Pastor B. R. Ali

Bible_Study_2012 Pt2.wmv

2012-01-21T22:49:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve_2011 Pt_2.wmv

2012-01-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

"Ministry Focus For 2012" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2012-01-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

"Ministry Focus For 2012" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

"The Faces Of 2012" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2012-01-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

"The Faces Of 2012" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

Pastor Ali's Notes » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2012-01-21T11:32:00.000-05:00

Pastor Ali's Notes » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

One Of The Greatest Shifts In History

2012-01-12T15:07:00.000-05:00

John Missed The Shift P3.wmv

2012-01-12T15:05:00.001-05:00

John Missed The Shift P3.wmv

2012-01-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

John Missed The Shift P2.wmv

2012-01-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

John Missed The Shift P1.wmv

2012-01-12T15:03:00.000-05:00

I Just Want To Worship Part 1.wmv

2012-01-12T15:02:00.000-05:00

I Just Want To Worship Part 2.wmv

2012-01-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T04:51:00.002-05:00

"Jesus is the meaning and true focus of this season"

You Don't Look Like_Part 2.wmv

2011-12-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

"Something to ponder over"

2011-12-16T11:27:00.004-05:00

Ps 115:16 The heaven of heavens is for God, but he put us in charge of the earth. ( MSG)
Ps 115:16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men. AMP
Ps 115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all mankind. TLB
Good Morning All, its Friday for many the end of your week works. Look closely at this Psalm 115:16 and meditate on what the words are trying to convey to you today. What a sobering reality that the Lord has put us in charge of the earth. The first question that came to my mind what is my first responsibility in the earth? So I went back to the Bible and the answer was right there in Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV
Three words stood out for me replenish, multiply and dominion. Notice the actual definitions that are listed below, study them. Then allow the Holy Spirit to direct you into what your purpose is as you endeavor to be a good steward on this earth that the Lord has given us to maintain.
• Replenish OT:4390 HEBREW* male' (maw-lay'); or mala' (Est 7:5) (maw-law'); a primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively):
KJV accomplish, confirm, consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfill, (be, become, draw, give in, go) full (-ly, -ly set, tale), [over-] flow, fullness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a [hand-] full, have wholly.

• Multiply OT:7235 rabah (raw-baw'); a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):
KJV - [bring in] abundance (X -antly), archer [by mistake for OT:7232], be in authority, bring up, continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding (-ly), be full of, (be, make) great (-er, -ly, -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty (-eous), process [of time], sore, store, thoroughly, very.

• Dominion OT:7287 radah (raw-daw'); a primitive root; to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off:KJV - (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,- r, over), take.

*(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.

When I declare I is the pastor in the hood that is not some self serving egotistical moniker. I am declaring before the heavens and to the people that I’m ready to complete the work that God has called me to do. "Hood is not a location it's a mindset, I am bringing the power of the kingdom and the gospel of Jesus Christ where it is not embraced and changing it into a safe, God-fearing and prosperous neighborhood where God receives all the glory"

That is what I am striving trusting totally in God to do; can I count on you to do your part in making this vision a reality? Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

