"Who Told You Were Naked?"

Here is some morning inspiration from #PSTRNIMMONSTV to get your day started off right!

Be Blessed!

Pastor Nimmons

The Walk of Shame

Head Coach of Penn State Joe Paterno fired

The past few days have been very sad to say the least for the Penn State Football program. Mired in scandal and controversy, the news surrounding this case has sent the entire country reeling and rocking. This scandal stinks on some many different levels we find it hard to grasp and really don't know where to begin. When the news broke about the reports of child molestation by a former defensive coach of the Penn State Football program, we were shocked and mortified by it. And, as the horrific details of the story begin to unfold, it seemed very hard for us to believe and even understand.  A 10 yr old boy being sodomized by former defensive coordinator Gerald Sandusky and then Grad Asst ( at the time) Michael Queary walking in on this horrific scene; who after seeing this grotesque display of molestation, called his father and then reported to his boss, now former Penn State Coach- Joe Paterno. How about calling the police? Why not intervene and stop Sandusky from violating this 10yr old in this horrific way. So many questions.

Since the details of this event has come out, countless others have come out as well. And, what is most disturbing is that Joe Paterno; probably the most revered and respected football coach in America, did very little in correcting things, or maybe he believed what he was doing was actually that? No one really knows. But, now this Hall of Fame Coach of this storied program on last night had to begin the walk of shame away from a life that he has known for over 7 decades. Next to Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson, Joe Paterno is the winningest Coach in College Football with 409 wins. Amazing. And, it seemed like he was at a point in his career where he could exit on his on turns. In fact, he was planning to do exactly that, as of early Wednesday, Joe Paterno was going to retire as the Penn State Head Football Coach at season's end. But, amid this current scandal and controversy the Board of Trustees voted on yesterday to fire this head coach immediately as well as the University President Graham Spanier. Two of the universities more powerful men, who used their power and influence to cover a molestation scandal that has rocked us to the core of moral being.  What a sad day for Penn State, what a sad day for America.

I echo the sentiments of my friend and journalist for ESPN, Jemelle Hill (@Jemelehill) in her column this morning that "this is a justified end for Joe Paterno" seemingly harsh words for such a well respected sports figure, and yet very appropriate given all that has come out regarding this scandal and the immense cover-up. How could he let this type of activity go on at a university that he basically run as one of the most powerful mean on campus. This is the lingering question that we may never have the answer for. We initially help Joe Pa; as he was affectionately called, in the highest esteemed, and believed that if confronted with this time of situation, would respond as any right thinking adult would and should. Alert the authorities of this matter, notified the University President of what was going on, confronted Sandusky with the allegations and completely removed this pervert from the university and its student population until this investigation was completed or for good, if found guilty. But, what we discovered was that no such thing was done. In fact, Joe Paterno openingly admitted to having not done enough. He said, "this is a tragedy it is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more." An open admission of guilt on the part of the man who morally participated as a co-conspirator in the perpetuation of another man's evil deeds. Dr. King said, "our lives began to end the day we become silent on things that matter." And, he went on to say, "there comes a time where silence is betrayal." And, in a real sense Joe Paterno betrayed the trust of those young boys with his silence. By not speaking up and out about what was going on at his school, in his football program, was the ultimate betrayal. And, this is why he was forced to take the walk of shame. This is not how we envisioned Joe Paterno's exit from college football; this is not how anyone believed he would leave the game that he loved. And, yet this seems to be a "justified end" for former head coach Joe Paterno.

Our continued thoughts and prayers are with the families of the effected young boys. And, we pray that the all responsible parties are ultimately brought to justice.

Your thoughts?


