"Clean" Comedian and Adventist legacy Johnathan Slocumb drops by Berean SDA, + Fundraising with a Flair!

The 3 R’s of Fundraising: “Restore, Rebuild, Renew"

This online survey reveals that 87.5% of the members of Berean SDA Church who take online surveys regularly return tithes and offerings. Bereans are not tightwads, except for 12.3% (who take online surveys).

THE NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR, AND THE OFFICIAL KICKOFF OF THE BEREAN “R3” CAPITAL CAMPAIGN!

 

“This is our capital campaign… let’s be excited about it!” This remark by Elder Irvin Bishop, spoken in the course of the April 16 Sabbath service, was typical of the general level of spirited enthusiasm  that has marked the moderately long (a few months) history of Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church’s capital campaign.  This kind of effort has been known to be not only lackluster, but ineffective in some cases. The campaign at Berean has proved itself to be anything but lackluster.  An extended excerpt from the service, described below, will be of interest to any church who might care to emulate the guaranteed success of Berean’s current effort to raise some money for improvements to their infrastructure. Pastor Fredrick Russell has decried the “give till it hurts” motif that is all too common to church fundraisers. He has, as an alternative, made a stately and reasoned appeal to the “better angels of our nature.”

 

This is in large part due to the series of sermons preached by Pastor Russell, collectively titled “Rebuilding the Ruins.” It was based upon Nehemiah’s restoration of the broken down walls of Jerusalam, neglected by the remnant of the Hebrews who were “left behind” during the period of the Babylonian captivity. These sermons attempted to build unity among the congregation for the proposed activities, and accurately predicted that there would be a few Sanballats and Tobiahs (reactionary powers who opposed Nehemiah’s efforts, as they felt that these might dilute their own power) who would preserve a negative attitude throughout the process. Some flexibility was offered as to what level of giving each member would adopt, but the hope was expressed that all would engage in “equal sacrifice.”

 

The “R3” logo (Restore, Rebuild, Renew) is a graphic masterpiece, and juxtaposes the complimentary colors of blue and orange.  It is so hip, I am not reminded of those other three R’s: “readin’ rightin’ and rithmatic.”

The head of the “3R” capital campaign is Dr. Conrad Gill. He and Elder and Mrs. Irvin Bishop spoke prior to the interjection of a pair of musical selections by the Norfolk State University Choir (this link reveals that there several varieties of this ensemble). Pastor Fredrick and “First Lady” (a hackneyed term they don’t use at Berean, but, since I am a hack, I will use it just this once) Brenda spoke briefly about the subject du jour after the singing. Dr. Gill, the two couples, and the choir combined to form a cohesive presentation, and it would be a shame to break them up. Here, as usual, is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. The “essential guide to fundraising” sequence begins at time marker 1:29:18, and concludes with a prayer by time marker 2:17:25.

 

At time marker 54:52 Pastor James Lamb introduces Johnathan Slocumb, a “clean” comedian who enjoys national celebrity status. His mother, “Sister Slocumb,” is a very loyal churchgoer, and a very nice lady. Jonathan attended the schools that Berean operates as a youth, and founded a gospel choir at the church as well, the “Harmonizing Coeds” (an incredibly archaic sounding name). He described himself as being, in that bygone era, a “comedian Pathfinder.”Jonathan Slocumb is famous for all the right reasons. Here are links to his TWITTER tweetings and his accessible FACEBOOK interface. “Follow me on all social media, and let’s be friends again!” These were his parting words. Heed them!

 

A Getty Image of Berean legacy comedian Johnathan Slocumb, living proof that you can make a living as a comic without having to do any “blue” material!

A SLIGHT READJUSTMENT OF PRIORITIES

 

The discursive commentary on Sabbath School lessons I formerly provided here is either temporarily or permanently dormant. They were a useful accessory for my daily studies, as they provoked me to dig up supplementary information, often in the form of source material from the Ellen G. White Estate, among others. I have studied the Word most of my life, and it should be studied until the end of one’s life. But we are cautioned by James (a stern taskmaster) in James 1:21-22: “…lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” This “engrafting” should not monopolize your life, as faith without works is as dead as a doornail! James throws in a significant “BUT” in verse 22: “But be ye doers…”

 

At this crossroads in my life I feel compelled to start applying the vocational training I have learned from the Bible to the real world. I noted a few weeks back that the admirable Pastor Tim of Atlanta Hope Center recently revealed to me a theory (one pretty much exclusively his) that without personally harvesting souls for Jesus, there is no hope for our own salvation. This may not be strictly true, as many find themselves in “back of the house” positions that primarily give spiritual and monetary support to the front line fighters. Pastor Perry Jennings recently informed me that we all have different parts to play, according to our gifts. This was a reasonable response to my passionate citation of evangelical activity as constituting the most significant thing a person can possibly do.

 

 

 

 

Despite Pastor Jennings’ call for a balanced attitude, I think I would be better off, at pesent, pretending that Pastor Tim’s draconian theology represents the Gospel truth. It would place us all in the infantry. I suspect “salvation contingent on proselytization” could well be up to 99% true. Grace will cover the other 1%. A practical fear of condemnation may be the only way I can become irretrievably motivated to attempt to win souls, one on one, face to face, mano a mano! I am weary of feeling as if I am too lukewarm. To paraphrase Barry Goldwater, “Extremism in the pursuit of evangelism is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of souls is no virtue.” To paraphrase a famous typewriter exercise, “now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their Savior.” The important process of “engrafting” must yield some of its territory to the equally important process of “works.”

 

The original Berean SDA Church on Greensferry Avenue, a photograph of a photograph. Its neighborhood, Castleberry Hill, stands at the threshold of prosperity! The mew Falcons Stadium is close by.

48 MINUTES AT BEREAN SDA CHURCH, FEATURING DR. GILL, ELDER & MRS. BISHOP, ELDER & MRS. RUSSELL!

 

DR. CONRAD GILL SPEAKS

 

Dr. and Elder Conrad Gill began his Sabbath presentation by lauding the virtues of Lead Pastor Fredrick Russell’s sermon series on the Book of Nehemiah. The author of this book accomplished what he set out to do, for the people “had a mind to work,” and Nehemiah himself made frequent communication with God a big part of his modus operandi.

 

Dr. Gill posed a question to the congregation, “how many people know that Berean was the first African-American Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta?” (The first exclusively African-American SDA Church was established in 1883 in Edgefield Junction, Tennessee.)  The founding of Berean was followed by the founding of Boulevard Seventh-day Adventist Church, and then Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church. But Berean is, without question, the “mother church.” This “mother” is getting on in age (the current facility was built in 1962). Berean was still ensconced in its exuberantly styled old facility (one erected, largely through the sweat-equity of the membership under the leadership of H.L. Cleveland back in 1963) when Dr. Gill moved to Atlanta back in 1965. The old church, in like manner to the current capital campaign, was not necessarily the product of “equal giving,” but it was the result of “equal sacrifice” by the Bereans of that era (many of whom are still active in the church today). When Dr. Gill walked into it for the first time, he could not recall ever having a nicer Adventist Church (I have compared it to a 1963 Buick Riviera; adventurous and respectable at the same time).

 

The dazzle of the 1963 church is largely because structure and ornament are one in the same. This fact, alas, makes it difficult to install a modern HVAC system. Ducts would desecrate this ethereal space!

