Pastor Nimmons is passionate about the cause of young people and has been for a long time. His website www.michaelnimmons.com is thoroughly dedicated to providing resources, inspiration and encouragement to this generation of young people through a wide aria of mediums; video, blogs, power-points, along with a host of other resources.
Pastor Nimmons also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Council of Pastors of Greater Grace Temple, where the Honorable Bishop Charles H. Ellis III is the pastor. He is also an Asst Pastor as well. Serving as Director of our Christian Ed Teen & Young Adult Dept within the church, his passion is young people, and believes the message God has given us is for this generation of young people.
Its been at least 2 weeks since we wrote our last blog and that is because we have been heavily involved in ministry work in the vineyard. We begin on ministry trek on August 20-22 at Apostolic Assembly of Jesus Christ in Chicago, IL; pastored by Bishop Jerry Jones. This was their Youth Revival Weekend and we were the keynote speaker. During this weekend there was a Friday evening Youth Service, a Saturday Afternoon Car Show and the weekend's activites culminiated with us ministering in both the 12noon and 5:30pm Sunday services. We want to send a special thanks to Bishop & First Lady Jones for opening up their church to us as well as Eld Sam Reeves for the invitation. We enjoyed ourselves immensely!
Here's a few pics from the weekend.
Eld Sam Reeves Jr. emeecing the weekend's activities
Psalmist Tiffany Nimmons glorying the Lord through song
Pastor Nimmons ministering during Sunday Morning service
Car enthusiasts enjoying the show
Buick Lacrosse
Tiffany Nimmons relaxing in a Corvette
Joe Miles - Vice President Chicago Crossroads Corvette Club
Here is a clip from my first ever drive behind the wheel of a Corvette
Here's a clip from our Sunday Morning message entitled, "A Peculiar Praise."
We had a great time in Chicago last weekend, God tremedously blessed! Shoutout to the church family of Apostolic Assembly of Jesus Christ. They showed us some great hospitality and we truly appreciated their welcoming spirit.
Then this weekened we were invited to do a couple of workshops at Messais Temple Youth Camp at Michindoh camp site. This camp began on Thursday August 26th and concluded on August 29th. Myself & Eld. David Hollis were the two speakers for the camp.
The two workshops that we taught dealt with the evils of the music industry. These two sessions were an extension of our "Sleeping With The Enemy" Bible lessons we taught during our Young Apostolic Student for Christ bible classes. The youth were really intrigued by the information that we provided, and many referred to our session as "life changing." The services were just as powerful as well. The Friday night service in particular was so highly annoited that it went from 7:30pm until well after Midnight. Two young people were filled with the holyghost as well.
Here is a clip from a song that sung during the Friday evening serice called "Heal Your People"
We truly thank God for these ministry opportunities and we pray that the what was shared over these past few weeks were a blessing to these two churches respectlvely. I also pray that you are blessed by the photos and videos of these past two weeks. We are thankful to God for the opportunity to minister and are grateful to be able to share what God has been doing in our lives.
Stay tuned, because God definitely has more in store!
The latest in the saga of the N' word leads us to popular radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger. According to reports, Talk radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger has issued an apology for saying the N-word several times in an on-air conversation with a caller who she said was "hypersensitive" to racism. When a caller asked if the N-word was offensive, Schlessinger said "black guys say it all the time." She did not direct the epithet at the woman, but said she used it to suggest how often she hears it, and that it should not automatically be cause for offense. Schlessinger said on her website Wednesday that she was wrong in using the word for what she called an attempt to make a philosophical point. She said she "realized I had made a horrible mistake, and was so upset, I could not finish the show." I'm not here to question whether Dr. Laura's apology was sincere or not, only God knows that. But, what concerns me is how as much and as often a controversy this word has caused for other ethnicity's that have used it, why hasn't anyone wised up? I mean why do we still see talk show hosts, comedians, entertainers, politicians and the like still "slip" up and use this word given the ignorance of their peers? One would think that after Michael Richard's tirade in a comedy club a few years back and the backlash he received behind it, white America would never evoke its presence again. By the way, has anyone heard from Kramer lately? The careers that this word has ruined should be enough evidence to remove its use from the vocabularies of ever race and ethnicity's in the world.
Actor, Michael Richards -"Kramer"
But, was Dr. Laura right that because she's heard it said so much by black people that the sting of its use has somehow been removed? Is she right in saying that because she's heard black folks call each other the N' word for so long; if nothing but for a term of endearment, that the venom of the word has forever been neutralized? I wonder is there is any truth to that statement? Could this be the reason for her Freudian Slip on her radio show? I always believed that we-as Black Americans, were just as culpable for the use and the mis-use of the N' word. Using it in songs, among friends, or whatever way we choose to use it as a community would prove detrimental to the overall perception of this blatantly derogatory word. Our constant use of this word is perceived by many as an open invitation for everyone to use it, thereby causing more controversies like this to arise. However, I still wonder about the frequency of this and how the backlash hasn't created more of an impression with those who might potentially use this word in open forum? To me this speaks to a more systemic problem rather than a racial one, inasmuch as it seems that the venom of this word has not reached the masses and this could be the reason for these slips ups in public view.