Pastor Michael S. Nimmons

I AM TROY DAVIS

Troy Davis

I'm sure you have seen this picture everywhere within the last 24-48hrs. This man-Troy Davis, who was known to some, but it seemed entire world became acquainted with on yesterday as we waited with baited breath for a stay of execution from our nation's highest court. I must admit I didn't know much about Troy Davis before yesterday. I am not an activist by any means, but somehow on yesterday I-like many of you became engaged in this man's life as if he were one of my relatives. His life seem to galvanize an entire generation of young and old, black & white, rich & poor, Democrat, & Republican.I felt just as close to him as those hundreds of people standing outside of the Georgia State Prison hoping and praying for a stay of execution on this man's behalf. The marvelous things about this was how fast the world became acquainted with Troy Davis' plight and how deeply it seemed to effect us all when we heard that his final appeal to the highest court in the nation was denied.

I must admit throughout the day as I was keeping up with what was going on via Twitter & Facebook (mostly Twitter @PSTRNIMMONSTV), I truly believed that at some point we would hear good news that another stay of execution was granted or even that his execution was commuted or absolved, because of a lack of evidence, or because of 7 out of 9 witnesses recanting their testimony or because of no weapon was ever found...you know because of the truth eventually coming out. And, not just because of those facts about the case, but because of the overwhelming support that this man had received not just from the community of his peers, but from the more influential people of our country and even the world. From Nobel Peace Prize Winner-Desmond Tutu, to Pope Benedict XV. Former President Jimmy Carter also weighed in on the fate of this young man, and believed his case deserved a closer look. On twitter, the likes of notables such as Russell Simmons (@UncleRush), Big Boi  of Outkast (@BigBoi), Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian), James Fortune (@MrJamesFortune) and others voice their concerned for the possible execution of what appeared to be an innocent man. How could this unconscionable act be committed in a country founded on the principles of innocent until proven guilty? And, yet it seemed that there was a conscious effort at every level of law enforcement to sign this man's death certificate without any care or concern for the ramifications of killing an innocent man.

After bible class last night I rushed home to watch the developing story on CNN as it continued to unfold. Protesters were outside of the prison in Georgia and outside of the Supreme Court in Washington until the wee hours of the morning in disbelief of what had taken place. My heart went out to Troy Davis' family, again not knowing them, but empathizing and sympathizing with them regarding their unfortunate situation. And, after hearing the mother of the slain police office talked with Anderson Cooper on CNN, my heart was saddened by her cold & seemingly cavalier attitude towards Troy Davis, as much as it was for her son officer MacPhail who was killed that fated day back in 1989. I waited to hear from the Georgia State Corrections spokesperson as they came out and addressed the media and indicated that Troy Davis' time of death was 11:08pm. And, his last words to the family were

"...despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls."

He maintained his innocence until he took his last breath. God is the ultimate judge and he is the only one the knows what happened to office MacPhail and who the real culprit is. My prayer is that if the facts of the case are true and Troy Davis was NOT the killer, then whoever pulled the trigger on that fated day some 20yrs ago will be brought to justice.

Johnn Donne-the poet, wrote very poignantly  about the relationship that we all have to one another, "No man is an island entire of himself, every man is apart of the continent apart of the main. If a man dies it diminishes me for I am involved with mankind. So, never send to know for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee." He and Dr. King both would agree on the interdependence of mankind, and how, "we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny," as he once said. What effects one of us ultimately effects us all in some way shape or form. And, I guess the message in this blog is simple, the events of yesterday personally impacted my life and this is no exaggeration. I truly felt like one of my brothers was lost on last evening. I did not have to know Troy Davis personally for his life to have effected me personally. Knowing someone does not always have to be a prerequisite for empathy, but we all were touched in some way by someone that we didn't even know. And, so the question becomes what do we do now? It would seem that we have lost the battle, and Troy Davis was the unfortunate casualty of a system of justice that failed all of us. But, the war on the death penalty, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on violence the war on injustice continues. We mustn't sit idly by and wait for this to happen again, but we must become as Ghandi once said, "...the change that we seek." We have to actively pursue justice in our communities, schools, neighborhoods, churches, local, state and national governments. We mustn't give up the fight until as the Prophet Amos so eloquently put it, "...judgment (justice) rolls down like waters and righteousness, like a mighty stream."


I AM TROY DAVIS! WE ARE TROY DAVIS....AND WE MUSTN'T EVER GIVE UP!


Your Thoughts?


