When

It is written: “ As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
-Roman 14: 11,12 (NIV)

What caught my eye in the USA Today, Tuesday, April 27, 2010, was a front-page article entitled “Young Adults Less Devoted to Faith: Survey shows steady drift from church life.” In the outset, the writer pointed out “that most young adults today don’t pray, don’t worship, and don’t read the Bible. If this trend continues, ‘the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships.” The columnist based her findings from a survey conducted by a Lifeway Christian Resource group. The intent was to focus on 1,200 members from18-29-year-old in order to see their views on spirituality and faith; amazingly the results showed that 72% said they were “really more spiritual than religious.” Among the 65% that called themselves Christian, “many were either mushy Christians or Christians in name only – most of them were just indifferent. As far as measuring their Christianity, the fewer were found to be committed to faith.”

Key overall findings from the survey, highlighted the following:

1) 65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either,
2) 65% rarely or never attend worship services,
3) 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts,
4) Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: half say yes, half no.
5) even though some believed that they will go to heaven because they accepted Jesus Christ as savior:
a. 68% didn’t mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked what
was ‘really important in life,’
b. 50% didn’t attend church at least weekly,
c. 36% rarely or never read the Bible. Only 17% read it daily.

These findings are astounding (to strike with sudden wonder-to amaze) in that it is a challenge to clergy and laity to grow “passionately Christian dynamic churches.” Why is this necessary? As the survey pointed out, many in the Millennial generation are veering (turning aside from a course) to “moralistic therapeutic (having healing or curative powers) deism – ‘God wants you to be happy and do good things.’…this isn’t what Christianity is all about.”

After reading the article several more times, I felt an alarm system go off as these question kept cropping up, just why are young people as a whole steadily drifting away from church life? Why has there been a steady rise of doubt that Jesus is the only way to Heaven? Why is there a steady stream of people being alienated from following the examples of Jesus as passed down from the patriarchs of the Old Testament?

Following the poetic style of Rudyard Kipling, I composed the following poem as a means to see into perhaps the real hindrances to faith in the 18-29 group:

When

When you can look within yourself and question what really takes place; finding out what keeps your nerves on edge, realizing all that matters is how you can keep your cool and nor hindering others to lose theirs; coming to grips that you can’t be influenced by facts unsorted, blinded by the lust of the eye that sway logic and brings on spiritual death; or tempted to get what you want without realizing the harm it brings to others;

When you can lay aside your cares and worries, hear the mocking bird chirp melodies on limbs near and far, touch a rose petal, notice the rippling movement of water in a stream, or take a deep breath of fresh air and look up to the sky and mull with a sound: “Wow! What a view!” Taking stock of the moment from nature that surrounds cannot change the will of the soul dampened with doubt and confusion;

When you can move away from those that unthinkingly and purposely belittles the poor, the disenfranchised, the alien, or those that blasphemes the name of God without a flinch or shame to be found; When even your closest friend that you call a buddy, a pal that sticks closer than glue; invites you to question what you know is right and leads you down a road filled with enslavement – become the wiserand run away as fast as you can.

When the stand you take for good causes you to be alone and forsaken, as loneliness creeps in and no peace can be found; your pockets seem to have holes and the refrigerator is bare – the automobile becomes a snare and you cry out in a moment, “is there hope anywhere?”

When you’ve reached the end of your rope, breathe in and breathe out; realize that even this is a miracle from the God who loves you beyond a doubt and is still waiting for you, my child, to come around; taking stock of who He is, just as putting confidence in a chair that you sit in, or trust in a pilot that flies a plane; this loving God -in- Christ can be yours! It’s just that simple and plain; for there’s hope in no other name.

When faith takes hold like a seed in the ground; doubts will disappear and your eternal future secured, then and only then will you have grown up and become a man or woman - transformed never to doubt again!