The venom or the sting of this word is tied directly to its origin. The roots of the N'word date back to slavery days and it was always considered derogatory. White slave masters called their black slaves by this word. It came to be known as someone who is "lazy, trifling, and shiftless" which is became unduly associated with "black people." Which is completely ironic, seeing as though this country was built on the backs of the very people this word was used to describe. So you can see how the sting of this word would still resonate with black people today, many of whom were not privy to its use on the slave plantations of the South in the early 1800's, but still find this word offensive. This definitely speaks to the power of the word as well, because even though it is now used as a term of endearment amongst blacks internally within their own circles, whenever it is used by someone outside of the black race the same venomous history that it is attached to rises up all over again. So what are we going to do?
Back in November of 2007 the NAACP came up with an initiative to "Bury the N'Word." This march was held in Detroit, MI. Thousands of people joined together to help bury this historically derogatory word. Here's a clip of the ceremony:
Out of this ceremony was suppose to come a solidarity and unity on the elimination of this word from our vocabulary. This ceremony sparked a nation-wide debate about the N'word and its use not just from people outside of the black race but even from within our own race of people. A young man by the name Jonathon McCoy; who I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago, started a campaign to eliminate the N'Word from the vocabulary of Black America. Understanding that the only way that we can see real change as a community is for us to eliminate its use and then every other ethnicity and race will follow suite as well..
Here is a clip of his speech called "The Petition"
This clip has gotten over 1 million hits on YouTube and this should become an affirmation for us as a people. I agree with Jonathon that if we want to truly see this word eliminated from the vocabulary of other races than we have to commit to not using the word ourselves. Although, this obviously is not an easy thing to do, because again this word is used quite often within our own community. From Hip Hop artists to comedians, even though the intent of its use may not be entirely negative but its always in "poor taste." One such comedian who is notorious for its use during his comedy shows, was taught an important lesson on tolerance when he was removed from a performance because of audience intolerance of his use of the N'word. Comedian Eddie Griffin; during a 2007 performance in Miami Florida for Black Enterprise Magazine, was booted by the magazine's long time publisher Earl Graves for using the N' word. According to reports Earl Graves received a standing ovation for the comedian's removal, which could have been an insight into the black community's rising intolerance of the N'word.
Comedian Eddie Griffin
Are we nearing the end of its use? Not sure. No one knows what the future holds for this word. But, I was always taught as a child that it's not what you're called, but it is what you answer to! So, you can be called alot of things by people, but it only matters what you answer to that makes the difference. I choose to completely ignore its use, inasmuch as not only do I not answer to it, but I don't believe it defines who I am. So, my interpretations is and has always been that any derogatory word is only offensive to those who are insecure enough to feel they are identified by it. It is a matter of personal preference, which is really what it boils down too. Because in the grand scheme of things, it is only when we make the individual and personal choice to eliminate this word from our vocabulary then and only then will be start to see a change. Mahmta Ghandi said something quite remarkable regarding this subject of change; he says, "we have to be the change we want to see in the world." This simple statement makes everyone accountable for making the change we want to ultimately see in the entire world.
My question is what personal changes are you going to make in order to see change on a much larger scale? What ways are you trying to eliminate the use of this word from your vocabulary? Or do you feel that it doesn't need to be removed at all?
I know this is weekly blog and I don't normally include two posts in one week, especially considering the magnitude of our last post entitled "Congratulating Bishop" and saluting our pastor Bishop Charles Ellis on his elevation to Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. But, I wanted to send a special thanks to a group of people that we've recently partnered with in ministry work in the kingdom.
I want to offer a special thanks to @MaxExpoRadio (twitter lingo) and Maximum Exposure Magazine for having us last night as a guest on their blogtalkradio program. We would like to give a special shout to Jamillah Herbet Lewis & Yuade Moore the CEO's of @MaxExpoRadio & Maxium Exposure Magazine as well as the two host Divine & Praiz. We had a great time last night sharing the word of God over the airwaves with our new partners in the gospel. And, we just wanted to write a special note to you all letting you know to keep up the great work you're doing for the kingdom.
For the benefit of those who didn't not hear the show last evening, yesterday's topic was about subliminal messages in music particularily from such artists as Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rhianna, Kanye West, Enimem and the list goes on and on. The show itself dealt with a recent blog post that we wrote entitled is "Jay-Z a Mason?"
and in this blog post we addressed the question of Jay'Z Masonic affiliations. In our post we asserted that we believe Jay-Z has already answered the question for myself and others regarding his Masonic affliliations in his music, videos, and clothing line which all appear to have incorporated the signs and symbols of Freemasonry within its subliminal messages. And, we still wonder why the question hasn't been answered by millions more or maybe it has and they just refuse to accept it? While at the same time Jay-Z continues to either evade or avoid the question of whether he-himself is a Mason. Well I learned a long time ago that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then guess what...it's a duck! And, what continues to concern us regarding critics of this or lets just call them "Jay-Z fans" is that they believe that all of this is coincidental or accidental that all of these signs point to Jay-Z being a devil worshipper of sorts. But, as I said on the show last evening at the very least if none of the Masonic or Illuminati stuff is true about him, the content of his music should be appalling enough never to listen to him again. And, for him to have the boldness to include in the song "Empire State of Mind" that "Jesus can't save you. Life starts when the church ends." That should be enough for him to have lost the sum total of his following from that statement alone. But, instead what many have done is defended this statement or attempted to rationalize away wrong, which in of itself is wrong. And, this shows you the kind of negative impact his music is having on the world, but what is even more disturbing the impact Jay-Z music is having in the church.