Pastor Michael S.Nimmons
www.MichaelNimmons.com

A FITTING TRIBUTE...

Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Statue

Aug 28th 2011 marks the 48th Anniversary of one of our nation's most memorable and historic events. This date marks the anniversary of the historic March on Washington lead by slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This march brought over 250,000 people to our nation's capitol, and on this autumn day in August Dr. King would give his most famous address entitled; "I Have A Dream." This stirring address given by Dr. King still rings in the hearts and minds of Americans as a pivotal point not just for the Civil Rights Movement, but a watershed moment for the entire country and maybe even the world.

In just a few days this historic occasion will be marked with what is being celebrated as one of the proudest moments in Black American History. Next to the inauguration of our nation's 1st Black President, this is truly a moment that will never be forgotten. On Sunday, August 28th the world will witness the unveiling of the newest addition to the collection of monuments in Washginton D.C. The MLK Monument will be officially unveiled, towering over 30ft tall, a fitting tribute to a man of monumental character and stature; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Crowds are expected to converge on this site from around the country and the world to witness this historic event. Pres. Barack Obama will be on hand to speak during the official unveiling and dedication of this beautifully sculpted Dr. King Monument. This will truly be a celebratory moment for our nation, as we pay tribute to a man who's tireless dedication to the movement of Civil Rights has brought us to where we are today. It's certainly been a long time coming, and we are extremely proud of what the monument stands for an represents.

This 120 million dollar endeavor was not just met with enthusiasm and excitement by those who were directly and indirectly responsible for its erection, but it was also met with controversey as well. Some groups spoke out against the design, the size, the scupltor and even the granite chosen for the statue. Chinese artist Lei Yixin was chosen to sculpt this enormous statue of this revered icon. And, his choosing was met with much criticisms, not just because of his race but because of his past projects as well. Lei has done scupltors of such leaders as Mao Zedong; who according to Anu Lau; chair of the Human Rights Guild, had one of the most egregious human rights records in the world. Some thought this monument should have done by an African American, after all Dr. King was an African American leader, And, who better to capture his ethnicity, likeness as well as his spirit than an African American. However, from the onsite of this campaign, Harry Johnson, President & CEO of the MLK Memorial Foundation set out to select an "extraordinary" artist to scuplt this monument, inasmuch as Dr. King was an "extraordinary man." 

This project took more than 15yrs to become a reality and even longer than that before it became an official campaign not just by the King family, but by the hundreds of thousands of stake holders that helped to make this dream a reality. This is the only monument dedicated to a non-president and the only African American statue in Washington D.C. The design itself is taken directly from his "I Have A Dream" speech, where he refers to "from the moutain of despair comes a stone of hope." The monument is comprised of three 30 foot stones, two of which are divided at the entrance, where visitors can walk through and see the third stone situated in the middle of this circular garden. And, Dr. King's likeness is carved out of the third stone which is called the "Stone of Hope." And, in this circular garden are 15 notable quotes of Dr. King's hand carved into stone that visitors can read as they take in the breath-taking atmosphere from this historic site.

MLK Monument and the Washington Monument

But, I wonder if Dr. King was asked what he thought of this kind of tribute, what would his thoughts be? What would he have to say about a monument erected on his behalf in our nation's capitol? Would he be appreciative of such a tribute, would he be humbled by the gesture; recognized and celebrated as one of our nations notable leaders. Standing along side men that led this country from our nation's highest office, would he feel that this tribute accurately depicted not just his likeness, but his spirit as a moral leader? Or, would he be compelled by his moral conscious to flee any such self aggrandizement as it may appear to be a sharp contrast to the true essence of the life he tried to live. Would he scoff at the amount of money invested in this endeavor, would he believed it would have been better used for some philanthropic campaign to feed the poor or the clothe the naked? Was this a fulfillment of a desire of his, or would he have thought that he himself was not worthy of such recognition? No one's sure what Dr. King would say about this monument, and I no way am attempting to speak for him by asking these questions. It is a simple consideration of what do we believe Dr. King's wishes would have been if he were alive to see this beautifully crafted monument to himself.