Selah

Sooner or later

No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave. – Psalm 89:48 (TLB)

It was just a month or so that I received a phone call early in the morning from a former co-worker and friend at Guilford Technical Community in Jamestown, North Carolina that had me reeling and rocking with some strange news. Margaret said, “Fred! I’m glad to hear your voice. Let me tell you why! The art department staff was all messed up along with just about everyone else at GTCC because the word had gotten out from the Greensboro News & Record as well as the High Point Enterprise that you [a long time resident of High Point] were declared dead at 67 years old. Yeah! I told my folks that I was going to call you directly regardless of the rumors I heard. You’re talking to me right now; so you aren’t dead - that’s all that matters!” Well! I was rattled for a moment, but realized that the Frederick Jones of High Point {even though his age and mine are the same} wasn’t me. On the other hand, it felt good especially to chat with an old friend that I hadn’t heard from in a long while. Before hanging up, we talked about getting together over lunch to reminisce a bit about the good old days. Sooner or later…by and by our paths would cross.

Sooner or later. There is something worth exploring from this. Perhaps the best place to begin is by asking the question, is there anyway to align it with the Scriptures? I reached a conclusion based on two findings. First of all, Hebrews 9:27, 28 point out that “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all times as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

From this, I see that I [like you] will die a physical death; there is no escaping it, just as there will be not escaping judgment. As sure as death is itself, judgment awaits. At God’s judgment there will be no higher court of appeal should the verdict not be to our liking. Yet if one should hope for a favorable verdict in God’s court, he or she should hope entirely on Jesus. This is [or should be] the ultimate cry or prayer for the unsaved – for the freedom and pardon Jesus has won for them. Reality truly sets in! Then there is reason to rejoice that God’s judgment of them will be based on the perfect life of his Son, Jesus. So when this comes full circle spiritually, they can tell others. For many will face an unfavorable judgment without Jesus.

The second result grew out Hebrews 9:27,28 regarding the inevitability of death, God’s judgment against those who refuse to accept Jesus atoning sacrifice for sin, and Jesus’ second coming. This led to the issue of transformation. How important is this? Check out what 1Corinthians 15:51-53 has to say about it.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Give attention to such phrases as “we will not all die,” “we will all be transformed,” “when the last trumpet sounds,” and “for our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die.” Mercy! The Reverend John Love, Pastor of Webb’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Denver, North Carolina, opened my eyes to this (the significance of dying, eternal life, etc) on April 25, 2010 – the fourth Sunday of Easter. His sermon was entitled “2012,” which was taken from Revelation 7:9-17. As Rev. Love pointed out, the year 2012 is none other than Hollywood’s interpretation of what the end times will unfold – it is a fear inducing thing based entirely on the “sci-fi Method,” which always has an element of terror or fright.

There were several points that he brought out: (1) God will be with us regardless of our circumstances, (2) define yourself by the promises of God and not your own predicament, (3) life is linear; first there is birth and then there is death, (4) this is God’s world. He is in control of what is and what is to come, and (5) whenever it become difficult to understand life’s perplexities, put whatever it is into God’s mystery bank. He knows the past, the present, and the future. Hey, I like this! Reverend Love can put it together!

For the Frederick Jones that died and was not I, my prayer is that he met God in Christ before leaving this earth. As for me, the real Frederick N. Jones, Sr. who is living right now, my goal is to anticipate that sooner or later I will be transformed from death into life and to be with Jesus through all eternity. Selah

Great Day in the Morning

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For every since the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – Roman 1:19,20 (TLB)

I remember it well! Five days after my oldest granddaughter’s 13th birthday on March 24th, I had to drive to Charlotte, NC to ensure arrangements for a post birthday party for Ashley, her sister, and two of her girlfriends at the Wolf’s Lodge off of the Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. I took the scenic route from Mooresville to Charlotte on highway 150 East. With the anticipation of leaving early enough in the morning, I felt I would beat the heavy traffic on I85 South. I am glad I stuck to that route because as I peered over my dashboard, I saw some clouds form against a reddish-pink sky and trees on the ground. With the sun rising in the East [it was around 6:40 a.m. (?)], the sight was breathtaking! The clouds moved in such a way that as the light broke through {at certain spots}, those higher up had the top part illuminated while those lower only had the bottom portions lit. I kept looking with a note of praise to God. Wow! Great day in the morning!