The Herods, A study submitted by Lady Balena Ali

2011-12-15T13:17:00.004-05:00

The Herods
Antipater was a political ally and close friend of Julius Caesar (see Ancient Empires - Rome). After Antipater was murdered in 43 B.C., his son Herod, later known as Herod the Great, established the now-familiar family name. Although Herod The Great is perhaps the best known, there are a number of other Herods of Antipater's Dynasty that are mentioned in The Bible.
Upon his death, Antipater's territory was divided among his four sons. Galilee went to Herod, who later was appointed tetrarch of Judea by Mark Antony, and also king of Judea by the senate in Rome.
Herod The Great
Herod was a brutal and wicked man who is perhaps most remembered for his murderous decree at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem:
"Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother [see Mary], and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him." (Matthew 2:13 RSV)
In an effort the kill The Child that had escaped him, Herod then ordered the killing of all male children of Bethlehem and vicinity, two years of age and under, in what has become known as the "slaughter of the innocents" (Matthew 2:16).
Like many despots, Herod considered himself to be a builder of great cities and magnificent structures. He continued the work on the fortress of Masada and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem on a grand scale, a work that went on for decades, and which was not completed until after his death. As He was in that "Herodian" Temple, Jesus spoke both of its magnificence, and prophesied its destruction (Matthew 24:1-2), which was fulfilled by Roman Legions in 70 A.D. (see Temples and Fall of Jerusalem In 70 A.D.)
After ruling for about 37 years, Herod died at Jericho about 4 B.C. An angel then again appeared to Joseph to tell him to return from Egypt. So Joseph "went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:23 RSV). (Dwayne Blank)
A madman who murdered his own family and many rabbis, Herod was also the greatest builder in Jewish history.
Herod The Great Persecutions
Herod's persecutions were infamous and they even extended to his own family.
Herod, knowing that his Jewish credentials were suspect, had married Miriam ― the granddaughter of Hyrcanus and therefore a Hasmonean princess ― largely to gain legitimacy among the Jewish people. But he also loved her madly. As Josephus relates:
Of the five children which Herod had by Miriam, two of them were daughters and three were sons. The youngest of these sons was educated in Rome and died there but the two eldest he treated as those of royal blood on account of the nobility of their mother and because they were not born until he was king. But what was stronger than all this was his love he bore for Miriam which inflamed him every day to a great degree.
The problem was that Miriam hated him as much as he loved her, largely because of what he had done to her brother, Aristobulus.
Herod had made Aristobulus High Priest at the age of 17, and watched with trepidation as the young man became hugely popular. This was not surprising as Aristobulus was a Hasmonean with a legitimate right to be High Priest ― a genuine Jew and a genuine cohen.
But this threatened Herod too much and he had him drowned.
Indeed, Herod later became jealous of his own sons for the same reason and had them murdered as well.
And he even had his own wife murdered in a fit of jealousy. Josephus again:
His passion also made him stark mad and leaping out of his bed he ran around the palace in a wild manner. His sister Salome took the opportunity also to slander Miriam and to confirm his suspicions about Joseph [Miriam's alleged lover]. Then out of his ungovernable jealousy and rage he commanded both of them to be killed immediately. But as soon as his passion was over he repented of what he had done and as soon as his anger was worn off his affections were kindled again... Indeed, the flame of his desires for her was so hard that he could not think she was dead but he would appear under his disorders to speak to her as if she were still alive...
Not a stable man to say the least. Even Augustus said of him: "It is better to be Herod's dog than one of his children."
Herod's paranoia, his interference with the Temple hierarchy, and his dedication to the Hellenization of the Jewish people all contributed to the growing discontent that would erupt in a revolt against Rome some 70 years after his death. (aish.com)
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater (Greek: Ἡρῴδης Ἀντίπατρος, Hērǭdēs Antipatros; born before 20 BC – died after 39 AD), known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter"). He is best known today for accounts in the New Testament of his role in events that led to the executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.
After inheriting his territories when the kingdom of his father Herod the Great was divided upon his death in 4 BC, Antipas ruled them as a client state of the Roman Empire. He was responsible for building projects at Sepphoris and Betharamphtha, and more important for the construction of his capital Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Named in honor of his patron, the emperor Tiberius, the city later became a center of rabbinic learning.
Antipas divorced his first wife Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea, in favour of Herodias, who had formerly been married to his brother Herod Philip I. According to the New Testament Gospels, it was John the Baptist's condemnation of this arrangement that led Antipas to have him arrested; John was subsequently put to death. In the Gospel accounts of John's death, Herod has John imprisoned for denouncing his marriage, and John is later executed by beheading. John condemned Herod for marrying Herodias, the former wife of his brother Philip, in violation of Old Testament Law. Later Herodias' daughter Salome dances before Herod, who offers her a favour in return. Herodias tells her to ask for the head of John the Baptist, which is delivered to her on a plate (Mark 6:14-29). Besides provoking his conflict with the Baptizer, the tetrarch's divorce added a personal grievance to previous disputes with Aretas over territory on the border of Perea and Nabatea. The result was a war that proved disastrous for Antipas; a Roman counter-offensive was ordered by Tiberius, but abandoned upon that emperor's death in 37 AD. In 39 AD Antipas was accused by his nephew Agrippa I of conspiracy against the new Roman emperor Caligula, who sent him into exile in Gaul. Accompanied there by Herodias, he died at an unknown date.
The Gospel of Luke states that when Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate for trial, Pilate handed him over to Antipas, in whose territory Jesus had been active. However, Antipas sent him back to Pilate. (Latter Rain)
Herod Agrippa I
Herod Agrippa I was the King of Palestine off and on from 37 to 41 and through 44. Agrippa was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice and the grandson of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippas II was his son, the father was called Herod and the son was called Agrippa. Herod was a favorite at the Roman court, he was given the title of king in 37, and made to rule over parts of southern Syria. Herod Agrippa had been kept in prison in Rome during the reign of the emperor Tiberius, but on the accession of Caligula he was not only restored to liberty, but obtained the provinces that had belonged to his uncle Philip, then of the tetrarchy of Lysanias and regained the title of King Herod in 41 and won the territories of Antipas, who was banished, and of Samaria and Judea. Herod Agrippa I was a half-Jew, raised and educated at Rome. Favored by the emperors Caligula and Claudius, more territories were added to his kingdom so that he ruled over all Palestine, including Judea. What has been said of Herod Agrippa is equally true of Antipas, he had been the meanest thing the world had ever seen - a courtier of the early empire.
Herod was a persecutor of the early Christians. He slew James, and imprisoned Peter.
To make himself popular with the Jews, Herod Agrippa pretended strict observance of Jewish custom. In a display of Pharisaical zeal at the Sanhedrin's urging he executed James the greater, the brother of John, son of Zebedee. Seeing that this had gained favor with the Jews, in typical political expediency, Herod also had Peter arrested. St. Peter was imprisoned in Jerusalem, miraculously escaped and fled to Rome. Among those who left Jerusalem was John and with many migrated to Asia minor.
Except for his brief kingship, 41-44, Palestine continued to be ruled by Roman governors until the Jewish rebellion of 66-70. The story of Peter's escape from imprisonment from Herod is historical, it must have happened in 44, the year Herod Agrippa I died, for it is plain that Peter left Jerusalem just before Herod's death, probably in the spring. It follows that Peter's imprisonment took place before the famine and Paul's visit to Jerusalem, which cannot be earlier than 45 or 46.
The persecution seems to have proceeded no farther than the death of James (Acts 12:1-2). and the imprisonment of Peter, (Acts 12:3-5), but God had an angel go in and get him out (Acts 12:6-10). He soon after died. Herod Agrippa I was struck down by God suddenly and miserably at Caesarea in 44 while giving his speech. As soon as the people starting worshipping Herod, he died, being "eaten of worms." His daughter was named Drusilla, he died when she was only six. ." (Acts 12:23 ) (Latter Rain)
Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I, the great-grandson of Herod the Great and the brother of Bernice and Drusilla. His father was called Herod and he was called Agrippa. Agrippa was born in A.D. 27 and only 17 when his father was struck down in 44, too young to succeed the throne. Educated at Rome and upon coming of age four years later, emperorClaudius invested Agrippa with the office of superintendent of the Temple of Jerusalem, gave him the tiny kingdom of Chalcis in A.D. 50, later given the tetrarchy of Philip and Lysanias, the area east and NE of the Sea of Galilee and given the title of King. Thereby his land joined the land governed by Festus.
His private life was very extravagant and wasteful, completely lacking in self-restraint. It was in the presence of Herod Agrippa II in A.D. 59 that Paul was brought by Festus and told the story of his conversion.
In the rebellion under Vespasian, Agrippa took part with the Romans, and died, the last of his race at about 100 at the age of seventy and we can surmise, the last King of Israel. Unlike his father, Agrippa was never popular with his subjects.
[Acts: 25-26] (Latter Rain)

