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Too Attached!

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Electra Adams New year, new beginnings and new mercies! Humans are creatures of habit. Experts declare that a 21 day- routine becomes a habit. Often we are baffled by habits formed years ago and by traits we cannot understand when, where, or why they came, yet undesired. These are threads in our character and personality wherein we find ourselves asking the question, Gee, why am I like this? You try stopping it, but getting off this roller coaster or merry-go-round is not as easy as it looks. It seems to be an ongoing battle. Can this circle be broken?
Today, in this new year, I declare the Word of God that says Jesus came to set the captive free! In the book of Ezekiel 16:1-3, (abridged) Your birth and nativity is of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. And as for as your nativity, in the day you were born your navel was not cut, neither were you washed in water or salted; nor were you swaddled at all; you were an outcast because no one pitied you. Therefore, when I saw that you were polluted in your own blood as I passed by, I declared LIFE! I said “Live”!
Your navel cord is the attachment in your mother’s womb wherein you draw substance until birth; nevertheless, it can represent anything that has you bound for years, controlled or shackled in a debilitating manner. Too long we are led about by things or people of whom we cannot get away from or by some cord (soul tie) that we, in our human strength, cannot cut. There are threads which flow through the blood- line; our mothers were Hittites and our fathers were Amorites. This thread has roamed generation after generation, now it is at your house. This iniquity has come to torment and drive you.
As we enter the new year, be reminded that though our sin are as red scarlet, the Blood of Jesus washes as white as snow. It is important that we first surrender to Him that His Blood hits the root of our problem, thus destroying the cord or chain that has us held in bondage.
Matthew 24:12… And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  What, then, is iniquity? If you answer this with sin, it is only partially correct. What kind of sin? Is it not the sins of the fathers which were never addressed or traveled through spiritual? As the body of Christ, the Church, we must begin to disclose the root of iniquities; the cords (nativity) that were never broken. Jesus taught holistic salvation. We must deal with the cause, the origin. As His body, we must embrace the need to teach or give insight on generational curses and kingdom of darkness truths. We have been taught that this gives Satan glory. Question! How can life changing truths, information, give Satan glory? Impossible! We are destroyed for a lack of knowledge! Information exposes his devices; this alone sets people free. “Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper, and be in health, even as your soul does prosper. Is your soul prospering? You must be positioned to prosper in any capacity.
This year make a quality decision to study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly (defining) the Word of truth. Determine to have a great new year.
I pray that you have good health and obtain great wealth and be endowed with wisdom to maintain both!
Write to me and order my books: Synagogues of Satan;  Broken Pieces;  But, I’m a Mother and That’s My Child!  Address: PO Box 39004, B’ham, AL 35208.
Electra.gethsemaneministries@yahoo.com.

A Foundation for Living

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Rev. Reid

Abolishing Fear with Love
Rev. J.R. Reid

One of the most important things in life is overcoming our fears. And if you are like me, you have many. But did you know that fear can only be overcome with love?
Let me share what I mean. There are three ways to Abolish fear with Love: One, by getting rid of the three robbers of life – doubt, suspicion, fear; two by praying deeply with strong feelings of gratitude and three, by replacing our fear with unconditional love.

Rev. Reid
Rev. Reid

The Bible says in Matthew 22 verses 34-40 that, “The Pharisees got together and one of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” In this reading, Jesus answers a Jewish lawyer and teacher of the Law of Moses, who raises a question to trap Him. The question he asked was what is the first and great commandment? This question divided Jewish leaders into rival schools. The Jews argued about which commandments were greater or lesser. Some pronounced the law of circumcision greater; others, that of sacrifices, ritual washing or aid to Jewish prayers. There were 248 positive laws and 365 negative, 613 in all. To keep the law was hard. So they tried to find one they might keep it in lieu of keeping 613. In verses 37, 38 it said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind,” from Deut. 6:5 which was a demand for supreme love for God? “This is the greatest and first commandment.” Great, because it embraces all others; first, in that it precedes the second that He is about to name. He who loves God supremely cannot live in disobedience to Him. Then came verse 39, “And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And then in verse 40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophet.”
The first command sums up what we owe to God; the second, what we owe to ourselves and each other. Lev.19:18. One, who loves God supremely, will not live in disobedience to the Law; one, who loves his neighbor as himself, will seek the welfare of those around him in love. These two words, law and love, are tremendously significant. They represent two types of minds which are polar opposites. The mind which is legal finds it hard to love. The legal mind thinks of justice, but finds it hard to be compassionate. Justice without compassion can never be just. The very nature of compassion is to be just. Compassion is the real thing, because love is the real thing. A legal system without love is driven by Fear. The problem is we underestimate how much time, energy and life is lost in fear. We go through life with a 1001 fears that paralyze our actions and hold us back from being the persons God created, intended us to be. When we learn how to overcome our fears with love we will become who God  intended us to be here, now and in the world.