What is dangerous is how young people in the church are coming to Jay-Z defense. Subsequently, it causes us to wonder about the credibility of the youth defending this man. We often attach "in the church" to those who we believe are "in the church" or when we want to make the differentation from the church and the world, but the question really becomes "is the church in them?" Because if the church was really "in them" then there could be no way that Jay-Z would be romaniticized after an indefensible and blasphemous remark like "Jesus can't save you!" The church of old would have publically condemned Jay-Z and artist like him who dare to take the Lord's name in vain, thus causing a ripple effect in the world and maybe their star wouldn't shine as bright. But, today is definitley a different day and wrong is seen as right and right is seen as wrong. All signs point to Jesus Christ return. Needless to say, there is still yet more ground to cover on this subject and we look forward to coming back on and continuing this ongoing topic with our friends @MaxExpoRadio.
We encourage you to check out their awesome website www.maxexpomag.com. This is a great Christian website, youth orientated, relevant, trendy as well as substantive. Check this website out there is a lot of great information for you to access when you log on. We definitely need more Christian sites that cater to the needs of today's young Christians, and Maximum Exposure Magazine is definitely one site which should be emulated by everyone.
Thanks again for the invitation and I look forward to partnering with you and your magazine in the very near future! Be Blessed!
What a great way to return from a week hiatus of writing for our weekly blog the Pastor's Perspective, with some great news to share with our readers. We are very pleased and excited to announce that our pastor Bishop Charles H. Ellis III; pastor of Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, MI, is now the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. We wanted to take this opportunity to send a special congratulatory message to our pastor Bishop Ellis, and at the same time bring you; our readers, up to speed on our pastor's elevation to the leadership of this historic pentecostal organization.
Our pastor Bishop Ellis; who was formerly the Asst Presiding Bishop of the P.A.W., was unanimously voted and elected by the general body of the P.A.W.inc. on Sat, Aug 7th 2010. On Thursday, Aug 12th he will be officially consecrated into this position and will become only the 10th Presiding Bishop in the 85yr history of this pentecostal organization. We are excited and privilege to be the first to announce this historic elevation at our Sunday Services on yesterday morning at Greater Grace Temple where are pastor received a chorus of cheers and a standing ovation for rising to this lofty position of leadership in the P.A.W. God has truly blessed him and we pray God's continual blessings upon him as he embarks upon this new chapter in his life.
To offer some context to this congratulatory message. Our pastor Bishop Charles Ellis is the son of Bishop David L. Ellis, who is a former Asst Presiding Bishop in this organization. Bishop David L. Ellis was a powerful and anointed vessel of God, and who's dedication and commitment to this ministry brought it to national prominence before God called him home in March of 1996. Much can be said about the tremendous legacy of this great leader, but unfortunately time would not permit us to chronicle his life in this one post. However, you can visit www.greatergrace.org for more info about this great man of God.
Here's a brief clip of Bishop Ellis singing one of his favorite songs.
Our pastor Bishop Charles Ellis became the pastor of Greater Grace Temple back in 1996 and he has been on a fast track ever since taking this church from one level to another. I have always been a great admirer of Bishop Ellis, because of his many talents and vision for the kingdom of God. He is a man of business, enterprise and entrepreneurship. In February of 2002, 6yrs after his father past; Bishop Charles Ellis ushered in a new era for Greater Grace Temple when we entered a brand new state of the art edifice on the City of David property at our new location on 7mile & Shaiwasee. This new edifice seats 4000 in the main sanctuary and is complete with a banquet facility, conference center and administrative wing. In just a short time he has re-energized this new community where our church is housed with Back to School Festivals, Gospel Fest & Car Shows, Thanksgiving & Christmas Give-A-Ways just to name a few.
Bishop Charles Ellis is also a great preacher in his own right. Here's a clip of him ministering the gospel during a Sunday service at Greater Grace Temple.
I am truly thankful for my pastor, he is someone that I admire and hold in very high esteem. It is an honor and privilege to serve him as one of his assistant pastors at the church I grew up. I feel very honored and humbled to have both Bishop David L. Ellis & Bishop Charles Ellis as role models. Men of God, who I believe have help mold and shape me into the minister of the gospel I am today. I can remember when he and his wife First LadyCrissette attended my graduation at MSU back in Dec of 1998. I truly appreciated them both taking time out of their busy schedule to celebrate with us. He also officiated the marriage of my wife and I 6yrs ago; the first marriage he officiated after becoming the Asst Presiding Bishop back in 2004.