Broken Promises

2011-12-15T09:53:00.004-05:00

Good Morning everyone, I woke up this morning with the subject of broken promises in my spirit. I couldn't’t fully comprehend what it meant but after my prayer period the Holy Spirit made it very clear to me. The pain of broken promises, we all have had them made to us and we have made them to others. You know the words that are spoken when a promises has been broken. “I’m sorry”, “My Bad”,” I didn’t mean to hurt you”, “It won’t happen again”, “I really forgot”, “Please forgive me” and the favorite “How can I make it up to you”. Now you know what it is to depend on someone and they fail to do what they promised you. The following passages of scripture found in Jeremiah 17:5-14 set me straight this morning on the subject of trusting people more than God.

1. It brings a curse on my life
2. The anger will eventually turn my heart away from the things of God
3. I will miss many opportunities to be prosperous
4. I will find myself drying up spiritually

After this revelation I quickly repented before the Lord and I asked him to search my heart and forgive me for the numerous times I trusted my flesh, people and my own understanding rather than trusting, relying and seeking his direction for every move I make in life. Break the curse and pain of broken promises in your life today, turn back to trusting God totally and he will put the right people, opportunities and proper direction in your life. Have a blessed and prosperous Thursday; share with someone the love of Christ today. Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

Jer 17:5-14

5 This is what the Lord says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
10 "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.
12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.

14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
NIV

Afternoon Consecration Meditation

2011-12-14T14:33:00.001-05:00

I vow to pray daily for each and every one of you. I am committed to prayer and the study of the God’s word that I may continue to speak and preach to you the will of God for our lives. I cancel every assignment and invitation for the “family reunion in Hell” given by the devil. It is our assignment to witness, invite and win souls to the kingdom. God loves you and so do I, preparing to come out of the prayer closet in order to “Unleash our faith in 2012”. I serve because He bled. Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

Romans Chapter 12

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
NIV

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-11-29T10:18:00.001-05:00

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

"Learn how to watch your mouth and what you say about others" Read one of Spurgeon meditation regarding this particular matter, may you be as challenged as I am!

"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people . . . Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
— Lev 19:16,17

Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our personal bond—SPEAK EVIL OF NO MAN.

The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become ourselves partakers of it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in His warning given to Peter, the prayer with which He preceded it, and the gentle way in which He bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.

(from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 1999, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-11-25T16:17:00.000-05:00

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All
Updated Information

"Worship Moments" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-11-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

"Worship Moments" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

The Way Your Living Is Not The Right Way - Part -3

2011-11-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

"Worship Moments" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-11-01T15:27:00.000-04:00

"Worship Moments" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

"When A Father Fails" on Twitpic

2011-09-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

"When A Father Fails" on Twitpic

Book review of "When A Father Fails"

2011-09-11T19:28:00.001-04:00

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BOOK REVIEW: When a Father Fails by Pastor Bryant Ali
posted 20 hours ago by weequahicflower@planetmail.com [ updated 17 hours ago ]

Pastor Ali’s deeply personal account of his parental failures and his struggle with addiction and street life, his history of emotional unavailability and inconstancy towards women is, first and foremost, a cathartic tale of atonement. Ali’s book is his attempt to tell his loved ones and his community, but especially his children, that he now fully realizes the consequences of his life’s choices, and that what he wants for himself, and his loved ones, is reconciliation. Although the title suggests that the book will mostly be about picking up the pieces of a life after one has either been failed by his father, or been an inadequate one to his own children, the book is really about much more than that. As Ali recounts the difference circumstances and situations that shaped his habits of mind at particular moments in his past, he makes me think about the complexity of redemptive processes and the long road to spiritual and physical restoration. Ali’s overwhelming message to youth especially, is that sometimes when it comes to certain things, it is better to avoid than to have to atone. Some things in life, get done to us, and some things, we do to ourselves. It is important to recognize the difference

Ali’s book’s is written in an accessible vernacular style. He writes for a popular, youth-oriented readership. Even though he provides plenty of detail about the people, places, and activities that have been significant in his life, he does not write a tell-all book. Almost no full names appear in the book (with the exception of his children’s names). While his use of initials (e.g. D.A.) instead of names for various individuals described in the account does provide a measure of anonymity for folks who may not want their business to get published, a careful reader might grow frustrated. Because of the sheer number of initials, it is often difficult to keep track of which individuals were implicated in which parts of Ali’s account. I for one would have appreciated some kind of graphic organizer!