“We need to be proud to take care of what God has blessed us with!” Dr. Gill now narrated  a PowerPoint presentation that included some variation on the theme of “mother.” Conestoga wagons yielded to Studebakers. Steam locomotives yielded to modern streetcars. A present that develops from the seeds of the past evoked the concept of “heritage.” The crazy bullet-nose on a ’51 Studebaker Starlight evoked the concept of “vintage.” Berean currently has two “vintage” facilities, relics of an era that did not mind putting a little extra something into their ecclesiastic structures (with the notable exception of extra insulation, as energy was cheaper than dirt in the early sixties). Berean enjoys a worldwide media presence, and in similar manner to the Atlanta Braves under the patronage of Ted Turner, has become a “mother” church by adoption to people without access to a local Adventist church home. Dr. Gill has travelled to many places in the course of his life. He informed us that “wherever I go, I am always proud to say that I am a proud member of Berean, the ‘mother church.'” He qualified this a touch by adding that, “although we are proud, we are not prideful.” The three R’s of the R3 campaign were cited:

• Restore
• Rebuild
• Renew

A list of proposed projects was distributed to the church membership. The costliest improvement will be the installation of an elevator. The AHJ’s (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) that live at the end of this LINK will have a big influence on how easy or complicated (meaning how costly or cheap) this new elevator will be. Many contractors will tack a large “contingency fee” on these kind of bids, due to the unpredictability of the building department. I have written this last, technocratic sentence based on my former career experience. The building department can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. They must be approached in the most humble and diplomatic matter possible. Thousands of dollars are riding on the outcome of your encounter with these all-powerful authorities.

It is very probable that you have never seen this particular view of the big steeple that graces Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church. They don’t build them like this anymore! It is incredibly complicated.

The second costliest improvement is currently anticipated to be a restored, renewed, or rebuilt HVAC system for BOMC (Berean Outreach Ministries Center), the old 1963 facility. Rebuilding will cost a fair amount, and restoration or renewal may not be feasible. I am fervently praying that some miracle consultant will appear out of the blue, sent specifically by God, to shed new light on this matter. Robert Knowles, former President of Arks Incorporated (a church facilities planning consultant) is now retired. He used to bring his long experience as a contractor to the aid of churches looking for affordable solutions to their needs. He did this as a ministry, and not primarily for financial gain. There are not too many following his example these days. Profiteers have been known to hide behind a Cross. Yet again, I speak from my own experience!

Dr. Gill passed the torch to Elder Irvin Bishop and his wife Pamela, Dr. Gill completed his leg of the relay with the following statement:

“Berean family, let’s do everything that we can to take care of His house, and His people!”

Fourth in the improvement list is “Ceiling/high sanctuary wiring and light-(partial).” This intimidating catwalk exists just for lamp replacement purposes.

ELDER IRVIN & MRS. (PAMELA) BISHOP SPEAK

The “business” aspects of the current R3 capital campaign were addressed by the Bishops. Some salient points:

• The status of, and the reportage about the campaign must be accurate and visible. They promised that “radiators” would be installed at strategic locations in the church (the United Way in my hometown would prominently display one of these “radiators” during the course of their annual fundraising drive). It will be more pleasant to show an image of a radiator below, than to attempt a dry description thereof:

Most “radiators” look like thermometers. This affords an opportunity for the mercury to fracture the glass, a cause for great celebration!

• Provision will be made so there is no confusion between our regular tithes and offerings an the “sacfificial giving” that we render. They will sleep in separate beds, like the Ricardos in “I Love Lucy.”
• The campaign will be all inclusive (I will crib data from the University of Florida anti-discrimination statement for the following sentence). The solicitation will not take cognizance of “race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, marital status, national origin, and veteran status” (this is another inside joke).
• There will exist multifarious channels and times for facilitating your contributions (online, in person, during Sabbath, and on lesser days of the week as well).
• There will be vehicles for non-church members to give as well (Quickly! Send somebody to Coca Cola HQ!).

Elder Irvin Bishop offered some remarks. “I know you are committed! I know you have been praying about it, and fasting until noon on Mondays.” He restated that this Sabbath was the official kickoff day. He revealed that a quarter million dollars had been raised of the proposed 2.5 million dollar total (an auspicious ten percent). He described the three basic levels of giving. An originally proposed base level of $1,500 over a six month period had been modified into a $1,000 base level over a twelve month period (this move was a wise one, whomever may be responsible for it. Some of us require a little bit more time to “pony up”). He admitted that some on low, fixed incomes would attempt to meet a lowered goal. The many millionaires of Berean (Elder Delemar was jocularly fingered as being one of these high rollers) will naturally have to fork over more than the posted top tier of $5,000. Elder Bishop now passed the torch to the guest choir, who provided a soothing musical interlude in the presentation. Like Dr. Gill, Elder Bishop bid farewell with a memorable, and highly relevant remark:

“It’s not about equal giving. It’s about equal sacrifice!”

The unnamed soloist for “This Little Light of Mine” is worthy of a search to discover his name. I wish I had time to do so at present. Help! I have no time!

The interlude by the Norfolk State University Choir consisted of two short songs, The segment begins at time marker 1:56:30 in the YouTube video (which I will LINK again for your convenience) with a tune by Wiilis James, “Sing and Rejoice.” It was followed by an  unprecedented “slow” version of “This Little Light of Mine” (the link is to a version by the same choir that is utterly unlike the one offered at Berean. The link also features the worst camera work I have ever seen). The soloist for this “slow” arrangement was enthusiastically approved of by Elder Bruce Seawood. Not having any taste I can call my own, I will take my cue from a seasoned professional; “It was sensational!” (It really was!)

PASTOR FREDRICK & MRS. (BRENDA) RUSSELL SPEAK

Pastor Russell mounted the podium, accompanied by his wife. He mentioned that Elder Bishop had referred to his wife Pamela as his “better half.” Pastor Russell confessed that his own wife, Brenda, was more like his “better two-thirds.” He said hey were trying to get into shape these days. She already was in shape. He was still working on it. He extolled the sanctity of his spouse, and the pertinence of the Word in guiding the joint decisions they have made, and are still making. In regard to their relationship, Pastor Russell revealed that the Word of God is their…

• Covering
• Confidence
• Conviction, and
• Commitment

He and Brenda, in the long course of his career as a pastor, have been involved in several capital campaigns before (the church he helped to relocate in Baltimore springs to my mind, as I had leisure to do more research when I was investigating a previous notice by the pastor regarding his adventures there). He assured us that it is not primarily about the money. It is about the process of God leading he and Brenda “on a journey.” A test of faith. A “white knuckles” journey, even. But they have always managed to arrive safely at their destination.

Berean Lead Pastor Russell, and his “better two-thirds.”

Pastor Russell prepared to hand the rhetorical torch sideways. He lauded his wife’s love of God, and revealed that the two of them had determined to contribute $10,000 to the 3R capital campaign. He stated his intention to let Brenda describe the particulars of their decision making process.
Brenda Russell stated that they had, indeed, been through this process before. “We have learned that if we commit what we can see,” she revealed, “we do not increase our faith this way.” Regarding spending priorities while in the midst of a campaign, she provided a three-step approach, with the first priority being tithes and offerings. Just a step behind this lies the “commitment” that they have made (the current “commitment” being ten grand). Lastly, the regular bills were taken care of. She said that, at times, bills that were due on a Monday would be lurking about the preceding Friday, with no apparent resources available with which to discharge the obligations. But miraculously, the funds would arrive by Monday, just in the nick of time (here is a LINK to Jimmy Buffet singing his composition “Come Monday,” a “Vimeo” link for a change. One of the first, and greatest folk-rock songs ever written can be audited when you click on “Monday Monday” as performed by the original artists. They were not the most moral of human beings, but they sure could sing).