I am tremendously thankful and grateful for my pastor, and that I have a window seat to witness history unfolding right before my very eyes. I just wanted to take this opportunity to salute our pastor Bishop Charles H. Ellis III in his elevation and to offer our continued support of the ministry and the people of God at the church that I call home, Greater Grace Temple.
Congratulations Bishop!!
(Feel free to leave your congratulatory message to Bishop Ellis on our blog as we plan to post this on his facebook profile as well.)
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole of the Law" -Aleister Crowley (Famous Freemason, Illuminist & Luciferian)
This really is the million dollar question. It is probably been the most speculated question about Jay-Z's life for people from all walks of life. And, all of the attention this question is getting continues to breed more speculation as to whether Jay-Z is secretly apart of this secret society called the "Freemasons" or not.We have received numerous e-mails and periodically asked what are thoughts are on the subject and we decided to use this post here to address some of those e-mails and some of those questions as well. Keep in mind, we've done a pretty extensive bible class lesson on this very same subject called; "Sleeping With The Enemy" that can be viewed on our Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/PSTRNIMMONS) and we have the ministry powerpoints to this class for "FREE" download on our website (www.michaelnimmons.com). Click the "Media" tab under the "Guestbook" category.
Let's first begin by saying that the speculation itself; as I said earlier, it helping to breed the controversy. Some would say, that Jay-Z is just playing into the hands of all of the speculators by using the symbols, signs and references to Freemasonry in his music to help to continue to stir this controversy. To many; especially those who follow him, he is just using this is as a way to gain even more attention and more notoriety. And, sure this could very well be true. Any smart business man, which I certainly beleive he is, knows how to ride the wave of speculation and controversy especially when it equals more money in you pocket. And, since this controversy began his star power has gone up even more. And, he knows it. So, yes there is a part of this debate that could go to notion that Jay-Z is using the speculation to his advantage.
Here's a clip of Jay-Z trying to address the Freemason & Illuminati question:
But, then you see a video like this and it will leave you wondering is Jay-Z really telling the truth?
And, you say to yourself how could he say he's not a Mason and he's not apart of the Illuminati, but then he shows all of these Masonic & Illuminati signs & symbols in his videos. This one is probably the most overt one to date. In here you can also see four bullets being shot across a wooden crucifix of Jesus Christ. Now what I have said and will say is if none of this Freemason or Illuminati stuff is true, at the very least Jay-Z is not a positive role model especially for our Christian youth (which by the way purchases his albums too!) And, he definitely is not worthy of defense, because whenever you attack Jesus Christ in your songs then you've got a problem with me and all Christian who believe in JESUS CHRIST for that matter. But, again you hear and you see all of these conflicting images and quotes coming from the same person. And you're wondering what side of the fence is he really on? And then he says,
"For the record, I of course believe in God, but I believe in one God. If people must know my religious beliefs, I believe in one God. I don’t believe in religion. I don’t believe in Christians or Muslims. I think all that separates people. I think it’s one God. I think it’s all the same God, and I don’t believe in Hell. But as far as God, of course I believe in God. Am I a part of some sect or cult? That sounds stupid to me."
Well Jay if you believe in one God, who is this God? And, if you don't believe in religion or Hell, then you don't believe in the God of the Bible. Because Isaiah 54:14 it says, "hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth shall descend into it." Therefore the existence of Hell is a reality that the Bible speaks about and if you don't believe in Hell then you must not believe in the Bible either. So, at the very least Jay-Z is not a religious person or a believer of God or the Bible, which should raise numerous red flags especially to those even in the religious community who not only listen to Jay-Z but defend they're doing so by asserting his musical genuis. If he is diametrically opposed to everything we as Christians stand for then why are there still some Christians who listen to and even defend his anti-religous views? What continues to boggle my mind is that when you see the images, and you listen to the song and he and other rappers like him are not discretely relaying their views. But, they are blatantly, arrogantly and overtly spewing their ant-religious, and ant-God venom and yet we somehow still try to rationalize away the reality of their folly. Incredible!
The latest example Jay-Z and his "Mixed Message Campaign" is the new song he and Rick Ross just came out with called "Freemason." In it Rick openly declares he's affiliation with the Freemasons. Here is an excerpt of Rick Ross' verse
"I go in the grave before I be a b**** n***
Better behave you dealin with some rich n****
we the lost the symbols
speak in cryptic codes
ancient wisdom
valuable like gifts of Gold
I embark on life
my path is math
I understand the codes these hackers can't crack
I understand these folks expect me to fold
I won't fail but a lot of men will
I'm iconic in the field
like Solomon Seal
Uh, its just an intro
allow my flow time to sink into the temple
Free Mason
Free Lancer
Free Agents, we faster
Big contracts, big contractors
built pyramids, period
We Masters..."