THE LESSONS OF CHRISTMAS

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Dr. Wilkerson
Dr. Wilkerson
Dr. Wilkerson

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Now that Christmas is over and all the hustle and bustle that goes with it. We need to think about the lessons that Christmas teaches.
The first lesson teaches us about God and his love. A father took his young son to the top of a mountain one day, and they talked about God and his love. The father looked North and said, “God’s love extends as far as we can go that way.” Then he turned East, South, and West, each time saying, “God’s love extends as far as we can go that way.” There was quietness for a moment or so as the boy thought about what his father had said. Then his face lit up, and he blurted out, “Oh, Dad, we are right in the middle of it!” No matter who we are, or what we have done, we are all right in the middle of God’s love.
Christmas offers several lessons for the Church. If God couldn’t win people by staying home, neither can we. We are like lifeguards; we must get into the water to save people. Once among the people, the best way to win them is not to judge, condemn, or criticize them, but simply love them.
Christmas offers a lesson for those who don’t know God at all. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That includes the vilest among us, and the most moral and ethical, who have simply never come to know him. Salvation is personal and relational. If we seek Christ, we will find him, because he is seeking us.

Dr. Robert Wilkerson is a minister, writer, and founder of People for the Christian Way. drbobwilkerson@bellsouth.net, www.peopleforthechristianway.com

A Quest to Know God

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Ms. Henrietta Tripp
Ms. Henrietta Tripp
Ms. Henrietta Tripp

OMNIPOTENT POWER OF GOD
Man’s power is limited more than he realizes, for he has no power unless God gives it to him.  Although man thinks he can climb the highest mountain, build the largest and highest building and skyscrapers,  he really cannot do anything unless God gives him the knowledge and power within himself to believe he can first, and only then can he start to climb the ladder of life. God holds all the power within Himself.
You may read in Genesis the Eleventh Chapter where the people of the land decided they would build themselves a tower to heaven, just as man thinks he is going to do now with his spaceship or whatever he has chosen to name and design his work. God showed the men of the land in Genesis that all power and knowledge comes from Him, and only He decides what He wants to allow man to accomplish in the Earth, which the knowledge of God created in the beginning of time on this Earth for man.
Man has been making his own choices since Adam and Eve in the Garden. They decided to make their own choices, and they were driven out of the beautiful Garden of Eden. Man is about to overstep his bounds now, if he has not already.
The Power of God is incomprehensible. God has built a progressive mind within man and, it was God that said in Genesis 1:26, “Let Us make man in Our Image and Likeness.” Therefore, God made man to have a will and desire to build, design, and make great things, but God will limit man, when he goes beyond God’s plan for him. As you can see man has overstepped his limits now, but we believers in Jesus know that God is ready and about to close His chapter in the Earth. Are you getting ready to go with Jesus, when He comes?
www.thealmightyeyes.com

Three Sports Concerns

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Dr. Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
  Dr. Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
Dr. Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Auburn is a great team. They were out-coached and out-played in the National Championship. One would have to admit the Southeastern Conference is the greatest of all the conferences.
There’s still racism in sports. I’m going to give you two examples and let you decide. One happened a long time ago and one happened recently.
Many years ago in 1935 Joe Louis fought Max Schmelling the first time. Max Schmelling was a German and Joe Louis was an Alabama native. Blacks were interested in fights because of Joe Louis. We didn’t have a radio but Ye Olde Tavern in Tuscaloosa, a drive-in restaurant, allowed Blacks to stand outside of the parking lot to listen to the radio. That night Max Schmelling knocked Joe Louis out after 12 rounds. The entire white audience burst out in applause.
Tiger Woods, incidentally a Black golfer, won five tournaments in 2013. Phil Mickerson won two and Adam Scott won two. There was a great debate over who was going to be Golfer of the Year. They finally decided to give the award to Tiger but the Golfer’s Writer’s Association gave their support to Adam Scott.
Whatever Tiger Woods does is severely criticized. I’m going to let you decide if there is still racism against Black athletes.