When a Father Fails, is an act of personal and public atonement. Ali demonstrates the ways that our choices as parents, children, and relatives profoundly affect the lives of our family and community members. Pastor Ali is sorry for what he has done, but he does not feel sorry for himself. Though he freely admits that he did not parent the way he ought to, he did not always love the way that he promised to, he did not pursue happiness and satisfaction through means that he should have, nor did he in his early years have the Christian walk that he claimed to, today, Ali has seized upon opportunities to let his past be a catalyst for a popular and community-based ministry. Ali’s book is a reclamation of human dignity and responsibility, and a bold step forward.

Pastor Ali pastors New Psalmist Worship Center and is also a community leader in the Great Newark Area.
INDEPENDENCE - COOPERATION - SUSTAINABILITY
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You be the Judge................... on Twitpic

2011-08-29T09:01:00.001-04:00

You be the Judge................... on Twitpic Now in the recovery mode after gastric sleeve surgery on last week. I will holler at you soon, Be encouraged

Community Impact 2011 » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-07-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

Community Impact 2011 » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

We are not your enemies

2011-07-28T08:23:00.003-04:00

In response to those in the Newark Community who question the righteous intentions of the "Newark Anti-Violence Coalition.”We are not your enemies". It is very disheartening at times to see the mentality of those who chose to stand on the sidelines and criticize our methodology of shutting streets and thoroughfares. Our coalition has been operating in this manner for two years now every Wednesday afternoon some where in the city of Newark and vicinity. As a pastor I feel it is my duty to participate with a broad sector of our community when it comes to addressing the self genocide that is occurring in our community.

Some say the rallies are ineffective because you are just hollering and spewing a lot of rhetoric. I say that our gatherings in our houses of worships must be useless also because a lot of hollering and rhetoric goes on in many of our worship gatherings. I believe the words of Christ reflect the mission for all who strive to be Christ like. Feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those who are incarcerated. So I know that the spirit of God operates in my life, to bring good news to the poor to announce freedom for those in incarcerated in their mind, to give sight to the blind and to set at liberty those that are bruised.

I conclude with the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer“To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”

Remember "we are not your enemies" family I personally invite you to share with us or do something on your own. Our community needs all hands on deck our children are dying, physically, mentally and emotionally on a daily basis. It's time for you to "put up or shut up" Peace and Love, Pastor Ali

Where is my help hiding at?

2011-06-20T13:07:00.002-04:00

Psalm 3:2 Many are saying of me,"God will not deliver him." NIV

There comes a time in your journey where you have to fight to hold on. Struggles, trials,enemies, issues,foes, disappointments, haters or what ever label you chose to use for your circumstances. The truth of the matter is that even after Sunday you have to fight to hold on to your faith. You ask the question "where is my help or answer hiding at? People are saying to your face and behind your back that God will not deliver you. They are laughing at your steadfastness's, your commitment, your faith and even your praise.

Let me share with you the tools that I utilize in my mind. My first declaration is that "I am a Kingdom Child and all of my help comes from the Lord". This week I may be facing an Absalom in my life. Yet,I refuse to sweat it; because if God is for me he is more than the world against me.

My second declaration is "that greater is he that's in me than he that's in the world". I remember when I was a child I did not always want to face my enemies. Just like David I would flee from them. Contrary to David's time or when I was child I understand that I am walking in the dispensation of grace. In this dispensation I am empowered to do all things through Christ that gives me strength.

Kingdom child let the people think there is no help or deliverance for you,but I know better. My third declaration is "to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,this battle is not mine's or yours it is the Lord's" Psalm 3:8 From the Lord comes deliverance.May your blessing be on your people.NIV

These are my memory verses for the week I invite you to make them yours also.
Isaiah 54:16-17

16 I have created the smith who blows the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.

17 But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you shall succeed, and you will have justice against every courtroom lie. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. This is the blessing I have given you," says the Lord.
TLB

Everything you are dealing with has an expiration date, your help is not hiding but is working on your behalf. Hold on beloved the time for your manifestation is nearer than you think. Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

"Psalm 2", A Journey through the Book of Psalms

2011-06-13T09:31:00.003-04:00

This week as you meditate on Psalm 2, think about the Kingdom of God and of His Christ to which everything must bow. We are in a transitional period on the earth as the new birth of spring now rushes to the heat of summer. Yes, t he heathen is raging; people are still imagining vain things. Leaders still do want to obey the will of God, but God is laughing. He has sat up a King on his holy hill Zion, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Because of his anointing every yoke that presents itself before you can be destroyed.

This week walk, talk, sleep,eat,rest and live, as a kingdom child ought to live, Everything that comes in your way that's not of God must bow down and be placed under your feet. Speak! I'm walking now, as A "Kingdom Child" should.

Memory Verse Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, and to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows for so he gives his beloved sleep.

The Way Your Living Is Not The Right Way - Part -3

2011-06-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

"Do we preach a ancient gospel without moden day application? Or do we preach a living word for a generation that need life support daily?"

How Your Living Is Not The Right Way...-Part - 2

2011-06-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

"Do we preach a ancient gospel without moden day application? Or do we preach a living word for a generation that need life support daily?"