This excerpt from Rick Ross' verse contains some many open references to this secret society. And, he is not talking about it as if he's detached from it, but he uses pronouns like "I" and "we" which confirms his affiliation. What is also interesting is that his lyrics are itself cryptic messages that he is sending out as another sign of his connection with freemasons. He uses words like temple, (Masonic Temple), "my path is math" "built pyramids"which speaks to the Egyptian origins of this secret society. "We Masters" which is a clear reference to the third degree of Freemasonry; "Master Mason." So, cleary Rick Ross is making an open declaration of where his affiliation lies, but Jay-Z does something which supports the earlier notion that he could be using this speculation to his advantage. Instead of bolding declaring his affiliaition and connection to "Freemasonry" which many believe he would do in this song; given the title, instead he attacks his critics and speculators, and continues fueling the speculation by never once saying whether he is or isn't a Mason.
Here are some of his lyrics;
N*** could do nothing with me they put the devil on me I would have preffered if n**** squeeze the metal on me Rumours of Lucifer I don't know who to trust whole world want my demise turn my music up here me clearly, if y'all n*** fear me just say y'all fear me ### all of this fairy tales go to h*** This is God engineering This is Hail Mary pass, y'all interfering he without sin shall cast the first one so y'all look in the mirror double check your appearance b*** I said I was AMAZING Not that i'm a MASON..."
So here it appears that if Jay-Z is trying to play the victim by attacking those who have been seemingly attacking him; myself included. Using references like "they put the devil on me" and "rumours of Lucifer" and "I don't know who to trust." All of this makes it seem like the criticism of him and his music is entirely unwarranted and vindicative. Then he calls all of this a "fary tale" which is defintely a reference to the speculation regarding his Masonic affliations. And, then goes on to quoting scriptures from the Bible, which he claims he's never read. "He withouth sin shall cast the first one," obviously referring to his critics having skeletons in their closet as well. But then he does something, which he did in the first video from his latest album, "The BluePrint 3." In his first single of his latest album; "Run This Town," Jay-Z said, "I'm in Maison," and he mispronounced this french word to say "MASON." Whether unintentionally or deliberately he was inserted a indirect message that he was secretly affiliated with the Freemasons. This became even more clear when you look at the lyrics of the song "Run This Town" and you see that word he misprounced is spelled M-A-I-S-O-N, which is the last name of the famous French Designer Martin Maison.
Some of his clothes are pictured here:
Rhianna - Martin Maison Outfit
Do you think it was by accident or a "Fruedian Slip" that Jay-Z mispronounced this well known French fashioned designer's name. One that just so happened to have outfitted one of his protege's Rhianna for this very same video. Not so! He does this again in this song "Freemason" when he says, "...I said I was AMAZING. Not that i'm a MASON." So, here he's saying his critics and speculators have gotten it wrong. He talks so proper and is so refined that we mistook AMAZING for him saying he was A MASON. Give me a break!
But, what people fail to understand is that the speculation is very much apart of the Freemason agenda. Deception is a very important tool that is used to keep people constantly doubting the truth. Because if any of the truth every becomes clear and apparent to you than you are no longer in bondage and you're no longer a slave. So you must understand it is the goal of the Jay-Z's of the industry to keep you doubting, and to keep you guessing about who they really are. Much in the same way the devil has done and is doing in our world today. He is re-marketing himself to the world as a "sauve, charismatic, enlightened friend and not foe of mankind." And, where he's starting is to attack the bible where the truth of his identity is housed. He's actually has cults and groups who subscribed to the notion that Lucifer is actually the good guy and God is the bad guy. Men like Aliester Crowely and Max Moore have sought to redefine the overall image of Lucifer in the eyes of mankind. Calling him an Angel of Light and not darkeness, referring to the meaning of his name "Son of the Morning. And, how could someone who's name means light be inherently evil. In fact, Max Moore; leader of the Transhumanist Movement" said,
"The Devil-Lucifer-is a force for good (where I define good is simply that which I value, not wanting to imply any universal validity or necessity to the orientation). Lucifer means "light bringer" and this should begin to clue us in on his symbolic importance. The story is that God threw Lucifer out of heaven because Lucifer had started to question God was spreading dissention amongst the angels. We must remember that this story is told from the point of view of the Godists...and not from the Luciferians ( I will use the term to distinguish us from the Satanists with whom I have some fundamental differences.) The truth may just as easily be that Lucifer resigned from heaven."
Clearly, we can see how this re-marketing campaign is endeavoring to tear down the Biblical perspective of the devil and make him into an entirely different being altogether. And, we can see how this campaign corresponds direclty with the deceptive practices of secrety society's like the "Freemasons." Another thing that you shouldn't expect to happen is to see any of the truth about these secret societies come across the mainstream airwaves of the mass media. This is another part of the Freemason agenda that helps to breed the doubt and continued speculation of the identity of its members. Great pains have been taken to keep the truth from being exposed this way, because the mainstream mass meda has such a large following and why use this vehicle to speak the truth, when it can be used to propagate lies. So, you will typically see these views expressed on individual blogs (Vigilant Citizen www.vigilanticitizen.com), or periodically on Yotube (The Forerunner Chronicles, www.Youtube.com/forerunner777), where its crediblity will constantly be challenged because its viewership can be limited and monitored.