We cannot see whether or not the gigantic steeple of Berean SDA Church is resting on something solid or not, but we must have faith that it is. Here is faith confirmed, the wild, but sturdy steeple bearing wall.

Pastor Russell retrieved the torch, reiterating Brenda’s observation. He said, “If you can see it, it is not faith!” He elaborated upon this. “We’re all into this campaign where God is going to do some wonderful things in this church, but we should take it beyond…” He quoted Paul on the nature of faith. I will purloin these oft cited verses, and append one utilized by Pastor Russell in a previous sermon. Here is Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

While I am purloining stuff from biblehub, I may as well snag six lines from Dante’s “Paradise” on faith:

“The things profound
That here vouch safe to me their apparition
From all eyes here below are so concealed
That all their being is in faith alone,
Upon the which high hope doth base itself:
And therefore faith assumes the place of substance.”

This is relevant to Dante’s love life, and to mine as well! The importance of faith in God that Pastor Russell (along with many, many other pastors of all denominations) cited from Scripture may be found in Genesis 15:6: “And he  [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

“Dante and Beatrice in Paradise” by Gustave Dore. A person from Facebook thinks I am off my rocker to wait more than a year for my ideal woman to even recognize that I exist. It has been eight years now. I am happy to just breathe the same air that she does!

Pastor Russell informed us that the seed of $250,000 was acquired in the course of a leadership meeting at Berean. A testimony on the benefits of “sacrificial giving” was solicited from Sister Pollard. She declared that certain monies she anticipated contributing to the good work under discussion arrived in an amount that was double what she had anticipated. Pastor Russell interjected, saying “you will hear these kind of stories over and over again.” He predicted that we, too, would have our own faith stories to tell, all a result of “sacrificial giving.” Sister Pollard spoke up again, this time to spread some icing on the cake. She disclosed the doubling of the originally anticipated amount doubled itself yet again. A quadruple blessing!

Pastor Russell eased us slowly into the decision process. What amount would reflect a “sacrificial gift” for each of us present? There was a prayer, a required preface (in the manner of Nehemiah) to any important decision. I formerly revealed that the previous lowest tier of $1,500 in six months would have been my original choice. A hundred dollars a month for a year is the new, reduced target for me and my family (meaning, me and my cat). I have already sunk $280 into the campaign in a furtive, indirect, and kind of self-serving manner. To match my original commitment, I will have to cough up another $20 for a total of $1,500. Adventist World Radio will serve nicely as the “Peter” whom I will rob, in order to pay Berean “Paul.”

I was privileged to witness Pastor Russell’s discreet signal to Luther Washington II to begin providing some music appropriate to a “leap of faith” (I promise not to link Kierkegaard again, originator of this term).  The faith-building song selected was “I Will Trust in the Lord“(link is to a molasses-slow version from Mahalia Jackson’s 1961 European tour).  Pastor Russell shepherded us through the balance of the decision-making process in a sensitive way, in order that our various and varied commitments would be the product of unhurried consideration, and divine direction. I will conclude my reflections with a question the pastor addressed to each and every Berean:

“What is God calling you to stretch for right now?

Mark 12:43: “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.”

A Noted Evangelist, Dr. Abraham Jules, Flies from NYC to the ATL to Preach a REVIVAL

A Work In Progress: A Revival “The Arrival”

The first of four installations of a revival crusade at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta, featured a sermon by pastor and evangelist Dr. Abraham Jules. It was a commentary on John 5:1-15, the healing of the man who hung about the Pool of Bethesda. He was rescued from a life of utter uselessness by Jesus. This revival series, entitles “The Arrival,” is available on YouTube, and installment #1 may be accessed through this LINK. Dr. Jules is an extremely polished and knowledgeable expositor of the Word, and a proven harvester of converts to Christ. Music was provided by Pastor Darrell Palmes, Pastor Danielle Pilgrim, and Menia Chester, with musical accompaniment by a trio under the direction of Bruce Seawood. A cursory summary of Dr. Jules’ sermon follows a short biography of Dr. Jules, and a few uncharitable, inappropriate, and utterly irrelevant remarks about some waters that passed under the bridge long ago (although there does exist a strong parallel between the state of inertia that distinguished my design career, and the comfortable rut that the man by the Pool of Bethesda inhabited for 38 years).

 

“Its a sad day in this country when people celebrate perversion…”Abraham Jules speaks on the sanctity of marriage at Mount Vernon SDA Church, as seen at this LINK . Check out the cut crystal water decanter!

A FOURTH GENERATION SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

 

The facilitator of a four day revival at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta, is Dr. Abraham Jules, a native of Trinidad and Tobago. His grandmother hailed from India. It would interesting to know how she came to reside in the Caribbean. Mahatma Gandhi wound up in Africa because of a spat he had with a British official  back in his homeland. Many expatriate Indians are members of the merchant “caste.” Dr. Jules’ linked biography relates how his early calling was reinforced after having listened to a sermon by E.E. Cleveland at Oakwood University. Here is a quote from E.E. Cleveland’s linked bio: “In his campaigns, Cleveland baptized approximately 16,000 persons, including George Juko, the Crown Prince of Uganda.” This could explain why I have so many Adventist “friends” from Uganda on Facebook.

 

Abraham Jules had some traumatic experiences as a youth at summer camp. After giving rides in a canoe to some fellow campers, young Abraham retired from the scene. Shortly thereafter, word spread quickly that the campers that had continued canoeing on the lake were  now drowning. Abraham and some helpers were able to save three fellow campers from the waters, but it was too late for three others. Dr. Jules carried a burden of guilt around for years about this tragic incident, as he felt that without his initial involvement in the canoe rides, the subsequent fatalities would have not happened. Despite the judgmental attitudes of others in regard to the degree of his guilt, and also despite his own unwonted feelings of responsibility for the loss of his peers, the support of the fellow members of his church, and  indispensable support by God, got Pastor Jules through this trauma. It ultimately served to strengthen his faith. He states, “I learned the fragility of life, and that has helped me to consecrate myself every day and be committed to Christ and His cause.”

 

Adventist pastor, master evangelist, and civil rights activist Edward Earl (E.E.) Cleveland (1921-2009) was born in, and died in, Huntsville. Alabama.

A close relative of mine was driving my late father from the mountains to the beach one morning. He nodded off for  moment, and the car left the road and plunged down the side of a mountain. My father was killed, and the driver still carries around a burden of guilt about this tragedy. Pastor Jules overcame his guilt with the help of God. My relative tries to overcome his guilt by resorting to alcohol, and is therefore an alcoholic. God can rescue him from this condition, just as surely as Jesus rescued the man by the Pool of Bethesda. God’s strength represents a more healthy and permanent solution for difficulties than does the unhealthy crutch of alcohol. He is currently ensconced (an a state of deluded complacency, another parallel to the man by the Pool) in a denomination that is too lukewarm to ever impress upon him the urgency of his need for a very close, and very personal relationship with Jesus. This denomination also happens to be an “alcohol friendly” one. Henry VIII was responsible for its creation.