My artistic juices kicked in as the light blue and pinkish colors danced in the adjoining light of the sun. I didn’t want that experience to die; so, I made up my mind to do something about it the very next day. I’d charged up my trusty camera and placed it on the front seat of my car determined to capture the beauty of clouds and sky. Well! I never had highway 150 all to myself, but it just happened that I found the right spot to pull off the road and snatch my camera out of the bag. A country store was near and there was a wide view of the landscape.

The Holy Spirit reminded me what King David said in Psalm 19: 1-6:
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.

Beyond a doubt, King David responded both to God’s creation and how God’s word revealed God’s greatness. What lesson should it teach us? We are surrounded by fantastic displays of God’s craftsmanship – the heavens give dramatic evidence of his existence, his power, his love, and his care. To say that the universe happened by chance is absurd. Its design, intricacy, and orderliness point to a personally involved Creator. I’m reminded that when I look at God’s handiwork in nature and the heavens, I can immediately thank him for such magnificent beauty and the truth it reveals about him.

Along that same line, the apostle Paul pointed out something worth thinking about in Romans 1: 18-20. As I see it, although nature reveals God, people need to be told about Jesus and how [through him] they can have a personal relationship with God. Knowing that God exists is not enough. People must learn that God is loving and that he sent his Son to demonstrate his love (Romans 5:8). They must be shown how to accept God’s forgiveness of their sins. Selah

Between knowing and dead silence

Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. – Matthew 24: 28 (NIV)

With its eyes set on the dull green plastic garbage bag placed near the edge of the driveway of my son’s home in Melbourne, Florida, an approximate 2 foot tall solitary bird paced up and down in a stalking mode- being sure that there was no movement. Without fear of being intimidated or discouraged, it was decked out in dull black heightened with wrinkles covering its face and head. With the tip of its grayish bill sticking out and the long wiry white legs attached to funny looking feet, the 5 (pound?) vulture was a sight to see.

I viewed the whole scene from the seat of my automobile during the mid-morning hours. The sunlight was unusually brilliant on that Friday and I hoped that no one would disturb my view. But the garbage truck started at the far end of the street making all kinds of noises. The “black crow” or “black buzzard” took to flight and landed atop a lightpost nearby. Peering in the distance, it rested there for a bit.

I looked and looked at that marvelous creature. My mind went back to my childhood days when a yelling [to cry loudly as in pain] sound came from the green corn field adjacent to my grandmother’s house in the Crab Point vicinity of Morehead City, North Carolina. A larger animal had somehow attacked a little puppy that had been left alone, snatched it up, and headed for the open field. However, the puppy’s cries must have been heard and before it could be consumed, the larger predator got scarred off. I had visited my friend’s house down the road and was returning home when I heard the weak sounds. Mercy! When I got near the scene, several large black birds took off and the poor thing was just about gone with its flesh strung open. Mama told me later that those kinds of birds served useful purposes of keeping rotten and dead things under control for the farmers. Well, those horrible looking creatures looked bigger than life; I knew they were close by, so I left the scene as quick as I could. The weak cries were gone – the puppy died. The buzzards returned.

My eyes were opened to two spiritual lessons. The first one is from the Old Testament. When it comes to identifying special animals like the vulture, here is what God said in Leviticus 11: 13-17; 24, These are the birds that are detestable to you. You must never eat them: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcons of all kinds, ravens of all kinds, the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds. The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean. If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening.

