What does it mean to be Free?

What does it mean to be free? We live in a nation whose principles for equality includes the phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", so can one really say that they have freedom of choice, speech, and all of the other "freedoms" that comes along with citizenship?

We as a people spend so much time complaining about the things we do not have, we forget where our true freedom lies. The Word of God declares us to "stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Understand what this means. Despite what limitations this nation places on its people, the people of God must realize that Christ has freed us from the laws of this world. This does not give us a free pass to live a sinful life. It does, however, grant us access to a place once forbidden to us, but because of the Resurrection we may come bodly before the Throne. Let us live the way we were created to live: freely.

Purpose

Have you ever been at a place in life where massive potential has been deposited in you? You seek to unleash its awesome power, but feel that you have no purpose upon which to release it? If you have ever been in this place or you find yourself there at this very moment, may I request a room on the same floor as you?

I know that I am not the only one who has heard the phrase, "so much potential lies within you", so I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. If you do not feel this way, keep living. You will, sooner or later. I remember some years ago, I was at my old junior high school, and my former basketball coach asked me if I was playing basketball anywhere. By this time I was a freshman in high school. When I told him that I wasn't, his reply was, and I quote, "what a waste of talent". Those words still ring loud and clear almost 15 years later. In other words, I had the potential to do something with the skills given to me; however I have not embraced the purpose to which they were given.

Romans 1:20 says that we as the saints of God know and understand the power of God, therefore we have no excuses. The Word of God also declares in Ecc. 3:1 that there is a time and a SEASON for everything. Before He created, He knew the PURPOSE for the creation, and therefore instilled deep within the creation the POTENTIAL for the creation to embrace its DESTINY. So count it all joy when your potential has been realized, because that means that your destiny awaits you. Remember that the race is not given to the swift, neither to the strong, but to he that ENDURES to the end. Your time will come. The question is will you be ready to unleash the potential, and walk in your PURPOSE!!!

What does it means to be Young & Black today?

Can a young man in today's society completely and, most importantly accurately, define who he is? In an era where the idea of having both mother and father figure present in the same household is no longer prevalent or, according to some, necessary, today's young man has been given the daunting task of sculpting an image that he deems worthy of an ever so critical and diverse society. While the possibilities of being WHAT you want to be are seemingly endless, WHO you want to be is becoming an increasingly coveted topic.

Even as this is being written, a young man is mapping out what direction he wants his adolescent life to take. However, chances are he has no idea what challenges, courses, and ultimately consequences lie in wait for him. Has it been instilled into him the basic formula that "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction"? Or the more popular saying "what goes around comes around"? Can one really say that adequate time has been invested into the cultivating and molding processes that helped shape a countless number of generations before him? Looking at the general young male population, the answer may not agree with what today's young man wants to believe.

Even now more than ever, young men, especially young Black men, are being introduced to and becoming acquainted with alternate lifestyles that, as of late, are becoming commonplace in today's society. If you are reading this, it is because you have witnessed the same things that I have, or you have seen something that prompts a response and you are looking for help. I encourage you to continue to "fight the good fight of faith". This generation is not lost, but simply misguided.

What A MONTH!

This has been the craziest month and a half of my life. The launch of the magazine, my first concert, sales meeting, writer conferences, hiring staff, church, work, and school. The list could really continue, but I wouldn’t change a thing. For those who are following the blog, forgive me for not writing I'm trying to find an equilibrium, where I can fit everything in one day and still get at least 5 hours of sleep a night. I was thinking on yesterday on yesterday, “What if I had children?” Since Father’s Day is coming up I don’t think I would want to have started this adventure while being a parent. All I think about is this magazine and how can I make it better. How do I best serve you the reader? Many of you have sent wonderful words of encouragement through Face book, please continue and most importantly leave comment s on face book, write us, tell me what you’re thinking. It’s late and I have Sunday School n the morning. Until next time, God Bless!

Did I write that ? .........

I am about to talk about a topic that NO BLACK MAN will touch. Friday was one of the biggest days of my life. I got my official business certificate for Nebo Publishing, the company that will bring you this online magazine. And I had no to share it with; yes I have friends’, really good friends. But they weren’t the person you want to grow old with. So even though I am so excited, there is a tad feeling of being lonely. No friend is going to rub head and no family member is going share that kind of joyous and exuberating feeling the way a mate would have(I hope). So what I am I trying to say? I truly believe I have found the purpose or reason for me to be on this earth. Now I want someone to share this and other life experiences with.

Already Alright

Early this morning after not sleeping much, I awoke singing (ad-libbing of course):

“God has not promised me sunshine, that’s not the way it’s going to be. “ (WHY) Cause sometimes we have to get a little rain, then it gets mixed with a little of God’s sunshine, you know some grace, mercy, with a sprinkle of love and dash of meekness, a cup of temperance. You know to remind you that you can’t have everything your way and you are still evolving. In school I give little self-checks to measure what the students know and to remind them what areas they’re still struggling with or gage how well they can solve a specific type of problem. Well same with us, these little bumps are just a reminder that we still have some growing to do but, shows where growth has occurred. I don’t handle a problem or a stumbling block the way I handled it in 2008, hopefully I have matured. Also, things could be worse and here I am belly aching over something that could and can be fixed if I would just remember whose child I really am. Even the last line of the Hawkins’ song gives you hope:”For it will be ALIRGHT”. And it’s that we all are looking for, just a reminder that yes before, during and after the storm that EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT.

Introducing ...

This has been the most exciting and exhausting time in my life. The juggling act of working, school, church and starting a business has been mind blowing. But I wouldn’t change the last few weeks for anything. This is the most free I have felt in my adult life. My pastor (Pastor Andre Clark, New Direction Christian Fellowship) a couple of years ago, spoke a message entitled “Dream Big”. I wanted to but I was scared, scared of failure, of rejection that I put off doing what I was meant to do for 2 whole years. Since I as a kid, I wanted to have my own magazine. I would get a magazine and first look for the editor, publisher, photographer, and writers. Always wishing and hoping that someday when someone opened a magazine that they would see my name. Well now I have thrown away fear and picked up purpose. As many of you know I am a singer and I love to sing, but I have been blessed to have people placed in my path that I have picked up nuggets of information and knowledge. And through my pastor’s message, was reminded to dream and not fear.

The purpose of this magazine is to inspire, educate, and inform. Topics from dating to destiny, sorrow to glory, monogamy to infidelity, from sex to abstinence, from politics to prayer, from hip hop to literature, from devotion to how to better study God’s word. These and many other topics will be discussed inside this magazine. I have already been advised on topics I shouldn’t touch, which in turn will be the very topics that will be written about in this publication. My prayer is to minister to the whole man both young and not so young. To have an outlet where we as men can pose a question and get a response that is meaningful and based on the word of God. I want to help us take better care of ourselves, how to make money work for us, how to make ourselves marketable in this shrinking economy, overall to have a positive impact in the lives of Black Christian Men.

So please join me on this new journey and let’s grow in grace together.

Charles Clark, Jr., Publisher/Editor
www.brothaonline.com

*This first blog is dedicated to my father, the late Rev. Charles Clark, Sr. 1946-2002