 

Dr. Abraham Jules remained single until he was 42 years old, an unusual state for the typical pastor. Despite the reservations of his superiors in the church, Dr. Jules thrived as a single preacher. He ultimately did “tie the knot.” Single life was OK for a while, but the evangelist notes, “…if I were to do it all over again, I would have gotten married earlier, because it made me a more balanced person. I had someone to share with me the burdens of ministry and life.” A one hour presentation that he delivered at Mt. Vernon church, one available on YouTube at this LINK, reveals that Dr. Jules is currently an enthusiastic advocate of the institution of marriage. Formerly celibate Catholic priest Martin Luther was similarly delighted when, during the course of his enlightenment,  he discovered that it would be OK with God if he got married.

 

Dr. Jules relates that he once had to overcome  a lot of resistance from the hidebound congregation of a church he pastored in NYC in order to get them to accept female elders. It was, at times, a “dark and lonely” battle, but one that built both his faith and his character. The church now has female elders, and is doing very well, thank you!

 

Pastor Abraham Jules reveals that he was first called by God to be a preacher when he was eight years old.

From 1991-1997, Dr. Abraham Jules was head of Kingsboro Temple of Seventh-day Adventists in Brooklyn, NY. Not having a permanent home, the congregation purchased an abandoned church at 415 7th Street, Brooklyn. It was formerly a Lutheran church. One year after assuming leadership, in 1992, Dr. Jules began to oversee the restoration of the old church. When the congregation was formally recognized in 1994, there were over 450 members.

 

A quote from Dr. Abraham Jules is especially pertinent to the current revival at Berean. The quote reflects a wish by the evangelist that he might manage to follow the example of his inspirational mentor, E.E. Cleveland. Here is the quote, “My greatest joy in ministry is when I’m actively involved in public evangelism, and I experience people accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior and being baptized.”

 

The tall people in this picture are Dr. Abraham Jules and his wife Dominique. The short people are Raven-Aniah Cheyenne and Dylan Julius, daughter and son to the tall people.

DR. JULES’ SERMON: “CHRIST IS LORD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE”

 

Here is a link to the WEDNESDAY NIGHT REVIVAL at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church. Visiting evangelist Dr. Abraham Jules intimated that his remarks would be brief, Instead, the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening meetings contained Sabbath-length exhortations. The theme alluded to by the title of this revival series, “The Arrival,” is clarified by the subtitle, “Are You Ready?” Dr. Jules put a lot of effort into motivating those potential converts to Christianity in the audience who might still be vacillating about a serious commitment to stop straddling the fence. All of this effort paid dividends Sabbath morning, as Elder Charles Cunningham and Pastor Austin Humphreys baptized around 20 new followers of out Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Berean Lead Pastor Fredrick Russell introduced Dr, Abraham Jules, an old Oakwood University classmate of his, to the Wednesday night crowd that attended the first in a series of revivals that are to be held this week, Wednesday through Sabbath night, April 6-9. Pastor Russell had previously recognized the candidates for baptism that were present at this revival. “We are blessed that we have a number of individuals who have been studying the Word. They have discovered that there is light in that Word, and that light is Jesus Christ.” He related that in the course of recent regularTuesday morning meetings of the entire Berean pastoral staff, “one name kept rising to the top” as a candidate to lead the current revival. It pleased God that this “one name” happens to be that of he who has graciously accepted the invitation, and has descended from “The Big Apple,” to “The Big Peach” in order to ply his trade. Pastor Russell mentioned a recent revival conducted at Mount Vernon SDA Church, by Dr. Jules,  that yielded hundreds of baptisms. He remarked upon the fact that Dr. Jules has managed to quadruple the membership of a church that he pastors in Queens, New York, Community Worship Center of Seventh-day Adventists, a “House of prayer for all people.”

 

Dr. Jules began his sermon by remarking upon how he had traveled all day to get from New York to Atlanta, expecting to arrive tired, but pleasantly surprised that God had renewed his strength. He quoted a homespun beatitude, “blessed is he who preaches a short sermon, for he will be asked to preach again.” Regarding the revival, he expressed his intention to, each evening, “lift up Jesus here,” and to also to “make sure Christ is honored.” When the name of Christ is honored, then someone will be blessed. Prayers will be answered.

 

A recycled image of some “gifts”

The “Arrival” theme was touched upon at this time, but the primary focus of tonight’s message was upon accepting the unspeakable gift that Jesus seeks to give to everyone who is willing to receive it. Dr. Jules stated, “before Jesus comes back into this world, He has to find his way into your heart!”

The text of John 5:1-15 is the narrative of Jesus’ encounter, at the Pool of Bethesda, with the afflicted individual who had been stuck there for 38 years awaiting a miracle. The duration of this wait formed a sub-theme to both Dr. Jules’ presentation, and also to a previous Berean sermon by guest Pastor Tyrone Boyd entitled “You Got To Have To Want To.”

 

“Christ is the Lord of the Impossible.” Dr. Jules observed that there are often times in our lives when what we have desperately needed seemed to be impossible of attainment. As a result, we live not in a state of expectancy, but in a state of regret. The Word of God reveals to us that, “with God, all things are possible.” He dipped into the story of what transpired by the Pool of Bethesda, illustrative of Christ’s unlimited capacity to overcome impossibilities. “Bethesda” means “mercy,” Dr. Jules revealed. All of the benighted souls that lounged about the pool of Bethesda required mercy. He likened it to a badly managed, understaffed nursing home. It was not a pretty picture, as the lame, halt, and infirm lay about, moaning and groaning, crying out that mercy may be found. A superstition noted in Scripture, one concerning the angel who would occasionally stir up the waters of the pool (thereby rendering them into a kind of temporary panacea) was debunked by Dr. Jules. The bubbles that arose, resulting in a periodic “troubling of the waters,” has been revealed by geologists to have been a physical, and not a spiritual phenomenon.

 

The length of the man’s residence at the pool, 38 years, is described  in the Book of John. Dr. Jules lamented that “there are still some superstitious people, putting their hopes in bubbles, in silly superstition.” He elaborated upon this. The world of today is assumed to be a time of erudition and sophistication. “Isn’t it nice to know that we have moved beyond” the silly attitudes on display by the crowd that hung about the Pool of Bethesda? But Dr. Jules revealed that, in the course of his wide travels, he still encounters many “Pools of Bethesda.” He mentioned the lottery. The gullible and superstitious still plow money into this unprofitable (for the vast majority) enterprise, fruitlessly hoping that an “angel might come and stir up the waters.” “My brothers and sisters, we have not graduated far beyond those people by the Pool of Bethesda” Dr. Jules said. The lottery is does not represent the sole example of these modern day lapses of lucidity. The speaker observed that “wherever we go, we are being admonished to go to these pools.” When we do, we find that that our emergence from the bubbling waters has done nothing to improve our condition.

 

A print out that reveals the rare winning numbers of drawings for the Georgia State lottery. My neighborhood is well littered with these printouts.

Some principles from the Book of John that can effect a real improvement in our lives were now provided. The first of these principles is contained in this statement by Dr. Abraham Jules, “in order to experience the impossible, you have to WANT the impossible.” For 13,870 days the man had lain by the Pool of Bethesda, on his back. Jesus, in His encounter with the man, knew what modern psychologists have rediscovered, that “attitude” is an important component in the process of both mental and physical healing. Dr. Jules revealed, parenthetically, that he has an aversion to hanging around negative people, and cited the members of some of the church boards he has encountered as examples of this. “Whatever affects your mind, affects your body,” he observed. This is the principle that undergirds the use of “lie detectors.”