As many of our readers already know, I am a long time admirer and student of Dr. Martin Luther King. While I was not alive to witness his eloquence and splendor in the pulpit or participate in any of the historic marches of his time, he still has impacted my life in a very profound way. I have memorized and internalized many of his speeches as apart of my spiritual curriculum, as he was as much a prophet from God as he was a leader for so many people. I too am very proud of this monument and I celebrate with the rest of the country and world in its symbolism of freedom, justice and equality; moral tenets of which Dr. King stood for.

What are your thoughts on this MLK Memorial? What do you think Dr. King would say about it? How do you think he would feel about it as it relates to the continued struggles of our people? I'm reminded of the poiyant words Dr. King chose to sum up his life's most signicificant accomplishments in his last sermon entitled, "The Drum Major Instinct."

"If I can help somebody
As I pass along
If I can cheer somebody
With a Word or Song
If I can show someobdy
He's traveling wrong
Then my living will not be in a vain"

"If I do my duty
As a Christian ought
If I can bring salvation
To a world once wrought
If I can teach the message
As the Master taught
Then my living will not be in vain."

Truly words to live by!


Pastor Nimmons
www.michaelnimmons.com

What a virtual tour of the MLK Memorial

Lucifer Salute Or Not?

To see commercial click here

Saw this commercial last night for Benefiber. Is this an another example of the Luciferian Salute or not? You be the judge?

Your thoughts?

Pastor Nimmons
www.MichaelNimmons.com

WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?

Skater Johnny Weir & the Lucifer Salute

Why are we starting to see more of what is quickly becoming known as "The Lucifer Salute." What is really going on? Why does it seem like when you watch a music video, or read a magazine where this occult sign is being made, it always appears like there's more going on than what you actually see? I've always believed that a picture is worth a thousand words, and if this true; what is the photographer trying to show us, what is the artist attempting to say, what are the producers, editors, publisher's and directors trying to tell us? What's really going?

For those who don't know "The Lucifer Salute" is when someone covers their left or right eye, and only one eye is exposed. The one eye exposed is an occult symbol for the "All Seeing Eye." Here are a few examples of this;

Willow Smith

Bono

Some say the "Lucifer Salute" represents a shadowy, mythical organization that is secretly running the country from behind the scenes called the "Illuminati."  There are obviously a lot of answers, and even more questions as to "why" we're seeing this occult symbol so often, but the problem is because there are so many answers; what is fact and what is fiction? 

Pictured at the very top of this blog is Olympic Skater Johnny Weir doing the "Lucifer Salute." What is also interesting about this picture is that in addition to him covering his left eye, there is also what appears to be a lightening bolt over his right eye. This is believed to be another occult symbol, which symbolizes the "lightening" that Lucifer was beheld after being kicked out of heaven. (Isaiah 14:12 / Luke 10:18) Some say it also references the "S" being the first letter of Satan's name.

Above our images of the "Lightening Bolt" and artist "Lady Gaga" sporting the occult symbol very prominently over her left eye.  These disturbing images are becoming more and more the norm as we watch our televisions, go to the movies and read the magazines and newspaper publications of our world. But, why? What is really going on here?

Here's a Revlon Commercial that has been airing since the beginning of this year featuring actress Jessica Alba, and she's doing the Lucifer Salute.  During this 14 second commercial Jessica Alba did the Lucifer Salute a grand total of nine (9) times.  In a commercial which is supposed to be advertising makeup and nail polish, there seems to be something else going on here. However, I'm sure if you were to ask the people at Revlon what was the purpose of Jessica Alba's hand gestures, they would say she was just showing off our nail polish to prospective consumers. My question is, do you believe that?What's really going on?

Here you see a few pictures from the commercial showing Ms. Alba covering her right and left eye in salute of Satan.