Anthony Grant  and Tony Barbee will be fired in 2014

Now that football season is over we will be talking about Alabama and Auburn on every talk show. Auburn University is now at the bottom of the list in the Southeastern Conference in basketball. The only teams they can beat are Miles College and Stillman. If Alabama and Auburn keep trending in the same direction they are going then both coaches, Anthony Grant and Tony Barbee, will be fired. Alabama is accustomed to winning football, golf, volleyball, softball and most of all gymnastics.

Prediction for National Championship for 2014

The Southeastern Conference Championship will be played between Alabama and Auburn in 2014. Alabama will have a quarterback who can run, pass, block, kick and throw. They will never have a one-dimensional quarterback similar to A.J. McCarron again. When A.J. gets the ball everybody knows what he will do – pass or hand off the ball.

email:jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com

Rod Reed Named “12th Titan”

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Photo courtesy of Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics
Photo courtesy of Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics
Photo courtesy of Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

Courtesy Tennessee State Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Prior to Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, the Tennessee Titans honored Tennessee State head football coach Rod Reed by naming him the “12th Titan.”
Reed was introduced following the pro team’s starters, ran through the tunnel and stuck a sword down into midfield while getting a standing ovation.
The Titans gave the unique honor to Reed following the Tigers’ record-setting 2013 campaign in which they posted a 10-4 record and won a playoff game for the first time since 1986.
Reed holds a 26-21 record over four years, including an 18-7 mark over the past two seasons and TSU has recorded at least two more wins in each of his previous three seasons.
Reed has coached 19 All-Americans, 15 in the past two seasons. Forty-two Tigers have made All-OVC teams in Reed’s tenure, including a school record 12 this past season.
In 2013, TSU won the Black College National Championship for the first time since 1982.

Brown Receives Weekly Honor From CSM

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Bobby Brown MONTGOMERY, Ala.— Alabama State University sophomore forward Bobby Brown has been named the College Sports Madness (CSM) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week.
Over ASU’s last two games Brown has averaged 17.5 points and seven rebounds per game.  He scored 18 in the Hornets’ win over Thomas University and added 18 as the Hornets started conference action with a road win at Grambling State.
Brown has become ASU’s top bench player and is one of the reasons the Hornets’ bench has become one of its strengths this season. He is third on the team averaging almost 10 points per game and is also third on the team in rebounds averaging 4.5 per outing.
He is shooting 49 percent from the field and is hitting over 38 percent of his three point field goals.  He has also shown drastic improvement at the free throw line this season and is hitting over 63 percent of his charity tosses.
Brown becomes the third Hornet to receive the weekly honor from CSM, joining teammates Jamel Waters and Brandon Graham who received the honor earlier in the season.

Graham Named CSM SWAC Men’s Basketball Players of the Week

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GrahamMONTGOMERY, Ala.—Alabama State junior forward Brandon Graham has been named the College Sports Madness (CSM) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week.
Graham averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in ASU’s games against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Auburn Montgomery.  He shot 69 percent from the field and hit four of his six three point field goals (67%) over the two games. He also added four blocks.
He is averaging 8.1 points per game for the Hornets and is grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game.  He leads the team in blocks with 12 and is shooting 45 percent from the field.