 

The man by the Pool, who may have been a hypochondriac, had no doubt grow accustomed to his dull routine. He was taken care of by others. Were he to be healed, he might be forced to get a job and take care of himself. Dr. Jules digressed a moment to decry the many instances of people who love to complain, but never seem motivated to ameliorate the root causes of their grievances. Women saddled with a “no-good” man was one example. Donald Trump was another. He also regretted those who can’t seem to let go of the past. Some people are still consumed by events that happened 50 years ago, Some may desire Christ, but without first letting go of the past, Christ does not have adequate room in your heart wherein He may dwell. It is too cluttered with your long-cherished grudges.

 

In addition to the preliminary need to “want” help from Jesus (John 5:6: “Wilt thou be made whole?), there exists a subsequent need to OBEY Him (John 5:8: “ Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk”). Dr. Jules playfully endeavored, at this point in his speech, to see if we were paying attention to what he was saying:

 

“There are some things that you can’t get over until you get under He who wants to get over you!”

Jesus will not bless you while you are still living in rebellion. If you want to live a victorious life, you must allow Christ to assume his proper place. Worry, without effort, accomplishes absolutely nothing. It won’t pay the bills. It won’t bring a wayward husband home. It will not do a blessed thing! Jesus ordered the man to “Rise!” This is perhaps the one thing that the man considered to be an impossibility.

 

Andrew Wommack at the time of his high school graduation in 1967. His next stop was not so tranquil. It was Vietnam!

Jesus did not ask the man if He felt like arising. This thought introduced an important issue that was raised by Dr. Jules regarding the relation between thought and action, and featuring a technique that is an important one to utilize in everyday living. I had previously heard this technique described by Andrew Wommack, and thought it sounded rather depressing at that time. But it is a approach that yields ultimate satisfaction, and not depression. Dr. Abraham Jules revealed:

 

“You’ve got to act your way into feeling, even if you don’t feel like acting!”

 

The speaker has been pastoring for 33 years. If anyone asks him how it is going, he replies “great!” How are the all the people at his church? “Wonderful,” the preacher responds. But life is not entirely a bowl of cherries. Sometimes he does not want to be a pastor, or a father, or a husband. But, even if he may not “feel” up to his role, he must nonetheless “act” it (the show must go on! But one quickly grows into their “part.” Commencing an activity often represents the hardest part of it. It all downhill after that. This message is an important one not just for everyday living, but particularly to those at the threshold of accepting Jesus into their lives).

 

A decision to obey must now result in the actions of obedience. John 5:8 reveals that subsequent to the command by Christ for the man to “Rise,” he is instructed to “take up his bed.” Dr. Jules postulated that, as an alternative to the injunction by Jesus to carry his bed off of the premises, the man could have decided to leave it there (I had an uncle who quit smoking, but kept an unopened pack of cigarettes in the glove compartment of his car, “just in case.” He never smoked again, but did become one of those “toothpick in the mouth” people). “Sometimes you have to burn some bridges,” Dr. Jules stated.

 

A type of plea for tolerance and understanding on the part of old church members toward the newly minted Christians was urged upon us by Dr. Jules. The 38 year indolence of the man by the Pool was again noted. Dr. Jules stated that old members of the church had a 38 experience in the fine art of hiding their sins. New members were, like the healed man, walking on legs that were not yet grown as strong as ours (a very ironic statement, when juxtaposed to the preceding comment. But you know it is true). A digression about Sabbath activity was inserted here. It was very droll, and available on the YouTube video linked above. I have to skip over it for the sake of brevity. I stand at the threshold of a major interruption to my habitual activities.

 

The “Big W” that concludes the action of the 1963 farce “Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Dr. Jules’ sermon was not a farce. but a cautionary tale.

Three significant “W‘s” wrapped up the sermon, very germane to the primary objective of this campaign to win souls, and to every other revival in history as well:

• Whenever Jesus makes you whole, you are WALKING on your own. The preacher was single for 42 years, he said. He was far from miserable. It is OK to walk alone {for you are not ever truly alone, when you are in Jesus].
• When Christ is with you, you are WORSHIPPING. Gratitude is practically an involuntary reflex to an act of salvation.
• Now that you are redeemed, you are now under obligation to spread the good news through the process of WITNESSING.

Jesus stood in the presence of the man by the Pool of Bethesda, asking him to do something that had never been done before. Something unprecedented. Something impossible. Dr, Abraham Jules informed us (in the manner of Joel Osteen) that we my have suffered deprivation in our lives. Success may have eluded us. We may have never tasted victory. But Christ stands ever ready to offer us a solution to these shortfalls in our expectations for life, and make us into winners. An appeal, the first of four, followed the concluding question of Dr. Jules’ sermon:

“Is there anyone here who wants to do something they have not done before?”

Berean Outreach Ministries volunteer Gwen White distributes savory green onions to patrons at the Wednesday distribution.  She is very photogenic!

A NORMAL SONG FOR NORMAL PEOPLE

My dream girl is not an eccentric, so the kind of deranged musical material that I usually manage to crank out is much more likely to repel, rather than to attract her. As I have invested eight years of waiting for a miracle to happen in regard to our potential relationship, I fear that I am now on the verge of scuttling the vessel of my hopes. The timely arrival on the scene of late-bloomer Pastor Abraham Jules, combined with rapid unwinding of my biological clock (if men have one, that is, and I think that they do), has served to place me at a kind of crossroads in my life. After a half-century of life, God placed the woman I had been waiting for directly in my path. Eight years later, I am still immobilized, no longer traveling, but just standing here, looking at her, afraid to move toward her, and reluctant to move past her. I can only pray like crazy at this point that God will resolve this impasse.

The inoffensive  (vocals excepted, as always) song in question is one named “Trinity,” a name  unfortunately associated in my mind with the codename of the atomic bomb research project during WW II that was supervised by General Leslie Groves. The song, in three iterations, is placed on this PAGE. An elaborate production, complete with soothing images, may be discovered at this first YouTube LINK. A less elaborate, and very unbeloved version is available at this second YouTube LINK.

Another photogenic volunteer at the Wednesday Berean food distribution is Dean Smith. The photograph makes him look a little like a bartender, but this is not liquor that he is serving up to a thirsty public.

THE 4/7/2016 SESSION OF “THE ARRIVAL “

Here is a link to the THURSDAY NIGHT REVIVAL at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This evening’s sermon by Dr. Abraham Jules was based on the parable of the Prodigal Son, an allegory that Jesus Himself relates in the Gospel of Luke. It is perfect for any revival, and though I have heard many sermons based upon it, Dr. Jules made it his own.  I discovered that a time-consuming demand upon my small design talent will divert me from my hobbies this week. I hope to have the opportunity to eventually extract all of Dr. Jules’ talks at Berean, as I has eagerly anticipated the effort. In a terrible instance of misplaced priorities, I decided to squander a few precious hours remaking a song about the Prodigal Son that I originally created last Fall. The first version had enormous problems. The only positive thing I can say about the second version is that it has slightly fewer problems. It will be used as a temporary placeholder for more substantive material. It represents another attempt to create songs that are less eccentric than usual. They may not be more pleasing to God, but they will draw less criticism from man. They may or may not assist me in my ongoing effort to woo the “desire of my heart.”

Here is a LINK to a YouTube version featuring footage of homeless people by Michael C. Clark (Creative Commons, Attribution, No Commercial Use, etc. etc,).

A sailor who gets stranded far from home, searching for a ship that will rescue him from his predicament, is described as being “on the beach.”

A CONVICTED SINNER SEES THE ERROR OF HIS WAYS!