For Someone, Today is their "Judgement Day"

2011-05-20T06:44:00.005-04:00

The bible records in Hebrews 11:27 And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement. There are many who are talking about the Judgement Day being tomorrow. Well, the reality is that for many people around the globe today will be judgement day for them because today they will die. Judgement day is for someone everyday of the year. For me that is the bigger picture.

As a worker in the mortuary field and my calling as a pastor I have walked behind many caskets where for that person judgement day had came. For my father it was in November,1980, for my late beloved wife it was May, 2007, for many in the World Trade Center it was 9/11 2001. For myself it is ???.Jesus stated that "no man knows the minute or the hour when the son of Man shall appear. He will come like a thief in the night" Death has a number that it catches daily. Let me encourage you to look at the bigger picture. Is your spiritual house in order? Are you ready to meet God? Regardless of your spiritual persuasion, religious beliefs or analytical thinking. Judgement day is every day.

For the man who is being sentenced to life in prison it's "Judgement Day"

For the person that's having a biopsy done it's "Judgement Day"

For the family that's trying to starve off foreclosure it's "Judgement Day"

For the person that's receiving the pink slip today it's "Judgement Day'

For the individual that will find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time it's "Judgement Day"

So in the words of James Large "What is salvation" To be released from condemnation, to receive forgiveness of sins, and to be justified in the sight of God for the sake of Christ "This is salvation"

In the Epistle of James chapter 1:21 he writes Lay aside all filthiness's and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.

In conclusion, One day the Lord is coming back like a thief in the night. I dare not say that day is tomorrow,but one thing I will say is that everyday is "Judgement Day" for somebody. So I encourage you, man, woman, boy or girl to trust God, love one another and not to put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Live and love like it's your last day and then plan to live forever. It's is my desire to encourage, enlighten and empower your life today. Be blessed and enjoy the best day of your life "TODAY"

Pastor B. R. Ali: "It's Time For Our Light to Shine"

2011-05-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

Pastor B. R. Ali: "It's Time For Our Light to Shine"

"It's Time For Our Light to Shine"

2011-05-19T11:41:00.007-04:00

Matthew 5:14-16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I believe that the divine principle that we are blessed to be a blessing applies to not just individuals. God is calling the entire faith community to bless those in the local areas where you reside and worship in. He wants us to work together to change the climate of entire cities. This will amount to a revolutionary change in our ministry paradigm.

A. Personal possession of light is the believer's ability to illuminate and function in a positive manner.

B. Personal relationship with God, yourself and others,

Suggestions on how to make this type of revolutionary change happen,

1. Use Discernment, not every problem in our spiritual life is caused by a demon. Many times our problems develop because we have stepped out on our own. Strive to make your daily decisions according to God's will for your life.

2. Quietly take dominion

3. Be aware of the spiritual power you have residing on the inside of you.

4. Always take time to give God the glory publicly for everything that is accomplished for a positive nature.

5. Develop a personal prayer life

6. Stay Humble

7. Walk by faith.

Do not wait for a physical confirmation to prove that something is happening. Nothing may happen on the surface, but a great spiritual process has been set in motion the moment we strive to do something positive for the our neighborhoods. When you utter God's word in faith and follow his guidelines the manifestation will unfold before your very eyes. The victory is there start working toward it for the betterment of our local areas. "It's Time For Our Lights To Shine"

pastor2.wmv

2011-05-18T15:32:00.000-04:00

When The Timing Is Right

2011-05-18T14:04:00.005-04:00

Psalm 1:3 And he shall like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that his fruit bringeth forth in his season his leaf also not shall wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Interlinear Hebrew Text)

The third verse in Psalm 1 is empowering and promising to those who expect a season of prosperity. One of the prerequisites is not walking in the counsel of the ungodly or your own understanding. May I suggest that you develop a daily meditation and reading of God's word in your life. The next dimension of life's experience awaits you when you start speaking God's word into your life. If you follow the principle's of Psalm 1 it shares that there will be a season when your God initiated endeavors will not fail.

When the timing is right there is a season where you will encounter a continuous flow of blessings. The type of blessing you are expecting to reap is determined by the type of seeds you are sowing or planting. May this day be the day you start afresh planting seeds for a prosperous future when the timing is right. Start afresh walking in obedience to the will of God for your life. In John 10:10b Jesus declares "I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (KJV)Prepare to receive every good and perfect gift that is laid up on your behalf. Start walking and talking like you already have and "when the timing is right you will"Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

Trapped Looking For An Exit 04/11 by Pastor N The Hood | Blog Talk Radio

2011-04-11T12:16:00.000-04:00

Trapped Looking For An Exit 04/11 by Pastor N The Hood | Blog Talk Radio

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-03-20T07:46:00.000-04:00

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

Expiration Part 1.wmv

2011-03-18T08:31:00.000-04:00

Stree tDocter- Every Day is Thanksgiving! Part4

2011-03-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

Youth & Teen Ministries » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-02-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

Youth & Teen Ministries » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All
Most of my friends and classmates are over 50 or close to it. They are parents, grandparents, single, married, divorced, looking good or working on it, in good shape or medicated shape. Yet 95% of us are still alive and for that I am grateful. We have to instill these realities into our young people because the life expectancy of their friends and classmates won't be the same unless they change their mode of thinking................