Allen’’s Last Second Shot Lifts TSU Past JSU in Overtime

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TSU Allen NASHVILLE, TENN. — In a game that came down to the final seconds, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team came away with a, 78-76, overtime win against Jacksonville State Saturday night in the Gentry Center.
Tennessee State (4-11, 1-1 OVC) overcame a double-digit deficit to pick up its first OVC win of the season and second straight victory at home.
For the first time this season, TSU had five players to score in double-figures led by Chelsea Hudson’s 30 points and eight rebounds. Jayda Johnson scored 11 while Rachel Allen, Brianna Lawrence and Alana Morris each finished with 10 points.
Jacksonville State (4-12, 0-3 OVC) was led in scoring by Destany McLin’s 24 points and nine rebounds while Candace Morton added 20 points and eight rebounds. Gia Banks tallied 11 for JSU.
After getting off to a slow offensive start, TSU outscored JSU 10-4 to knot the score at 14-all. The Gamecocks, however, answered with a run to regain the lead, 21-14 at the 9:51 mark.
TSU suffered another scoring drought and fell behind by double-digits with 6:07 left in the half.
Over the next several possessions the momentum shifted as TSU turned up its defensive pressure and held JSU scoreless for nearly four minutes. During the span, The Lady Tigers cut the deficit down to four points.
With 7.8 seconds on the clock Brianna Lawrence knocked down a triple from the corner to make the score, 33-31, in favor of Jacksonville State going into the break.
After both teams briefly traded buckets in the opening moments of the second half, JSU created a little distance behind an 8-2 run.
An old fashioned three-point play by Chelsea Hudson coupled with a lay-up from Alana Morris pulled TSU within two, 52-50, with 9:29 remaining.
At the 6:44 mark, TSU briefly took the lead, 57-56, following two made free-throws by Morris. JSU recaptured the advantage on the next possession and from there the teams battled.
The score was tied, 62-62, at the final media timeout. Down the stretch, TSU was trailing, 70-67, when Chelsea Hudson buried a triple from the top of the key with 46.5 seconds left.
With time winding down both teams missed their final shot attempts and the game went to overtime.
In the extra frame, TSU managed to go ahead, 74-73, after Chelsea Hudson scored in the paint. JSU answered with a bucket on its trip down the floor to make the score, 74-73, in favor of the home team.
The Gamecocks scored once again and took the lead, 74-75, before forcing the Lady Tigers to turn the ball over. After making one-of-two free-throws, JSU led, 76-74. On the ensuing possession, Brianna Lawrence hit a floater to pull TSU even.
Lawrence then forced a turnover to give possession back to the Lady Tigers. After missing two shots and hauling in two offensive boards, TSU called a timeout to draw up a play with 12 seconds left.
Out of the timeout, Rachel Allen drove to the lane and sank a short jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining.
JSU’s final shot attempt was off the mark.
Tennessee State shot 37.7 percent from the field despite only connecting 2-of-15 from long range. TSU, however, was able to make 18-of-28 from the free-throw line.
Jacksonville State shot 45.1 percent from the field, including 22.2 percent from beyond the arc while hitting 28-of-40 free-throws.
TSU held the advantage in rebounds, 44-40, points in the paint, 34-20, bench points, 25-10 and steals, 16-6.

TSU Records First OVC Win of the Season Over JSU

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(l-r) Gophers #13, Maverick Ahanmisi; Tennessee State Tigers #2, Patrick Miller; Gophers #32, Trevor Mbakwe; and Tennessee State Tigers #1, Kellen Thornton (in background) Photo by Eric Miller
(l-r) Gophers #13, Maverick Ahanmisi; Tennessee State Tigers #2, Patrick Miller; Gophers #32, Trevor Mbakwe; and Tennessee State Tigers #1, Kellen Thornton (in background) Photo by Eric Miller
(l-r) Gophers #13, Maverick Ahanmisi; Tennessee State Tigers #2, Patrick Miller; Gophers #32, Trevor Mbakwe; and Tennessee State Tigers #1, Kellen Thornton (in background)
Photo by Eric Miller

Courtesy Tennessee State Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee State men’s basketball team notched its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season with a 70-65 home win against Jacksonville State on Saturday night.
Senior guard Patrick Miller led the Tigers with 19 points and added five rebounds, four assist and four steals.
Fellow senior Jacquan Nobles was second on the team, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 3-for-6 mark from deep.
Forward M.J. Rhett recorded a game-high 13 rebounds, helping Tennessee State (2-14, 1-2 OVC) to a 35-28 advantage on the boards.
The Gamecocks won the tip, but Miller stole a JSU pass, raced all the way down the court, and converted a contested layup for the game’s first basket.
Miller later converted a pair of free throws at the 12:50 mark to put the Tigers up, 13-7. Jacksonville State (7-11, 1-2 OVC) committed the first six fouls of the game, leading to seven of TSU’s first 13 points.
The Tigers continued to roll in the first half as a jumper by Ugo Mmonu made the score 22-15 with nine minutes to play before halftime.
Tennessee State made just two of its last 10 shots of the stanza, allowing JSU to go on a 15-9 run for the remainder of the period. However, TSU still led at the break for the second consecutive game, 31-30.
The Tigers were outshot during the opening 20 minutes, 46 to 37 percent, but held a 21-10 advantage on the glass.
Nobles drained a triple to start the second half, and Kennedy Eubanks added a layup on the next trip down the floor to put the Tigers back up by six.
JSU brought the TSU lead down to one with a bucket at the 15:22 mark, but back-to-back triples by Eubanks and Jay Harris made the score 46-41 in favor of the home side.
Nobles hit his third three of the game with 5:30 to go to put TSU up by eight, but the Gamecocks pulled within two with a 5-0 run later in the period.
Miller nailed a triple on TSU’s next possession to make the score 65-60 with only 1:36 left and the Tigers forced a turnover on the ensuing series.
From there, Tennessee State made 5-of-7 from the charity stripe and escaped with a five-point victory, 70-65.
The Tigers were 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the three-point line during the game, including a 6-for-11 line for the second half.