Lost

         In a
8     Far country,  in a far, far country,
8     Lost   to the world I used to know,
4     Gone forever more, what my
4     Father laid in store for me, and
8     Knowing   myself   for the first time,   De-
12  pising,   everything I had become,   I’m going

8     Home,   without a penny to my name,   I’m going
8     Home,   without a cover for my shame, I’m going
8     Home. There’s no one I can blame,   but my-
8     self. I never

8     Knew   till now, just how good I had it.   I was the
8     Apple   of my father’s eye.   In the
4     Wallow   where I lay,   I re-
4     called a another day,   it was a
8     Lesson   I suppose I had to learn.   Now I
12  Knew that it was time I should return.   I’m going

8     Home,   with a fearful state of mind.   I’m going
8     Home,   and I hope he will be kind to me,   I’m
8    Going home, hoping I will find…   for-
8    giveness.

The Ark from John Houston’s “The Bible… In the Beginning.” Impatient of waiting for the tortoise to board, Huston as Noah picks it up and carries it in!

THE 4/8/2016 SESSION OF “THE ARRIVAL”- “BUILD YOUR ARK WHILE THE SUN STILL SHINES”

Here is a link to the FRIDAY NIGHT REVIVAL at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church. I pray that I will be able to transcribe the notes I took during the session. They do not represent a distillation of the essence of Dr. Abraham Jules’ remarks, as they do a lobotomized variant on the original. Unlike Charles Dickens, I have not mastered shorthand. I can review he video at my leisure, and create a considered extract. But Alas! I don’t have any leisure! My back is against the wall at present. I am really dropping the ball this week, vis a vis this poor website. May the Lord help me! I am horribly overextended at present.

The theme of Friday nights sermon was the story of the Flood. The Second Coming of Jesus will result in a similar destruction of the wicked, and the only hope that we might survive is to board the ark of salvation. Noah was not saved by his virtue, but “by grace.” As Lead Pastor Fredrick Russell noted in the course of a previous sermon, the portal to the ark that Jesus has provided for us will close, even before the heavens open, and the rain starts to descend. Dr. Jules restated this information, a kind of urgent, last minute conclusion to the evening messages of the Revival Series. Again, I hope to eventually provide a summary of this exhortation, just out of force of habit, if nothing else.

While writing about another sermon on the subject of Noah, I cited the children’s song “Arky Arky” as being a model of perfection that it would be folly to attempt to emulate. But this represent, of course, a bit of facetiousness by myself. Just as the parable of the Prodigal Son addresses the subject of God’s forgiveness, the story of the flood addresses God’s displeasure with sin, His judgment thereof, and His “grace” toward those who choose to obey Him. Dr. Jules’ urgent message included a three step method for self-preservation: (1) deal with your GRIEF (repent), (2) acknowledge God’s GRACE (accept), and (3) follow God’s GUIDANCE (be ye baptized, putting off the old man).
I ought not be using a public (though very obscure) forum as a napkin upon which to jot down half-polished notes for a song. But I have hitherto forborn to treat the topic of the Flood, as I mistakingly considered that any such effort would be forced into a mundane narrative format. But Dr. Jules boiled the story down to its essence for me. It is an exhortation for us all to “get ready” for “The Arrival (Are You Ready?)”

SOME PROJECTED LARCENY OF JOHN LEE HOOKER’S STYLE

Ark

8     Every   imagination   of the
8     Thoughts   of the hearts    of
8     Men   is on evil, continuous-
8     ly.        The

8     Wickedness is great on the earth!   The
8     Wickedness is great on the earth!   The
 8     People God made were more trouble than they were
8     Worth!        The Lord was

8     So annoyed that everything would be destroyed, both
8     Man and beast, from the greatest to the least, from
8     High to low, everybody had to go, and in
8     All of that place, only Noah found grace.

 4             So God e-
8     stablished   a covenant   with
8     Noah    and his kin.
8     Noah made an ark outta gopher wood,
8     Made it in the way that God told him that he should:

8     Three hundred cubits from tip to tip.
8     Three hundred cubits from tip to tip, so all the
8     People and the animals could squeeze into the ship.

8     Things that creep got saved from the deep, every-
8     thing that flew came two by two, by the,
8     Word of the Lord they all walked on board, till the
8     Door got sealed, and the world got filled by forty

8     Days   of flood   upon the land.   By forty
8     Days   of flood   upon the land.   Every-
8     body    in the ship,   was
8     Safe,   and sound,   until the
8     Water dried up and it rested on solid
8     Ground.

Charles and Austin baptize Victor and Fabian

SABBATH

This will have to do for now. Many were baptized. Several more answered the last appeal of the revival series. Here is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE.

Lost

More Adventist Master Guides Than You Can Shake A Stick At Invade Berean SDA Church.

The Georgia Master Guide Convention at Berean 

In 2013 Brennan Francois was CEO of Parkridge (name of an Adventst healthcare company) Valley Adult & Senior Campus in Chattanooga (an area that contains Southern Adventist University). Although from New Orleans (hence the Mardi Gras beads in the photo) like today’s speaker, THIS IS NOT TODAY’S SPEAKER!

MORE MASTER GUIDES THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT!

The April 2, 2016 Sabbath Service at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta Georgia, was dedicated to a celebration of the Master Guides. It was designated “Georgia Master Guide Day,” and featured a sermon by Master Guide and Pastor Brennan Francois. He was introduced by former South Atlantic Conference President Vanard Mendinghall, who concluded his introduction by quoting Pastor Francois’ motto, “You can do it, oh yes you can!” Here, as usual, is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. Pastor Brennan Francois’ remarks begin at time marker 1:11:25, and extend all the way to time marker 2:07:20. The speech was very engaging, and did not impress me as being one that fell only 4 minutes short of being an hour long.

As a relatively new Adventist, I was not, prior to this week’s activities, overly familiar with the nature of, and the scope of the mission of Adventist Master Guides. Online researches Friday revealed that the requirements to become a Master Guide are very stringent and time consuming. But after a full day’s exposure (this Sabbath) to the culture of the Master Guides, I have now determined that it just might be a very good thing to attempt to become one myself. Many of my role models at Berean were revealed to be Master Guides, including freshman Berean Pastor Danielle Pilgrim. At the close of the day, I was privileged to witness the Investiture Ceremony of eight newly-minted Master Guides, among whom was another of my role models, Deacon Ernis Walker. This avocation (should I prove capable of making the cut) would afford practically endless opportunities to try to be of service to one’s fellow man. Should patience and persistence by myself result in the eventual acquisition of this goal, it will doubtless prove to be an ample rewarder of those who diligently seek it! The key to this aspiration will be diligence.

This is an image of the correct version of Brennon Francois. It is a still from one of his motivational videos, part of the M.A.D. (“Make a Difference”) series that he produces. Here is a LINK to one of them.

THE GEORGIA MASTER GUIDES: INITIAL DIGRESSIONS

The Constitution of the Georgia Master Guide Club declares the purpose that it intends to serve in Article III, Section 1, which states  that this is “To foster the study of God through His second book- Nature.” The Constitution is very detailed in regard to the organization of the club. but Article III, Section 1 represents its only theological and philosophical statement. “Nature” is more than simply foliage and animals. “Master Guides” is much more than simply “Nature.” But the prominence that Nature enjoys in the Georgia Master Guide Club Constitution provides a wonderful opportunity to digress into this topic.

The deepest ever picture taken by the Hubble Space telescope. The farther you look, the more you see.