"Vision Builders" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-02-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

"Vision Builders" » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All "The Vision of The House"

Community Impact 2011 » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-02-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

Community Impact 2011 » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All Newark Anti-Violence Coalition & Brick City 2 Season Premire Pictures

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-02-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All
Be encouraged today, take a moment to reflect on the goodness of God. Each page is designed to lift your spirit/

Prayer Requests » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

2011-01-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Prayer Requests » New Psalmist Worship Center, A Spiritual Oasis For All

Prayer Time @ New Psalmist

2011-01-24T13:19:00.000-05:00

Now Is The Time, Ezekiel 37:11-14

2011-01-24T09:54:00.000-05:00

"When A Father Fails"

2010-11-09T11:25:00.002-05:00

My first book has been out over a month, the responses have been stunning. I am my worst critic and in hindsight I have noticed many items that could have been done better. My next book will be much better, because you should grow from every experience. One of the most glaring surprises I noticed after book's release was people fears of transparency. In my view “transparency is not tell everything but revealing enough to get your point across”. I have been pastoring a small church mission for sixteen years now. Many in the congregation who thought they knew me found out in short time that they didn't really fully know me. Only, the areas that I allowed them to get a glimpse of which they in turn thought were the total package. I already knew that many of my sermons went in one ear and out the other. This book cut to their heart and now they have been forced to take out their own mirror and look inward at themselves.

The songwriter wrote that "if you are living in a glass house don't throw no stones". I reflect on life as a whole and I cherish the uncertainty of each day as I navigate through this space called time. I recently watched Tyler Perry's new movie "Colored Girls" at a private screening by "Brown Sugar Productions" where the viewing audience was 85% female. As I assessed the lives of each character and how their lives intertwined I asked myself the question which of these woman stories impacted me the most. Why? After pastoring for so long I recognized I have met them all over time. All who describe themselves as victims of the madness, lust and desires of others? The strong who take advantage of the weak, the sometimes misguided principles of faith and yet still a desire to overcome the adversities just to be able to take a deep breathe and breathe.

This book can be a cleansing for many in life and an eye opener for others. That even those who share your same bloodline or not all they appear to be. I know who I am and I continue to strive to who I will be come. When I shut my eyes for the final time I want to die empty have fulfilled every assignment I was sent here to do. “When A Father Fails” is one of those assignments. Get your copy of "When A Father Fails" @ www.barnesandnoble.com, wwww.amazon.com. www.boarders.com, www.authorhouse.com. Hardcover, Paperback and E-books formats.

I have learned that in my failures God grace still allows me to rise in triumphs. Get your copy today. Peace & Love, Pastor Ali

"The Biggest Loser"

2010-09-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

On yesterday I viewed taped excerpts of the emotional roller coaster show titled "The Biggest Loser". I observed people who are big like me give their reasons for wanting to lose weight. They shared the experiences of losing family member, diseases or wanting to live to see their children or grandchildren grow older. I believe the biggest loser seeks out the most emotionally distressed persons in America. The reality is we ate too damn much with very little physical activity. Many persons make excuses for their issues instead of stepping up to the plate and saying "I did this to myself" Every meal I ordered or ate I enjoyed it to the fullest. Every tab I dropped, every pill I dumped, every powder I sniffed, and every substance I smoked I enjoyed it to the fullest. Every woman I crawled, fall or laid in bed with I enjoyed it to the fullest. Even the bad trips didn't stop me from trying again.

The results of my good times are now heart disease, lung disease, malignant hypertension, sleep apnea and morbid obesity. I take pills in the morning, mid afternoon, and at night. I'm in such terrible shape internally that my cardiologist wouldn't sign off on a gastric bypass procedure I was trying to undergo until next year. Hear me there are no shortcuts to getting better. If you dance to the music you will have to pay to the piper, God is not mocked whatever you sow you will also reap. I am not crying over spilled milk or making excuses for the circumstances I find myself currently in. It is what it is!

So unlike many I don't give up I keep on pushing ahead to making my latter days better than my former days. Many people who profess faith in God or some form of religion will try to skirt the reality of their past transgressions. When you know better you ought to do better at least in theory. The reality is you have to make changes in your life one day, one meal, and one moment one step at a time. My condition may never get better but I can get better in my condition.

I am unashamedly Christian, I believe in the Virgin Birth and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am a child of the King but I am not spooky, churchy or super spiritual, contrary to some opinions I am not "The Biggest Loser" because of my faith in the end I WIN! Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil.

It is my desire to never cast stones at another without knowing their story or having the heart to share my story. My faith makes me transparent what about you? Peace & Love

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T22:02:00.000-04:00

Being a pastor I have at times had conflict with the instructions of other pastor’s who talked about the chain of command in a pastor’s life. One model was God, Family, Ministry another was God, Ministry, and Family. I asked the question of one of my mentor’s “How do you handle six different families?” His answer was “you should handle the one at home first” which I always felt was insufficient because I felt like he was giving me a license to neglect the others. Then you had the biblical model of Jesus where in one instance he was informed that his mother was outside in Matthew 12:48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”. (NIV = New International Version) Then on another occasion Peter raised the question about forsaking all to follow him and Jesus response was in Matthew 19:29 “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (KJV = King James Version). I could have easily used these scriptures out of context to justify my neglect of my children over the years of my pastoral career.

