The Gospel Truth November 2022

NOVEMBER 2022

93rd Street Community Baptist Church has been Going Strong for 61 years

PUBLISHER

Sandy Walker

Publisher’s Prayer

Sandy Walker

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Sommer W. Davis

EDITOR

Jamil Rivers

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Robert Walker

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

LaDonna Fennell

My Father, My God:

Father, in the Name of Jesus:

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Moderator Johnny L. Barber

Anika Madison

Anika Madison

All is well with my soul as I focus my attention solely on You. I am thankful as I breathe the air You so graciously provide to me each day. How wonderful it is to be Your child. How

it is to know that You are in charge. I

You are with me every moment

I am eternally grateful for the love You continue to bestow upon me. You love me unconditionally with all of my issues and all of my faults. You love me, Father, in spite of myself. I thank You for being with me always. I am comforted by

Lord as I navigate this wonderful

am eternally thankful for the love you

The Gospel Truth Magazine 11285 SW 211th St. Suite 208 Cutler Bay, FL 33189 (786)295-5596 | sandygtnews@aol.com www.thegospeltruthnews.com facebook.com/TheGospelTruthMagazine/

Sandy Walker Publisher

round me with. I am thankful for the love and support of my amazing family. There is nothing I have done or could ever do to earn the blessings You continue to bestow upon me. Father I pray to be a blessing to others as you so generously bless me. You, my Lord are so worthy to be praised.

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Father, God, Creator of the universe:

ful Dear Lord for the blessings You continue to bestow. Father I know that I am in no way worthy of all that You give to me. You give me peace and love. You give me food to nourish my body. You give me all that I need to survive. Your blessings are so much appreciated as You place the right people in my life and in my path each day. I know Father that You are also placing me in the path of others so that I might do Your will in being a blessing as well. Keep my eyes open, Dear Lord, so that I might see those in need.

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Father I pray for peace during these uncertain times. As much as we try to figure it all out, Lord You already know. When I find myself pondering the circumstances of the day I take comfort in the fact that You are in charge! Nothing will happen that You don’t allow and nothing will happen that You cannot stop. I realize Dear Lord that it is not my job to understand. It is my job to be faithful and to trust that with You all is well, at all times.

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Father I pray for all of Your children who are feeling pain, frustration and lack. I pray Dear Lord that they will seek You in every situation and circumstance. I pray that Your name will be the one that they call out to for relief. Continue my Lord to dwell in the hearts of Your children as an eternal source of love. Thank You today and every day. I am proud to be Your child. -- AMEN

To God be the Glory. -- AMEN

When I take the time to think of what You are and who You are my mind can hardly comprehend it! It is wonderful that we exist and see miracles all around us every day and take it all for granted. I see this attitude as a demonstration of our love, confidence and faith in You. We know who has the whole world in His hands! Thank You Father for this sense of comfort and peace. Even when life’s challenges come our way You are there to shield, protect and comfort.

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Sandy Walker EDITOR

J. Rivers

Thank You Father for the unconditional love You have for me. I did not earn it. I don’t deserve it, but Father I appreciate it. I rejoice in Your love when times are good and I remind myself of Your love when times are more challenging. You my Lord are a way maker. Help me Father to listen for Your voice and nudging as I go about my day. Show me the way You would have me to go. In all things give me peace.

Sommer Davis

Rosie Sands

Fred Stimage

Jorge Maduro

Rashad Jackson

Today and every day You are God! -AMEN

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A PLACE TO PONDER

Avoiding the 3D’s

By Vernita Chandler

We have all experienced it. Prayerfully set a goal. Prepared yourself, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, You are ready and excited about reaching the goal and the journey or process ahead.

Ready, Set, Go! You start moving, making progress, happy and grateful about it. Then wham, here comes a DISTRACTION, something that takes your focus off the goal. Often it is something rather small but appears big enough to draw your attention away from your goal, purpose, or assignment. It does not matter the source of the DISTRACTION its agenda is to draw your attention away.