Here is a link to the prestigious scientific journal “Nature,” which covers every aspect of God’s creation. Unfortunately, it hardly ever gives credit to God as being the Creator. Every now and then God gets mentioned. Here is a comment about an article, “Scientists are Still Keeping the Faith,” that appeared in the April 1999 edition, “Although the suggestion eighty years ago that four in ten scientists did not believe in God or an afterlife was astounding to contemporaries, the fact that so many scientists believe in God today is equally surprising.” This comment, probably written by the editors at “Nature,” reflects a bias against believing scientists. Why should they be “surprised?” Here is a LINK to a PDF file of an article by Benjamin L, Clausen of the Geoscience Research Institute, an Adventist endeavor founded in 1958. The article is entitled “A Believing Scientist Approaches the Sciences.” It warns us that we must exercise caution when attempting to base theology upon a scientific model. God is much more than just a God of “science.” The article also reveals that a proper appreciation of God’s creation may be manifested by our careful stewardship of the environment.

The many attributes of God lead, in some cases, to seeming paradoxes, but none should be excluded in any attempt to reconcile Divinity and Nature [my editorial interjection on these matters will appear in a moment. I feel that God, for the purpose of giving us an opportunity to “choose” to serve Him, not only reveals, but also conceals].

An illustration intended to depict allegorical “Plato’s Cave,” a fable indicative of the limits of empiricism (aka “the Scientific Method”). We all currently “see through a glass darkly.”

Here is all of Mark 4:11-12, as I think it has great relevance: “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” This statement by Jesus is based on Isaiah 6:9-10. Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary somewhat softens the severity of these verses by noting “…no humble inquirer after Christ, need to fear this awful doom, which is a spiritual judgment on those who will still hold fast their sins.” I will add to this “those who still hold fast to their error.” Humility as an accessory to Inquiry is not a universal hallmark of the academic community (I am being understated, as humility in academia is actually extremely difficult to discover. Scientist and scholars, possessing god-like perception, often fancy themselves to be gods).

The Master Guide Club and it’s subsidiary organizations (the Pathfinders and Adventures), always stand ready to acknowledge the role that God plays in Nature, for He is the author, sustainer, and finisher of both our faith and our environment.  As stated by Article III, Section 1 of the Georgia Master Guide Club Constitution, we are instructed to study God through Nature, including Him in every thought, and to be appreciative observers and conservators of the wondrous works that He has wrought. These works have been ingeniously fashioned in a manner that can allow those who may choose to do so, to exclude God from His own creation. As noted earlier, secular explanations of the natural world may a be part of God’s providence that allows us to exercise our freewill. God will not force you to love Him, or even to believe in Him. Neither will God compel you to become a “Creationist.” Godless alternates to fundamental truth exist. These self-contained alternate theories presume to answer every question but the only two that truly matter: (1) How did all of this stuff initially come into existence? (2) Is there some underling reason or purpose for it to be here?

An old star atlas displaying the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. The swan means as much to me as the Phoenix does to Atlanta! I remain, for the present, just an ugly duckling.

Dyed-in-the-wool atheists either declare these two questions to be irrelevant, or furnish spurious and unsatisfactory answers to them. But, in regard to “Nature,” these are the only questions that really matter. They lie at the heart of everything. Every other question is incidental. Every local manifestation of God’s workmanship is mere ornament. Even the overall relationship and interdependence of local incidences of “ornament,” and their integration into a glorious and seamless totality, is unimportant in comparison to the two overarching questions: “how,” and “why?” Your reliable Master Guide can readily supply you with answers to these two important questions, as all of the answers are to be found in the Bible! A good knowledge of Scripture places a solid foundation beneath any subsequent contemplation of  particular facets of our jewel-like universe.

THE GEORGIA MASTER GUIDES CONVENTION

The rules regarding the prerequisites that aspiring Master Guides must possess state that one must be at least 16 years at the beginning of the process, procure a written recommendation from your church board, be trained for and involved with (for at least a year) the Adventures or the Pathfinders, and last, but by no means least, be a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (this link, lifted directly from the Master Guide site, leads to the “big” Adventist site, which is http://www.adventist.org/). Subsequent requirements are noted:

• Read or listen to, and then write a one-page summary of Ellen White’s “Steps to Christ,”
• Either complete a “devotional study guide” that is named in the requirements, or another “year-long” effort that includes the Gospels and either “The Desire of Ages” or “Humble Hero” (two more by Ellen White: the latter being a condensed version of the former).
• Keep a “devotional journal” (which sounds like fun) for a month, or complete a course known as “Steps to Discipleship” (link is to a PDF).
• Prepare a two paragraph summary of each of the 28 “Fundamental Beliefs” that Adventists subscribe to (they are fundamental, but can be subjected to clarifications, as this LINK reveals).
• Give a presentation on four “Fundamental Beliefs” from a selection of these provided in the requirements.
• Learn of the heritage of Adventism. A few alternate ways to do this are provided. Alternate 2 focus on the history of the Pathfinders and points the way to this PDF (“The Pathfinder Story) and also to this other PDF (“We are the Pathfinders Strong”).
• Learn even more of the heritage of Adventism. Four suggested works are cited, with PDF’s available for “Lightbearers for the Remnant” and “The Church Heritage Manual.” Approved alternates to the suggested four are allowable.
• Some studies on the topic of “temperament” (a kind of synonym for “character,” I presume).

Five more categories of requirements follow this first flight. Due to a lack of motivation, I never quite made “Eagle Scout” back in the days of my regrettably misspent youth. Becoming a “Master Guide” would appear to be even more difficult. Yet it is within the grasp of any who are determined to apply themselves to the task. On April 2, 2016, Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church was swarming with  energetic and determined individuals who had successfully obtained the position of Master Guide. They proved to be a great personal motivation. This motivation is not pristine. Altruism may be compromised by a slight touch of envy!

This scene from another of Brennan Francois’ videos finds him chilling out in Jackson Square, down in the “Big Easy.” Saint Louis Cathedral is visible at left.

MASTER GUIDE BRENNAN FRANCOIS’ REMARKS TO BEREAN

Pastor Brennan prefaced his remarks by thanking Elder Vanard Mendinghall for the positive influence that he has had on his life. Pastor Brennan observed that, as Christians, we are obliged to love others, but not necessarily to like them. But he both loved and liked Elder Mendinghall (a Master Guide from way back).

The title of Pastor Francois’ sermon was “Being Led to Lead.” A variety of Scriptural references was provided before the sermon proper was started (Isaiah 30:21, John 14:6, Matthew 4:1, First Samuel 3:1-10 and 2:12, John 10:27, and Acts 2:17). “Don’t turn to the right or the left; I am the way; Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness; “The Call of Samuel;” “The Awful Nature of Eli’s Sons;” My sheep listen to my voce, and follow me; and finally, and in full:”And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…” This string of verses indicate a trajectory toward an ultimate goal, with the potential for undesirable deviation from the correct path. Leadership is courtesy of God and Jesus, but an expansion of the concept of good “leadership” could be utilized to embrace the Master Guide approach. Wrong paths are noted (the sins of the sons of Eli), but a hopeful outcome is promised (the “last days,” just moments before Christ returns to aright all wrong). These verses seemed to auger a sermon about a journey, and the need for proper guidance upon this journey. It has been observed that the novels of James Fenimore Cooper were all about the process of movement. The dynamic quality of these works was unprecedented, and entranced readers around the world. The journey itself, for the first time in the history of literature, became as significant as the destination.

