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  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

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  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

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  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

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  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

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  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

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Gain & Loss ... 1/20/2013

Sunday School Lesson for 1/20/2013. Unit II. Exalting Christ. Gain and Loss. Philippians 3:7-11.


Philippians 3:7-11 .... Paul: past and present (Warning Digression)


Philippians 3:7 - Man Redeemed; Justification; Faith the Instrumental Cause


Have you ever purposely accepted a short-term loss to achieve a long-term gain? Now if you/we/me have, compare those losses and gains with the Christian life.


The things that the apostle Paul had counted as a .... gain .... he now counted as a .... loss.


Paul left an amazing record for us; Christ was more valuable than anything he had or would ever "earn" in his self-righteous spiritual life.


Philippians 3:8-9 ... Man Redeemed; Justification; Faith the Instrumental Cause


Justification (the past) - Philippians 3:7-9
Sanctification (the present) - Philippians 3:10-14
Glorification (the future) - Philippians 3:15-16


The Law was not able to save mankind (Galatians 2:21)


The apostle Paul in the past had been a sinner, but was made justified (Romans 4:3) with God (Romans 10:3) by faith (Romans 3:22; 10:8-10) in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9; II Corinthians 5:21)


On the Cross at Calvary, God exchanged our sinfulness with Christ's righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21). No one can be saved on someone else's experience of Salvation. This is a personal matter, with continual faith in Christ.


Philippians 3:10-11


Verse 10 - Jesus Christ; The Burial & Resurrection of Christ; Explanation, By New Testament Writers


Verse 11 - Eschatology(Last Things); The Resurrection of The Body; The Believer's Longing


The apostle Paul was growing more like Christ through Christ's power (I Corinthians 6:11).


The only way to personally know and experience Christ was through experiential learning .... The apostle Paul wanted the Philippian Church to know that the study of God's Word would give them .... "book" .... knowledge of Christ (John 5:39; II Peter 3:18).


At the second coming of Christ we will experience resurrection/transformation (Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).


Self-worth of many people resides in accolades/honors/awards/material possessions they have and or their accomplishments in life...... Think on the true value of your(my) life when we are stripped of our achievements .... The apostle Paul believed that no achievement in the earthly life is worth anything when compared to the value of knowing Christ Jesus .... Value resides in everything, from the .... smallest ... and the ... last, ... this was stressed by Jesus in "The Parable of the Lost Sheep."


The Christian life requires growing in maturity to correctly evaluate the importance of secular and spiritual things. Growing and maturing in Christ requires constant commitment and re-commitment.


The Saints of God must have complete trust in Christ.


Scripture reference used/taken from: KJV Topical Reference Bible & Zondervan Bible Commentary