Instead the past was eating at my present and molding me for my future. One of the issues or thorns that manifested in my life was my lack of temperance or self restraint; many people don’t believe that God can use you when you are out of control. Being morbidly obese is one on my manifestations of being out of control. So the church world can handle eating disorders as a safe subject to discuss as a failure to have self control, but when I talk about my being divorced more than once, having six children by five different women and then I move on to some of the church issues that are sweep under the rug those screwing young and old outside the confounds of marriage, out of wedlock children, sexually transmitted diseases, spiritual pimping and brainwashing which equals spiritual and mental bondage. Incest, molestation, masturbation, condoms usage and community and parental neglect, why there are gangs, blight and poverty then I’ m considered crazy and out of control. As long as I preach fairy tales everyone is happy but when I preach reality many get upset.

The church is a hospital where the sick ought to be able to come for treatment, surgery and follow-up care. Instead in many cases it is a fairy tale deliverance center where the gospel is just good news and ever thing will be alright theology. Well somebody missed the boat because our communities, cities and villages are in trouble and everything is far from being alright. When the father fails the whole community suffers. Don’t wait till it hits your doorstep to act because if you danced to the music you surely are going to have to pay to the piper.

The process of being made whole is usually a long journey, there are many wounds that have to be treated and then there will be scars that remain. One of the lessons that I am painfully learning in writing this book is that I once I have diagnosed my issues I have to deal with them accordingly so I don’t infect others with my stuff. That why I don’t run from my past but I deal with it in my present so I don’t negatively affect my families future. Even with my present day flaws I strive daily to better myself and help others with the reality that life is still worth living and God is still large and in charge . He can work things out on your behalf in spite of you and that’s not a fairy tale but from my perspectives that rings to be true.

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T21:59:00.000-04:00

Many days I have preached sermons to people with frowned faces and many left the ministry because I would not meet their expectations of what a pastor should be. I was able to overcome their departures by reminding myself that I wasn’t their first pastor and definitely wasn’t going to be their last. I knew I had flaws and they did also. The reality is that all of us had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So I was not the one to fake the funk with, what you saw was what you got. Rubie was much more tolerant than I was, she was the one who kept the broken pieces together of persons who felt shattered by something I said or did. I always say that God sure had a sense of humor when he called me. He took this foolish man and anointed me to confound many who would consider themselves wise. Even in the mist of traveling the country to different conferences, of the fellowships I participated in. I would be haunted nightly by the absence of my children in what many would think was the highlight of my life.

One time I recall when I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending the consecration of Bishop Andre L. Jackson and serving as his adjutant. I was staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, looking over the city at night with a phone book in my hand wondering where Terrell lived not having a clue about how he was doing and not even knowing how he looked. So close yet so far away. Even in this season of celebration I was still burdened by my “failure as a father”. It really came to burden me even more when I attended a conference at Bishop Eddie Long church in Decatur Georgia entitled “Focus 2000”. Here I was surrounded by ecclesiastical giants, and many of them discussed the balance of ministry and family yet Terrell was nearby in Stone Mountain Georgia getting ready to turn twenty years and I didn’t have a clue what he was doing or what he even looked like. Even though I would try to imagine how he looked and then I would say to myself why torture yourself he doesn’t even know you.

My illusions allowed me to continue on and many in ministry would cosign my reasons for being absent and not rocking the boat. I would just continue to eat, preach, study, teach and go on about my ministerial duties like the seeds of my past didn’t really exist in the so called beauty of my present. Then my illusions grew even larger because now I could say some are grown now and my intervention in their life wouldn’t matter now. I tried on numerous occasions to justify my failures by the works I was doing in ministry with others and being a spiritual father to many but to my own I was absentee. Even in the house where I resided on many evenings I was absent mentally and emotionally in spite of my being there physically because I was constantly fighting the demons of my past. Many times I preached and taught on deliverance yet how do you get delivered from your failure to provide, nurture and care for the most precious people in life, the seed that came from your loins. You don’t it is something that even though you can’t change what you didn’t do. You can only continue to strive with the scars that remain. Whatever my children accomplish in life it is because of the people that were there constantly for them, providing support, comforting them in their fears and molding them for their future, In spite of their mistakes and missteps in life they have learned to get up and dust themselves off and move on to tackle their next goal in life.

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

I did a lot of soul searching on the ride back to New Jersey. I didn’t know what I was going to do but it was better than what I had just come out of. We left in the afternoon and did a stopover in Atlantic City. It was a change of atmosphere and we needed to hang out for the night. Really didn’t want to wake anybody in the middle of the night and we were chasing a dollar and a dream. Maybe we could hit the jackpot and our troubles would at least be alleviated for a season. It was Memorial Day weekend and I made a decision that I was not going to die an addict and wasn’t going to risk life in prison as a dealer.

Amantuallah and Nadiyah were twelve, Terrell was nine, and Lashanda was seven, Takara was six and Ian was four years old. I was broken, dusty, and without a place of my own. I knew I really needed a change but I just couldn’t figure out how. I had been corrupted for such a long stretch that being right wasn’t even in my vocabulary. This was certainly going to be a real challenge. “When a father fails” has deeper ramifications than just the child and their mother is concerned. When a child is born their mind is like clay and it is molded by the persons and events that they encounter on a daily basis. When the father fails to be a part of that important process, the metamorphosis of the child future is actually stunted because the person who partook in their conception is absent so they are left to a one sided experience of their heritage.