Nathaniel “Natty” Bumppo, aka “The Pathfinder” was a recurring character in the works of James Fenimore Cooper. Raised by Indians, Natty would have made a good Master Guide, had Adventism existed in that era.

Pastor Francois prayed that today’s word would not return to him void. The sermon would comprise three points. The first of these points dealt with the concept of “direction.”

After his college graduation in 1982, the pastor related how seven carloads f his relatives travelled in a convoy from Texas to Louisiana. His wise and experienced father and uncles lead the convoy. They were the metaphorical “Master Guides.” Everyone placed implicit faith in them. Yet a wrong move was made. Some cars, including the one that the recent graduate rode in, did not follow the leaders down the incorrect path. The pastor had his own memory of the proper way to get back home. He was torn between loyalty to his leaders, or adherence to his “inner voice,” one he knew represented truth.
“A Master Guide, and in a real sense any true child of God, must be able to distinguish and know, for his or her own self the Voice of the Master.” Those who serve as leaders must first know what it is to be led. The implication of the pastor’s statement is that we should allow God to lead us in our leadership. He regretted that many Adventists were not heading down the right path. He remembered the wonderful guidance that his mother used to give to him. When she died, he had to learn how use his own initiative.

The pastor also remembered a flight to New Jersey he once took. The airport was wretched. A later trip to the same destination caused the pastor some apprehension, as he expected to encounter the same terrible conditions at the airport. But the formerly deplorable terminal now shined and gleamed like a bright new penny. It had automatic toilets. Ultraviolet light activated both the automatic toilets and sinks, A person beside the pastor at the sinks happened to be wearing black, which could not be recognized by the ultraviolet sensors that cut on the water. The other person asked the pastor how the water might be cut on. The pastor, in turn, posed a question to the other person, “do you know Jesus?” “I don’t want to know Jesus! I just want water,” the person responded. The pastor then said “when you know Jesus, the water of life flows freely.” Still struggling, without effect, to get some water out of the sinks, the other person asked the pastor, “can I use some of your water?” The pastor steeped back, but as the person started to wash his hands, the water flow stopped. In exasperation, the person addressed Pastor Francois, “tell me about this Jesus!” He wanted his own water, with which he could wash his own hands.

The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well learns that she may be able to acquire some “living water” (John 4:10) from Jesus. The image is of a  German illuminated manuscript (I assume) from 1420.

Pastor Francois told the assembly that they, too, needed their own supply of the “living waters” that Jesus can provide. “You can’t lean on anybody else,” the pastor stated, We have no business leaning, unless it is on the “everlasting arm of Jesus.” “A true Master Guide, a true child of God, will know the Master for himself,” Pastor Francois proclaimed (“lots and lots of study involved,” I pondered). God will clearly point out the way. Thus concluded point number one. The “direction” we must travel is indicated by God.

Point number two concerned the act of “teaching.” The Master Guide must teach others to recognize the voice of God.  Any Master Guide  who does not do this is disgracing the uniform. The unspeakable character of the sons of Eli were cited (two errant priests who were destroyed by Philistine forces). Eli was presented as being a good example to follow, as he taught young Samuel to listen for the voice of the “true Master Guide.” Eli sought to rectify the mistakes he made with his own sons through the correct instruction of Samuel. A simple relation of personal experience, supplemented by a list of “do” and “don’t do,” is inadequate for shaping the character of the young, pastor Francois stated. The Holy Spirit (“God’s voice,” in the pastor’s lexicon), and the ability to recognize when He is speaking, is a indispensable accessory to “right living.” How can we teach this skill, if we do not listen to the voice of God ourselves? It is our privilege to teach people to develop their own internal GPS. We are not in the business of creating “clones” of ourselves.

A scene from one of the Star Wars movies, “Episode II, Attack of the Clones”

Pastor Brennan Francois now  revealed (from Ellen White’s work “Education”) that all of us are endowed with a power that may be likened to that of the Creator. This is the power to lead, and the power to teach. We were urged to produce a generation of students who are thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.  The pastor revealed that he had called his brothers that morning (Ben and Byron), asking them to pray for him, for he intended to preach the kind of word at Berean that had almost gotten Jesus thrown over the cliff. “God is waiting to pour out His Spirit on all flesh,” Pastor Francois related, quoting from an Acts 2:17 restatement of a prophecy from Joel 2:28. This Spirit will empower this generation to perform amazing exploits. This generation, up to now, has been an impotent and powerless one. The pastor told how he had attended a “first day” church last Sunday. It was packed. Folks had been forced to park their cars a mile away. Why are these people not “knocking down our doors” [I assume that the “our” refers to the Adventist denomination].  “It is because we stifle their creativity, their innovation, because we have snuffed out all their lights. We have told them all the things that we can and cannot do., and we have not provided for them a clean palette upon which they can paint the glory of God for themselves (I did not feel like throwing Pastor Francois “off of a cliff” because of his statements. Other recent Berean sermons, featuring this same indictment, had prepared me for his candor). “As Master Guides, we are failing this generation,” he added. We are smothering their enthusiasm, rather than channeling it.

Pastor Francois revealed that when children of God prosper, it comes as no surprise to him, for God did not lie when He stated that He would make us “the head, and not the tail.” Leadership can sometimes serve to thwart this prosperity, however. Too many who grew up with the pastor, who are now adults, are “Lost” (an emphasis on this term may have marked the introduction of the third of three “points” of the sermon. The concept of “movement” is now thwarted. Point one, “direction,” may have yielded to its opposite, “misdirection”). They have only heeded the voice of men (“Vox Humana” on your organ stop, as Luther Washington II well knows). Being lost is not only frustrating. It is also dangerous. The pastor related a trip he and his wife took in Chicago to see a musical. After the play, he wound up lost in a bad part of town, A stranger came up to the window of the pastor’s car and said “people like you get killed in this part of town, But I am going to point you down the right road, and you get down that road as quick as you possibly can!” Any other road would lead to destruction.

A diagram of a typical British World War Two era convoy of merchant shipping. There may be safety in numbers, but your salvation is a personal affair!

Pastor recalled the convoy of relatives that he mentioned at the start of his sermon. Then misdirected leaders eventually made it back home, exhausted, depleted, and disheveled, taking much longer to do this than did the pastor’s group (they who followed the “true path”). The illustration yielded to direct admonition, a preface to an appeal. “Some of you are lost!” One New Years [Eve] the pastor was in his car, driving in the dark, in the rain, in the boondocks of South Carolina with his son, looking for a church he was scheduled to make a appearance in. Out of the back seat his son spoke, “Daddy, do you know how to get home?” “Yes,” the pastor replied. His son was thinking “out of the box.” The pair were not forever doomed to wander rural Carolina, lost in a dark and rainy night (I would equate this to Hell, but I am striving to avoid editorial commentary during sermons these days). The pastor felt a soothing sense of relief as he absorbed his son’s words. The pastor headed home. On the way home. he stumbled upon the church.

“You don’t have to stay lost! You can always come home!”

“I’m done!”

Pastor and Master Guide Brennan Francois was not totally done, for there were souls that needed to take their own journey at this time, albeit a short one, to the altar. They would be either saved for the first time, or rededicated to their salvation. The legion of Master Guides present would be implored to apply themselves to their important work with renewed strength, and to be zealous of good works.

An enormous quantity of Master Guides assembles after this Sabbath’s service in order to have their picture taken. Eight more were inducted that evening.

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