During the time of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness, God gave special instructions to Moses and Aaron to pass on. He had strictly forbidden eating the meat of certain “unclean” animals and to make sure, he forbade even touching them. God wanted the people to be totally separate from those things he had forbidden. Today, we flirt with temptation, rationalizing that at least we are technically keeping the commandment not to commit the sin. But God wants us to separate ourselves completely from all sin and tempting situations. We are to be more aware of areas in our lives where we have “technical innocence” but in which we have actually been involved in sin. It’s time to cross back over the line and stay there.

The second lesson comes from 1 Peter 5: 8 in the New Testament: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. The Lion attacks sick, young, or straggling animals; it chooses victims that are alone or not alert. Peter wants us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. If you are feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, or if you are so focused on your troubles that you forget to watch out for danger, those are the times when you are especially vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. During your times of suffering, seek other Christians for support. Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil. Then says James, “he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Resistance demands constant reliance, dependence, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Finally, observe what Jesus said in Matthew 24: 28: Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. In other words, since the gathering of vultures indicates the presence of carrion then the end of the age {the signal of Jesus’second return} will be very obvious to all. Selah

High as a Georgia Pine

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually. – Genesis 6:5 (the Amplified)

I went to a nearby art supply store to purchase a 24 x30 inch stretched canvas for a project that I’m working on and found out that the price was rather high. I asked the stock clerk, “Is this the right price that is shown for the [cotton duck] stretched canvases?” “Yep,” the employee said. “That size and variety don’t come cheap; in fact at the other stores, the price per unit is as high as a Georgia Pine! We offer the best deal – how many do you want? ” I smiled and acted as if I would come back to it, but politely meandered (to wander without specific direction) my way to the exit. I went immediately across town and discovered that what I wanted was nearly four times cheaper. But I remember the stock clerk saying, “ the price per unit is as high as a Georgia Pine.”

“As high as a Georgia Pine” was used of course as a figure of speech to point out something particular. My curiosity was raised just by the colloquial use of the phrase and most importantly of envisioning the height of a pine tree grown in the state of Georgia. Just how high is this tree anyway? It has been said that the Georgia Pine can reach up to nearly 200 feet high in its natural habitat. However, the Georgia Pine is best understood when it refers to someone extremely intoxicated from drug use. Here is an example.

Abuser 1: Wow, I am high as a Georgia Pine right now.
Abuser 2: Are you kidding? We just down our first pint of whiskey and we got
lots more to go. I’m as high as a hundred Georgia Pines.
Abuser 1: No way dude. How high is that?
Abuser 2: Let's open another pint and find out.
Abuser 1: I mean, if we can get higher that this, let’s try it.

Hopefully, this approach is an eye opener and has gotten your attention. Did you know that at one time sin had piled so high that God decided to wipe out the human race along with all the living creatures in the world? Give ear to what was written for our learning in Genesis 6:5-8:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground – not only man, {but} the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air – for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them. But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.

Let me ask you, is there evidence to prove that the wickedness of man is great in our current world? That in the 21st century, the imagination and intention of human thinking is continually evil? It’s appears that the shedding of blood through violent crimes of abortion, rape, suicide bombers as a result of war, robbery, etc are escalating rather than decreasing! Would it be easy to conclude that these grieve the heart of God? Is he pleased to see people of the same sex marrying each other, to be satisfied when a parent throws a new born infant off a high bridge, to be jubilant when an angry educator kills fellow workers as a result of self-imposed anger, to smile at a sex offender kidnapping, raping, and inevitably snuffing out the life of someone’s child? All we have to do is look at and read the news locally and nationally- the results are astounding. But what about a compassionate and loving God in cases like these?

Re-look at verses 6,7: And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground – not only man, [but] the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air – for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them. This is heavy stuff. Could this mean that God regretted creating humanity? Was he admitting he mad a mistake? No, he does not change his mind (1 Samuel 15:29 - And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!). Instead, he was expressing sorrow for what the people has done to themselves, just as a parent might express sorrow over a rebellious child. God was sorry that people choose sin and death instead of a relationship with him.

