tribulation to enhance our knowledge base so that when the next challenge comes along we have a genuine confidence, not based on some pretense of clairvoyance, but one solely based on our Father’s impeccable track record. In a nutshell, we take the sentiment expressed in a very popular spiritual, I Don’t Feel Noways Tired:
I don’t believe, He brought me this far to leave me

——-

My Brother Mark Anthony White and My Father Bishop Daniel White Jr. Are Now in Heaven and Would Like for Me to Tell You How to Get There.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iranian state radio says a member of a council that advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died after falling ill from the new coronavirus.
  
The report Monday said Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi had died. He was 71.
  
The council advises Khamenei, as well as settles disputes between the supreme leader and parliament.
  
His death comes as other top officials have contracted the virus in Iran, which has the highest death toll in the world after China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
  
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
  
Trying to stem the outbreak of the new coronavirus, Iran on Monday held an online-only briefing by its Foreign Ministry as Britain began evacuating nonessential staff and families from the country which has the highest death toll from the virus outside of China. 
  
Iran has reported 978 confirmed cases of the new virus with 54 deaths from the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Across the wider Mideast, there are over 1,150 cases of the new coronavirus, the majority of which are linked back to Iran. 
  
Experts worry Iran’s percentage of deaths to infections, around 5.5%, is much higher than other countries, suggesting the number of infections in Iran may be much higher than current figures show.
  
Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi opened the online news conference addressing the outbreak, dismissing an offer of help for Iran by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
  
Iran and the U.S. have seen some of the worst tensions since its 1979 Islamic Revolution in recent months, culminating in the American drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad and a subsequent Iranian ballistic missile counterattack against U.S. forces.
  
“We neither count on such help nor are we ready to accept verbal help,” Mousavi said. He added Iran has always been “suspicious” about America’s intentions and accused the U.S. government of trying to weaken Iranians’ spirits over the outbreak.
  
The British Embassy meanwhile has begun evacuations over the virus. 
  
“Essential staff needed to continue critical work will remain,” the British Foreign Office said. “In the event that the situation deteriorates further, the ability of the British Embassy to provide assistance to British nationals from within Iran may be limited.”
  
While Iran has closed schools and universities to stop the spread of the virus, major Shiite shrines have remained open despite civilian authorities calling for them to be closed. The holy cities of Mashhad and Qom in particular, both home to shrines, have been hard-hit by the virus. Shiites often touch and kiss shrines as a sign of their faith. Authorities have been cleaning the shrines with disinfectants.
  
Police have arrested one man who posted a video showing himself licking the metal enclosing the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, the most-important Shiite saint buried in the country, according to reports by semiofficial news agencies. In the video, the man said he licked the metal to “allow others to visit the shrine with peace of mind.”
  
Meanwhile Monday, the virus outbreak saw itself dragged into the yearslong boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations over a political dispute. 
  
A prominent columnist at Dubai’s government-owned Al-Bayan newspaper on Twitter falsely described the virus as being a plot by Qatar to hurt the upcoming Expo 2020 world’s fair in Dubai  and Saudi Arabia. Noura al-Moteari later described the tweet as “satire” to The Associated Press after it gained widespread attention.
  
The Dubai Media Office similarly described the tweet as being written in a “cynical style” while distancing the Arabic-language daily from al-Moteari.
  
“Noura is a freelance writer and is not an employee of Al-Bayan nor does she represent the publication’s views,” it told the AP. “That being said, this has no relevance to any social media policy being practiced by the publication nor the state.”
  
The tweet comes after Qatar expressed disappointment Sunday that nearly all of its Gulf neighbors snubbed invitations to attend the weekend peace signing ceremony between the U.S. and the Taliban. 
  
___
  
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

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With drummers pounding out samba rhythms through the rain, this might almost have been just another one of the hundreds of street parties of Rio’s world-famous carnival.

But nobody at the I’m Full of Love Samba Street Party on Copacabana beach was drunk or in costume, few bystanders were dancing – and the group on the sound truck was singing about Jesus.

Evangelical Christians, a large and increasingly assertive demographic in Brazil, played a key role in the election of the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose wife Michelle is the most famous congregation member at Rio’s Attitude Baptist church, the organizers of the party.

And, where once they would leave town during carnival, they are increasingly visible during the annual celebrations, said Attitude’s pastor, Josué Valandro Jr.

“The city was delivered up to immorality, drinking sprees, crimes, bad things,” he said. “The carnival revelry lasts four days but Jesus’s happiness is eternal.”

His congregation was here to save souls – and sign up new members. “It’s evangelism. The aim is to bring Jesus to people who are enjoying carnival,” said Larissa Rocha, 23, an educational assistant who plays in the church’s drum corps.

One recent survey found around a third of Brazilians are evangelicals – up from 9% in 1991 – compared to around half who are Catholic.

Valandro called the first lady “a woman of God” for her work with deaf people and blamed leftist governments for a moral and economic decline now being reversed under Bolsonaro.

“The president is a man of strong character, with strong convictions,” he said.

Although Catholic, Bolsonaro was baptised by an evangelical preacher in the River Jordan in 2016. Many evangelicals voted for him, unconcerned by his history of homophobic remarks, racist descriptions of indigenous people and praise for Brazil’s military dictatorship.

SOURCE: The Guardian, Dom Phillips

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