SIGNS & CLUES
One thing that is becoming increasingly clear as we get closer and closer to Jesus Christ return, the enemy is becoming more bolder and brazen in the these things that he is doing. What was once done in secret is now being done in the light of the day and right in the face of the public. Why, because the influences are so strong now that nothing can be done to stop its progress. But, Jesus warns us a Christians in the Word of God to see the signs of the times. He cautions us on our ability to understand the weather and whether it will be clear or whether it will be cloudy, but asks us can you discern the signs of the times?
Matthew 16:3, Jesus says, "And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"
In the last days perilous times will come. This is what Jesus clearly tell us to look out for. And, the signs of the times are here for us to see but either we have gotten to comfortable living here that we don't want to leave or we are walking around with blinders on, but the signs are more clear today than the have ever been that we are living in the last days.
What is true and what more attention should be given to is the signs that artists like Jay-Z are including in their videos, pictures, clothing and other areas of the media that speak to their secret affilations.
Jay-Z's Clothing line RocA-Wear
"The Pyramid" Sign
"Aleister Crowley" with a Pyramid on his hat
"Baphomet"
Beyonce and her alter ego "Sasha Fierce"
Look at all of these familar signs and symbols we've seen time and time again. We wear Roc-A-Wear; many of us have thrown up the "Diamond" sign before, and we've all claimed to have an alter ego of our own as well. Yes it is easy to rationalize away the truth, because we inherently defend what we like and critize what we don't. But, these signs are too clear to deny. And yet this is still hard for some people to believe. Why is is this still hard for people to believe. It's hard for us to believe, because we're secretly in love with these artists ourselves. And, we defend their behavior by calling them musical genuises, which is our way of letting ourselves off the hook because we still choose to listen to them even though apart of us believes what is being said about them is really true. But, remember Lucifer was consider a "Musical Genuis" as well. In fact, he was the "Chief Musician" in heaven. So, who are we really covering for, THEM or OURSELVES? At the end of the day, the bible says that ever man is going to have to stand before God and give an account for the deeds that he's done in this body. So, whether you are coveriing for Jay-Z by defending his bad choices or yourself for still choosing to listening to him despite all signs pointing to his occult affliations, every man is going to have to answer to God for himself. Quite frankly, Jay-Z hasn't done enough for me to sacrifice my life for his. He'll never be able to sell enough records to warrant my worship or praise. He and artists like him will never be famous enough for me to loose myself in defending them. So, the question for so many people becomes who are you going to serve, God or Jay-Hova? And, the answer for me is very clear and a very easy one to make, JESUS! He's is definitley the most influential person in my life.
So, is Jay-Z a Freemason, YES HE IS! HOW DO I KNOW? HE TOLD ME SO! And, he's telling you to if you just take the time to WATCH & LISTEN.
I must admit I have been pondering this question for sometime now. And, this latest news with Rev. Jesse Jackson vs. Dan Gilbert has just made this question an even more necessary one to ask. But, even before I began dissecting this question as well as the details regarding the Rev. Jackson's recent comments about Lebron James jilted lover Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert. I want to assure you that I am well aware that even amidst the progress that we as African Americans have experience over the past 40yrs since Dr. King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech, that racism and inequality still exist in this country. Even though we have now realized a dream of having the 1st African American President of the United State in the White House, racism and discrimination is definitely not a thing of the past. So, let's be clear in spite of our progress the problem of racism and discrimination still exist, which is not the centerpiece of this debate. But, whether these two gentlemen photographed at the top should continue being the spokesman for Black America. I say there time has come and gone.
Here's why; first of all I believe they are misrepresenting the life and legacy of leader's like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and others of the Civil Rights Movement, who marched, fought and died for far more than the mistreatment of a spoiled black millionaire (Lebron James circa 2010). The Movement of the 1960's was about addressing the severe inequalities that blacks faced at the lowest levels. Blacks in the 1960's marched for Voting Rights, Civil Rights, Fair Housing, Equality in Working Conditions just to name a few. This movement was about making sure black people had an equal and fair opportunity to get a good education, get a decent job, eat at any lunch counter they choose, buy a car, buy a house and have a family in this country we have all come to call home. The Civil Rights Leaders of the 1960's called on the federal government to be true to what you said on paper; to make true the writings of the Founding Fathers of this country that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Essentially, the goals during those times were more genuine and substantive than what we are seeing demonstrated in this day and time. And the question becomes has Rev. Al Sharpton & Rev. Jesse Jackson outlived their usefulness in the Black community, and should there be two new representatives from our community selected to lead this fight for equality further?
The answer is very clear, it is time to pass the mantle to a new generation of black leaders that will carry this fight for equality further with more wisdom, and prudence than the two that are currently serving us. Their constant intrusion in the news under the guise of racism is ludicrous and they are becoming more of a liability rather an asset to the credibility of the cause of equality for Black America. The credibility of our cause is continuing to diminish the more there name is evoked in the media and in the news. Every time you hear the name Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson you don't hear the same cheers Dr. King received when he championed the cause of Civil Rights in the 60's, but you hear a resounding chorus of boos from the very same people these men claim to be helping. Why, because it always seems like it is more about them rather than the matter at hand. They consider themselves "Civil Rights Celebrities" of "Glorified Finger Pointers" as photographed above, who insert themselves in newsworthy events to bring more attention and media scrutiny to themselves rather than the people they are suppose to be helping. And, what ends up happening is that they do more harm than good, because the credibility of our cause is sacrificed each time these "Civil Rights Celebrities" pose in front of the cameras, speak to the media, all in the name of Equality for Black Folks. Give me a break!