A good friend said to me recently [after the news of another earthquake in Turkey] that God is telling the world something! Could it be that sin has piled high as a Georgia Pine? Selah

Kind words are worth repeating

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.
– Proverbs 25:11 (The Amplified)

[Oh well, what does it matter anyway! This person isn’t going to change no matter what you say to him or do for him. He’s beyond help so the best thing to do is to leave him alone. After all he has more to lose than we do.]

Although this may fall into the probable sayings of the “give uppers,” yet this train of thought seems so common place. However, before going any further, what’s wrong with this kind of thinking? Would this kind of attitude reflect some one labeled as a born again Christian earmarked as a leader in the church? Just what are the conditions that determine whether an individual will never change? How can you know when it is best to leave anyone alone to fend for himself or herself? Most importantly, what internal mechanism allows you to know that you're speaking sincere words? How much emphasis should be placed upon doing something as well as speaking words? What is the best way to get started?

Yeah! You are right! There are [no doubt] numerous ways to answer these kinds of questions and I believe they have been touched upon before by a great many people. As I'm sure they have found out, it is so easy to speculate or give an opinion not based on fact, but just the opposite happens whenever an individual knows exactly what he's/she's talking about.

What’s behind the concept of “what do you have to lose anyway?” I just happened to meet a fellow pilgrim that testified that he was once a drug addict and lived from pillow to post – an outcast of his family. But one day, a praying mother of the church saw his condition and felt the need to pray for him as he typically could be seen making his way to the drug house. One day she called out to him and he heeded the call. She prayed for him and for many days afterwards, he couldn’t be seen strolling past the old lady’s home. He was off the streets. Something miraculous had happened to the man she prayed for. Little did she know that he was led to accept Jesus Christ as his lord and Savior.

Listening to the story of his radical transformation, what follows is a summary of Sylvester’s testimony. A young man that I’d met before but didn’t get a chance to talk with until just a few days ago after a church meeting. After the conversation was over and I had to re-think on what he had to say, I scribbled a few notes. He pointed out that he knew what it meant to be without hope. He knew what it was like to be down in the dumps…he had been there…but Jesus came in and changed everything for him. Jesus gave him a brand new image of himself. Now, he could tell everyone he met that Jesus Christ is real.

What saddened him the most was that “we can say how beautiful a flower is or how adorable a new house is, but we are afraid to say a kind word to a person that has been made in the image of God. It’s so easy to point out the colors of a new car or be carried away with its slick- body frame, but never an encouraging word to one of God’s children resembling His likeness. It shouldn’t be that way for a Christian.”

What struck home was the emphasis of speaking kind words especially to a fellow believer but also to everyone that you come into contact with. I had a field day just thinking about the kind of words that got Sylvester’s attention. They had to have been words nurtured by the Holy Spirit. The elderly woman lovingly responded and did something that only the prayer of faith can do. Meeting a complete and total stranger wasn’t an issue. She had everything to gain and nothing to lose remembering that an act of kindness is just like kind words – they’re worth repeating. In fact, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12: 11, The words of the wise prod us to live well. They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together. God, the one Shepherd, gives them. – The Message/Remix. Selah

Why ‘lifting every voice and singing’ ignites situational awareness

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever. Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. – Psalm 104:33-35 (NLT)

The celebration of Black History is acknowledged in the month of February each year. It serves as a reminder of the struggles of African Americans against the institution of racism, which was given birth to the horrors of slavery. “Situational awareness” serves first of all to identify the ongoing positive responses of people everywhere giving attention to those [still] suffering after a 7.0 earthquake hit the capital of Haiti, Port-Au-Prince. 150,000 lives were snuffed out and hundreds more were left homeless with out shelter, water, food, clothing, and medicine. Great appreciation is given to those humanitarian-relief agencies; one most noticeable is our own United Methodist Church that contributed over 11 million dollars, to aid those in need.