Actress Jessica Alba & the Lucifer Salute

The Lucifer Salute

Egyptian Pyramid

Baphomet Image

What is even more interesting about this commercial is what was also included, but you couldn't really see it unless you happened to watch it in slow motion. At the .07 / .08 mark of the commercial you see two women standing along side an Egyptian Pyramid and then you see what appears to be an image of the two-horned goat "Baphomet." Why was this included in a nail polish commercial, and why does it seem like it was snuck in there? What's really going? Is the fashion industry trying to tell us something without actually saying it? Is there a larger message being conveyed here? My answer to these questions is a resounding "YES!"

   

 Watch the Revlon Commercial right here

It is not by coincidence or by happenstance that we are starting to see more and more of these occult symbols sprinkled into popular culture. After all, Satan is the "prince of this world" and this is a way for his servants to pay homage to him over the airwaves of the mass media.  What is interesting to me is the boldness and veracity with which his minions are desiring to give him praise. The instances where these occult signs are used seem so random and abstract, and yet I believe this is done by design as well. While the appearances of these occult signs and symbols may seem random, that is what the handlers of this sinister evil desires for us to believe, when the exact opposite is actually the truth. These occult signs and symbols are not only being integrated into the mass media on purpose, but even the artists that are seen making these gestures are being used on purpose as well. Some even believe that not only are the artist covering their right or left eye in salute of Satan, but they have been brainwashed or a part of some mind control conspiracy that when prompted by their "handlers" they involuntary make these obscene occult gestures. Take a look at the video below and watch what Lady Gaga does in an interview when the interviewer say the word "Lord."

 Watch What Lady Gaga Did during an Interview here

Did you see what she did there, is was almost as if she was programmed to do it. It look so natural and yet so un-natural all at the same time. I know it left the audience as well as the interview scratching their heads wondering what they had just seen. But, as we have said in earlier post dealing with this subject matter ("Signs of the Times", "I Like Cartoons, But..." & "Is This What Passes For Music Nowadays"), we are living in the last of the last days. We-Christians, are very close to the rapture taking place (not as close as Harold Camping may have thought), but close nonetheless. That being said, the closer we get to Jesus Christ return, the more of the occult signs and symbols we are going to see, which should serve as a constant reminder of how close we are to the rapture. We shouldn't get too caught up in the rationale behind these occult signs that we loose sight of own personal salvation. But, we have definitely been warned by Jesus Christ, "...to watch as well as pray." And, there should be a good balance of both going on for us as children of God. Watching as well as praying, we can't get too preoccupied with one that we miss out on the other. Watching more than praying or vice-versa. Because, there are two things I am more certain of today than I've ever been before, this world is deceitfully wicked, and Jesus Christ IS COMING BACK. And, the two go hand-in-hand!

My question to you is are you watching with both eyes or just one? 

Your thoughts?

Pastor Michael S. Nimmons

www.MichaelNimmons.com

The MIS-EDUCATION OF LEBRON JAMES

  

Our readers know I don't spend a lot of time writing about sports and sports figures in this blog. I usually devote this platform to more weightier issues like, religion, politics, as well as other societal issues.  But, I chose to write a few paragraphs about this young man who I believe has been mislead and misguided by the people that surround him, and has caused him to misunderstand what the meaning of a leader truly is. Those of you who follow us on on Twitter @PSTRNIMMONSTV know that I didn't care much for the Miami Heat or Lebron James, not for some of the usual reasons; not my home team, traditional bitter rival of my home team, and the list goes on and on. But, my reasoning for disliking this year's Heat Team and Lebron James, is because they thought they could manufacture GREATNESS. They thought by getting together who they believed to two the best guards in the league alongside an average at best small forward, they could propel their way to an NBA Championship. And, up until the NBA Finals; it seems, the Heat, during the playoffs looked like a formidable opponent and may be even a lock for the NBA Championship. But, once the "Three Amigos" met the the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, it looked like the Heat's fairytale ending was quickly turning into into a terrible nightmare.