What contributes to the diminished credibility of our cause is the news stories they choose to attached themselves to. They always seem to pick a news story that has garnered the attention of a large segment of society to insert themselves into. I wonder do they consult the Neilson TV ratings before they take on a new civil right cause? Which makes the latest episode in the Lebron James saga a cornacupia of media attention for the venerable Rev. Jackson. Here, Rev Jackson is comparing the open letter Cav's Owner Dan Gilbert wrote about former employee Lebron James to the musings of a slave master and a runaway slave. Jackson believes that Dan Gilbert's comments about James being a narasscist was racist and compared Gilbert to a slave owner who just loss his slave. Lebron James a slave! That is utterly ridiculous. Forget how Lebron James handled and mishandled the media spotlight. Forget the fact the Lebron James did not have the business acumen nor the decency to call his former boss and at least inform him of his decision before he let the 10 million viewers know that watched that nonsense on ESPN. But, Rev Jackson wants to check Mr. Gilbert's behavior because of the appearance of racism, but what about Lebron James lack of maturity in handling this business decision. I believe it goes both ways. For too long, Rev Al & Rev Jackson have served as the voice of Black America to White America on matters of race, equality and civil rights. And, what has happened is there presence in matters of no racial consequence contributes to the negative perception that some whites have of blacks. Especially, when it is always the behavior of White America that is constantly being checked and called into question, but black folks behavior goes unnoticed or ignored. It always seems like we are given a "free pass" and its everybody else's fault but ours. But, when are we going to step up and take responsibilty for the mistakes that we've made as a community? When are these men going to challenge the negative images and perceptions that our own people have projected upon themselves? When are these men going to challenge BET (Black Exploitation Television) for contributing to the negative sterotypes of Black America? When are they going to reprimand the vitriol and venomous black rappers who promote violence, promiscuity, drug abuse and alcoholism to the young impressionable youth of Black America?
Inasmuch as these two men have not engage the Hip Hop Community to straighten up their antics or to challenge the CEO's of networks like BET to clean up their networks and make them more reflective of the African American community, we do not need them representing or mis-representing our cause. The question then becomes who will champion our cause. Who will be the leaders of the 21st Century that will continue the legacy and the movement that Dr. King lead so dillgently and faithfully in the 1960's? Who will rise to the occassion and challenge our people to transcend the sterotypes of ourselves that we see in videos, magazines & movies? Who will not only hold White America accountable for their actions, but Black America as well? We must be accountable to one another, because as Dr. King so eloquently put it, "our destines are inextricably bound to one another."
So, make no mistake about it we are not just critizing Rev Jackson & Rev Al for the misrepresentation of the plight of Black America in the 21st Century, but we are also challenging this generation of leaders to step up and be the real torch bearers of our cause. I appluad the efforts of men like Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, Benjamin Jealous (NAACP), Marc Morial (Urban League), Tavis Smiley (PBS), Roland Martin (CNN) and people of like passion who are holding both White & Black America accountable for reprehensible and inconscionable behavior and offering realistic solutions concering the race problem in this country. But, as we peruse the black leaders of our society today, who do you think are some of the candidates with the greatest potential to do what we've outlined above? Who can we look to, to properly articulate our cause? Or maybe the greater question is, is the next leader of the Black Community reading this blog? I hope so! It's time for the black youth of our community to be leaders and not followers.
Pastor Nimmons & Jonathon McCoy
One such young man is Jonathon McCoy who I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago at our GGT Pastor's & Church Leaders Conference. You may remember this young inasmuch as he was the same young man that delivered a speech promoting the removal of the N*** word from our vocabulary. This speech receieved national acclaim and he was featured on CNN as well other new networks talking about his campaign to remove this negative word from the vocabulary of Black America. Here's a clip from his story on CNN.
In closing I want to leave you with the a brief clip from another notable contemporary who I believe is representing our community in a extraordinary way. A man who I believe is still the embodiment of the movement of the 1960's, but is also engaging the Black community and more importantly the youth of today to pick up the mantle of leadership and run with it. Ladies & Gentleman, Dr. Cornel West!
I'm the biggest lover of cartoons (Here I go again revealing more about myself with each blog post. LOL!) But, I am! I'll admit it. I'll also admit that I'm also a big kid as well. And, what is interesting about this admission is that people that know me or might know of me may have a different opinion when it comes to my prevailing personality. But I am. I do have a sense of humor and I'll like having fun. That being said, I really enjoy coming home from work and watching cartoons with my son (4) and my daughter (10 months). I enjoy spending most of my early Saturday mornings watching cartoons. Even before my two kids were born, I was a lover of cartoons. In fact, some of my favorite cartoons were Looney Toons, Tiny Toon Adventures (Pinky & The Brain), Tom & Jerry, the Flintstones, just to name a few. I'm not sure what is the attraction? Maybe it is an escape from reality if nothing but for an hour or two, and you can get caught up in the fictional lives of these cartoon characters that many of us have come to love.