Secondly, “situational awareness” on the other hand allow us to question the claims of some that think they have the right answers for the disaster of Haiti. A celebrated TV evangelist made it a point of view that in the early 18th century, the Haitian leaders made a pact with Satan to the extent that if he helped them to defeat the French, they would serve him. So, the Haitian government and its people literally started its downfall of becoming one of the poorest nations on the Western Hemisphere. Witchcraft and sorcery became dominant features of satanic worship. Perhaps there is some validity to this, but certainly there is room for further investigation, which leads to the third observation of “situational awareness” that deals with a bit of history.

1791 was the year well remembered as the beginning of the largest and most successful slave rebellion initiated by slaves. By 1803, the Haitian Slave Revolution ended not just slavery but French control over the colony. In what was known as sporadic outbreak confrontations, the seed for change began with French revolution in 1789 that witnessed a new concept of human rights, universal citizenship, and participation in government. Actually, France had gotten hold of a good thing in Saint Dominique, the early name for Haiti, in such commodities as: sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton generated by an enslaved labor force. It became a wealthy French overseas colony.

Pitted against each other were five sets of interest groups in the colony: two sets were white planters (owning slaves) – numbering 40,000 in all, and the remaining three were of African descent – yielding a total slave population of 500,000. Many of the whites had begun to support an independence movement that began when France imposed steep tariffs on the items imported into the colony. The planters were extremely disenchanted with France because they were forbidden to trade with any other nation. Furthermore, the white population of Saint-Dominique did not have any representation in France.

Despite their calls for independence, the two white groups remained committed to keeping blacks enslaved. You could imagine the outcome. Being in bondage was always an incentive to rebel; in fact, the slaves were never willing to submit to their status and with their strength in numbers (10 to 1) colonial officials and planters did all that was possible to control them. There was some help initiated in Paris, as the French General Assembly devised new legislation aimed at giving some autonomy to the various colonies at the local level. Yet it allowed free citizens of color [who were substantial property owners] to participate, but instead of offering a solution, it generated a further division. Anyway, as time would have it, the bottom would fall out.

Led by a former black slave named L’Overture, the enslaved would act first, rebelling against the planters from 1791-1792. In a time frame of two years, they controlled a third of the island. Despite reinforcements from France, the area of the colony held by the rebels grew as did the violence on both sides. Before the fighting ended, blacks and whites were killed by the thousands. Nonetheless, the former slaves managed to stave off both the French forces and the British who arrived in 1793 to conquer the colony, and who withdrew in 1798 after a series of defeats by L'Overture’s forces.

From1801-1803, L’Overture would conquer Haiti and surrounding colonies abolishing slavery and elevating himself to Governor-General for life. With a change in leadership in France [along with fresh incentives for battle strategies], L’Overture would be captured and both French rule and slavery would be restored. L’Overture was taken and sent to France where he died in prison in 1803. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, one of L’Overture’s generals and himself a former slave, led the revolutionaries at the Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803 where the French forces were defeated. On January 1, 1804, Dessalines declared the nation independent and renamed it Haiti. France became the first nation to recognize its independence. Haiti thus emerged as the first black republic in the world, and the second nation in the western hemisphere (after the United States) to win its independence from a European power.

Lift Every Voice and Sing, by James Weldon Johnson, is the thematic mantra {used in prayer and incantation} of African Americans. Yet is cherished by those not only of African heritage but by those that believe God has always been active in lives of the dispossessed and the disenfranchised. God has always been active all the times really. The first stanza of the song goes like this:

Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmony of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise as the listening skies.
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Now compare once more Psalm 104: 33-35:

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever. Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

In both James Weldon Johnson’s first stanza of his famous song and Psalm 104:33-35, there is a need to cry out with singing praises and adoration to God who is worthy to be praised. Because there is a sense in 1) knowing that God has provided eternal liberty, 2) knowing that rejoicing is a form of praise, 3) knowing that the choice to think pleasant thoughts honors God, and 5) knowing that sin and wickedness hinders praise to a Holy God. Selah