But, my dislike of Lebron James goes back further than this years playoffs, it goes back further than him joining the Miami Heat and his controversial "Decision" reality TV show. It goes back even further than his 7 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. For me, it goes back to when I first became acquainted with his high school phenom Lebron James well before he entered the NBA. The pomp and circumstance that seemed to follow this young man even before he was drafted was a bit over the top. I remember hearing how his autographs and other memorabilia was being put on E-Bay and auctioned for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Yes, I read articles and saw footage on how talented this young man was, and how it appeared as if he was going to take the world by storm. He made the decision to skip college and go straight to the NBA, where his talents would be on display before millions on a regular basis. Lebron was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004 signing a 90 million contract at the time that would make him the highest paid rookie in NBA history. After that came a long list of endorsements and other incentives that would increase the exposure and public consumption of this growing media juggernaut. But, for me it was always too much to fast for someone as young and immature as he seemed to be. His talent made all of this available, but his youth and immaturity would send him on a collision course of unrivaled proportions if he was not careful. Dubbing himself "King James" really solidified my dislike of this young man, never having accomplished anything on the level he was aspiring to reach. Posters and pictures of him with outstretched arms of on buildings and skyscrapers with the caption "Are You A Witness" suggesting that we are at a pivotal moment in time where we are "witnessing" greatness unfold before our very eyes.

And, so at least from where I was standing it appeared as if this young man was slowly becoming a product of the media and receiving undue accolades and credit when not much was ever done to qualify him for the attention he seemed to have received. And, I believe its one thing for a person to get attention; and for the media to hype you up and to say great things about you, and for that person to shy away from that attention as if to say I'm undeserving of all of this. But, it is something very different with the subject of the media attention embraces and almost embellishes it to the point that it actually becomes sickening. What it demonstrates to me is their inability to handle the spotlight; the inability to handle the attention. Essentially, it was too much to fast. And, in this age of Twitter, Facebook and all of other social networks, a person's stardom can take off much faster in today's time than anytime in history. Subsequently, once the public has embraced you, it then becomes almost a whirlwind of fan-dom that if not checked could easily go to a person's head. And, this is what we are "witnessing" with Lebron James. A talented young man, who got a taste of stardom too fast, when it is usually dolled out in smaller increments; where you see a person's rise to fame happen more slowly and deliberately.  

The people surrounding him are there only to stroke his ginormous size ego and no one ever chastises him or criticizes his actions. And, that's why you constantly see a young man in front of the media who really looks like a little boy. A self proclaimed "King" that really looks like a child searching for his true identity. His own mother; someone that should be there to offer advice, counsel and even discipline, is too busy carousing with former teammates and basking in the glow of this new lifestyle she's privy too, far too busy to give him the help he so desperately needs. In a real sense I feel sorry for him, because if he never finds someone that can really mentor him and counsel him; if never finds someone that he respects and will listen to, his 15 minutes of fame may soon run out. And, in the end what would he have had to show for it. It would have only amounted to nothing more than a wild ride; the equivalent of a 5 minute roller coaster ride they left a person dizzy and disheveled wondering what really happened.

I write this blog not to simply pile on this young man; the media is doing a pretty good job of that, but I write this blog for the millions of fans some of which are little boys who want to one day grow up and be like Lebron James. I caution you in as you pick your heroes, roles models and those you want to pattern yourselves after. Don't get so caught up in the talents and gifts of a person; don't get so blinded by the media hype and attention that they receive that you cannot see their true character. Gifts and talents are a dime a dozen. In fact, the bible says that, "Gifts and callings come without repentance." And, at the end of the day it doesn't matter how gifted you are, but what is most important is how did you handle your gift. Your character is far more important and significant that how gifted you may be. And, unfortunately in this age of "Bling Bling," "MTV" & "BET" all that our youth see is the materialism that comes with being gifted. But, if they look close enough they can also see the character of the talented as well. Unfortunately, for our youth the shine of the "Bling Bling" often times blinds them to the true character of the gifted. I challenge you to look deeper than what you see and read, look deeper than what you hear and are being told about a person. And, make your selection of your role models on more than what they drive, where they live and how much money they have.

I leave you with the words of Dr. King; "The true measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenges and controversy."

Your thoughts?

Pastor Michael S. Nimmons

www.MichaelNimmons.com