However, the cartoons that you and I use to love "Back in the Day" as we call it now, have changed completely. The cartoons that now populate televisions screens across the country have become more risque, more violent and more symbolic of even greater influences that we've alluded to in earlier posts and on our Youtube Channel PSTRNIMMONSTV (www.youtube.com/PSTRNIMMONS), particularly our "Sleeping With The Enemy" Bible lesson series. In this blog post we endeavor to show you some of the provocative and controversial content as well as hidden messages that is now become apart of the cartoons that are children are watching on many of our popular television networks. Some of the more controversial cartoons shows, which I'll admit that I periodically watch are; The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad (most of the Fox Network cartoons), Futurama, & The Boondocks.
These are cartoons shows where the content is blatantly sexual, extremely violent, vulgar and explicit. But they are also accompanied by a parental advisory warning letting viewers know what they should expect to see when they watch these shows. I guess this the networks way of letting themselves off the hook by sticking a disclaimer on sexually offensive, violent and inflammatory cartoons for impressionable children to watch. Great! And, yes parents should be more responsible for their children and not allow them to watch this openly offensive content. Yes, parents are the ones that should be primarily responsible for putting parental controls on their television in order to put safeguards in place to prevent their children for internalizing this offensive content. But I believe the TV networks have a responsibility as well. And, they should be more critical and thoughtful about what they put on televisions screens for young minds to digest. But, I guess this a commentary of the times we're in. And, parents shouldn't be left off the hook either. Because we have a responsibility to our children to raise them in the way they should go. Does monitoring what our children watch keep them from ever seeing these shows, no it doesn't. Especially in this day and time where we have the Internet, cell phones, and other mobile devices where these shows can be pulled up and viewed without parental supervision. But, at least a standard is being set at home which says to the child their are just certain things you are not allowed to watch in this house. And, hopefully that heir of discipline will resonant with them and follow them throughout adolescence and adult life. After all, King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he shall not depart." This is a very practical biblical principle that every good parent should adopt for themselves and their family.
Now those who've seen the shows we previously mentioned with the parental advisory notices are very much aware of what they are about to see when they sit down to watch these shows. But, what about a show as seemingly innocent as "SpongeBob SquarePants?" This is show that can been seen on the Nickoloden Network, where millions of children; including my son and daughter watch all the time. Spongebob SquarePants is typically viewed as innocent and adorable and even funny at times. But, did you know that there have been some hidden messages embedded in this show that points towards ILLUMINATI & MASONIC symbolism and influences. Yes! I said it, there have been several episodes where the "Eye of Horus" , "The Egytian Pyramid" as well as a demonic reference to "Baphomet;" an infamous occult symbol have been used.
Watch this clip from SpongeBob SquarePants:
"All Seeing Eye"
"Baphomet"
Here's a clip from "The Simpsons:"
Freemasonry Symbol
"All Seeing Eye"
So as you can see the content in the cartoons of today are not just risque and violent, but they are also becoming increasingly dangerous for children to watch. Our young impressionable children are now being exposed to FreeMasonry and Illuminati signs and symbols all through the seemingly innocent medium of cartoons. How dastardly and deceitful! And, putting this content in cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants is a another way of getting their message of evil out to the masses. And this is far more sinister, inasmuch as these shows are not accompanied with a parental warning for content inadvisable for children. Do you believe this is by coincidence, or by design? I believe the latter is true. Which means we have try even harder to monitor what our children are watching, reading and listening to, because as parents we are going to be held accountable by God for what we expose our children to. This is our public service post, and we hope that this information is helpful to you and opens your eyes to the deceitful plot of our adversary the devil. The scripture says that he will use any opportunity he can to steal, kill and destroy. So, now that we know, it is our responsibility now to better equip ourselves to fight in this spiritual battle.
What I will say is that sometimes you run across a cartoon that will periodically have a message in their that resonates beyond the point of it being a satirical punchline, or a brief escape from reality, but a message that speaks to merits of real life. One such cartoon is the "Boondocks." This is cartoon that we mentioned earlier that has all kinds of sexually explicit content, derogatory language and violent themes and images. But, I believe it is designed to be a mirror to us as African Americans, where we can see ourselves and our behavior, and gain some insight on how we can change. This last clip in this post did that very thing for me. It is a clip from the show that features Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. coming back to speak to the black youth of today. And, yes the language might be offensive to some, but his message is still very powerful and should resonate with all of those that it applies to.
Here is our parental advisory for this clip: (If you are offended by the use of the N' word, I strongly suggest you do not view this clip. However, it's use; I believe, is for the benefit of making a distinction between N***** & black people)
So, what do you think abou all of this? What are your thoughts on the evolution of cartoons? Are you happy with their progress or are you becoming more uncomfortable with the messages their sending to our children? Please post your thoughts and comments on this subject. I'm interested in knowing how you feel about this controverisal subject matter. As always you can e-mail us at pastor@michaelnimmons.com or post your comments and thoughts in the box below.
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