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

If life could be on rewind I would surely go back and revisit many of the errors in my life. My “failure as a father” was not a onetime event but a continuous progression of selfish me, myself and I code of living. I truly believe that it was this type of mindset of me and others across this country that has created the many broken homes that exist in our culture and community today. The church and powers to be can try to act like it doesn’t exist and only pray about it. Yet this cycle that I help create two generations ago will only continue to manifest the chaos, abuse and hatred that we see in many of our urban, suburban and rural areas today. Unless we create a healing environment for fathers who have failed their children, the learning paradigm to enter back into their children’s lives this cycle will only get worse. Many people hold symposiums on what the problem is but many don’t get involved in being a solution for the myriad of problems that exist today.

Our prisons are filled with father’s son, brothers, nephews, whose childhoods were structure free because of the absence of a father or a positive male role model. Even in the sixties and seventies I didn’t want to be a preacher, doctor, or dentist. I wanted to be a funeral director a restorer of dead things. Death is what I experienced on television from a young child on. Goldie of the Mack, Priest of the Superfly days and John Shaft were the men who I saw in the movies. Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, Stokley Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, Elijah Muhammad and the Soledad brothers were the only men who I saw that went against the grain. It seemed like everyone else was just playing it safe and acting like the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. the riots in Watts and Newark, the Vietnam War and the racism that was displayed on my television from the southern states were events that needed to be forgotten and forgiven. I take full responsibilities for my failures, but don’t act like the conditions in some of our neighborhoods was not molded by the visuals I saw back over forty years ago.

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

In the first week of May 1990, I get a notice that the motel was getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend which was the beginning of the tourist season. Where it was costing us a $115.00 a week was now going to be $115.00 a day. I had two week to try to get my act together. I was on the beach everyday trying to find a resident managers job. Who was I fooling the only dress clothes I had was my uniform, Marriott outfits were long gone. I had one pair of black shiny shoes that my cousin Hermie had given me. I didn’t even have a briefcase anymore. My mother’s side of the family was having a family reunion Memorial Day weekend in NJ. I had a choice to make all during these times I was thinking about my past life and where I found myself at now. All I could remember was when I was in the church life seemed so less complicated. It wasn’t easy but at least I keep a roof over my head.

I could either become a beach bum or I could move back to Jersey. I would watch the people moving their merger belongings to their next abode. I gave the job two weeks’ notice, waited for that last check, got my microwave out of the pawn shop and prepared to make my way back to Jersey. Didn’t have a clue where I was going to live or what I was going to do. There was a saying that if you could make it in New York or New Jersey you could make it anywhere. That is a bunch of B.S. because not only was I a “failure as a father” but I had also failed making it in Virginia. I thought Virginia was for lovers for some reason I wasn’t feeling loved at this moment. My one lover in Virginia had gone back to her husband. My brother and I traveled back to New Jersey for the family reunion with all of our earthly possessions in the back seat of a Charger. I was doing real badly. Here I was a fallen preacher, an invisible father who didn’t have a clue how my children were doing. Didn’t even really know what grade they were in or the schools they attended. I was burned out and I didn’t have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out.

My purpose for writing this book

2010-03-19T21:51:00.000-04:00

Is to honor my children and share with them the real story behind my failures. Not as an excuse, but as a grateful man who has partaken in their grace and love for me.

To become transparent and give hope and support to a generation of children whose "Father's have failed them".

To break the code of silence that many religious leaders hide behind. To share my story, with those who feel like there is no redemption after their faliure.

To encourage invisable father's to return back into the children's lives. Maybe this will curtail the violence that now rages in our urban communities. For men to step up to be mentors in the lives of the fatherless.

To become a forum for men to be honest on the difficulties of being a good father. To become a forum to honor those who are good fathers.

Excerpts from the Book I'm writing "When A Father Fails"

2010-03-19T21:47:00.001-04:00

The Beginning

Wow, I sit looking back over a half century of living and the biggest blurb on my earthly resume is my failure as a father. This failure was magnified as I looked at my youngest son tell me “I Love You” as our visit was over. Separated by the partition of the box he sat in as an inmate in Northern State Prison in Newark NJ. When I turned away it hit me fully the results of my failure as a father. How did it get to this? What the hell was going on? Why was my seed behind the wall? I am a pastor, husband, street activist and yet while trying to care and save so many other’s my own seed was being neglected. Was this a sacrifice or just plan neglect? You be the judge because to measure myself by myself would be self serving.

Finally I get a call to come to Beth Israel Hospital in Newark she was in labor. This time I wasn’t going to miss this child being born. When she had my son, I almost passed the hell out. I didn’t have a clue about the birthing process or the afterbirth. If I had seen this dramatic event the first time I probably would not have made another child. Tears were streaming down my face and I was elated. Ian Rasheed Ali was born on September 4, 1985. After six children and eight years of major drama my biggest struggle was yet to come. Even though, I was at his birth “my failure as a father” continued to rear its ugly ass head.
As a sidebar I was still a failure at not only as a father, not only as a husband, not only as a minister but I was so shot out that I actually thought I was the man. My brothers and sister our warped thinking and loose actions in the seventies and eighties have produced the mayhem that we witness in our urban cities today. We are witnessing Children having children, men and woman behind bars, and a system that is designed for our self destruction. We have to get honest, and face the truth within ourselves, our children and grandchildren so we can save our communities. The time is too critical for us to point fingers and just watch our babies die in the streets. I believe that pray is good, but for too long have we used that as an excuse for sitting on our behind and not doing a damn thing to help turn the tide.