Prolonged DISTRACTION leads to being DIVERTED. To be DIVERTED means to be drawn away in another direction. What was once a distraction of your attention now becomes a diversion of your efforts, energy, and emphasis from the goal, purpose, or assignment. Instead, your efforts, energy, and emphasis are expended on chasing gossip and lies, shadow boxing with ghosts from your past, or swatting pesky gnats of negativity.

At some point amid the diversion, you realize that you have encountered a DELAY in achieving the goal. The goal did not change instead, your focus and direction changed. Thank God a delay does not have to mean a denial.

The way to victory over DISTRACTIONS, DIVERSIONS, AND DELAYS is to accept God’s Word and intention concerning you. Remember,

• God has always known you and has a divine plan for your life:

• For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

• You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:16

• Regardless of the distractions, diversions, and delays we experience, God remains steadfast to His plan and love for us:

• If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:1

• And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

• God’s love is eternal and does not waiver, no matter what:

• Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your

faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalm 36:5 NLT

• But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 KJV

• And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow— not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

So, don’t be discouraged if you find yourself experiencing the 3 D’s. You can begin again! Just remember that God’s divine plan for your life has not changed, nor has His love and grace towards you. Just get up and start again. Ready, Set, Go!!

Vernita Chandler is an ordained Elder in the Lord’s Church currently serving at Eagles’ Nest Cathedral International in Huntsville, Al. She is the author of Vernita’s PLACE blog and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Biblical Leadership at Huntsville Bible College, where she also serves as the Admissions Officer. Her work motto is “This is more than a job; it is ministry.”

Tips for a Kidney-Friendly Diet

Making healthy food and drink choices is important to us all, but it is even more important if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD). For CKD patients, eating a healthy diet consists of foods that are low salt, low fat and low cholesterol with plenty of fruits and vegetables. It helps you to control your blood pressure, and if you have diabetes, it also can help you control your blood sugar with healthy food and drink choices. Keeping your high blood pressure and diabetes under control can help prevent kidney disease from getting worse.

It’s important to know that with chronic kidney disease, the amount of protein and fluid a patient should consume depends on the patient’s health, stage of kidney disease, age and weight. Work with your nephrologist and/or a renal dietitian to put together the best plan for you. Your health insurance, such as Medicare and many private insurance coverages, may help pay for your dietitian appointments. Talk to your insurance company to see if your policy covers for medical nutrition therapy. Find a registered renal dietitian in your area.

Here are kidney-friendly diet recommendations from NephCure Kidney International:

Healthy Diet

• Low sodium (salt)—helps with swelling in the hands and legs

• Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables—fiber such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables canhelp lower total and LDL cholesterol

• Low fat (1% or skim) dairy products

• Lean cuts of meat, less red meat, more chicken and fish

• Sometimes fluids should be restricted, as determined by a nephrologist

• Sometimes protein levels should be increased or decreased, as determined by a nephrologist

• Rarely should potassium or phosphorous be restricted, only if kidneys are failing and as determined by a nephrologist

Sodium

• Too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and edema.

• Most sodium in our diet comes from processed foods.

• We have learned to like salt and it takes time to unlearn the preference for salt.

• Most people consume too much sodium daily.

Protein

• We need protein for overall health, muscle maintenance and to fight infections.

• Research has not absolutely proved benefit of low protein diet to preserve kidney function.

• Goal is moderate protein intake, but consult with a nephrologist.

• Good sources of protein are lean meats, well-trimmed poultry, eggs (limit two whole eggs per week), fish, shellfish, beans and nuts.

How to limit fat and cholesterol

• Limit whole eggs to two per week; use egg substitutes or whites only.

• Use lean meats, well-trimmed poultry without skin, fish, shellfish, beans, nuts.

• Use healthy oils, such as olive, canola, coconut or sunflower.

• Limit saturated fats (dairy, animal fat) and eliminate trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils found in processed and fast food).

FPL’s PoweringFlorida.com resource hub helps support the growth of Black-owned businesses

According to the U.S. Census, Florida ranks #2 in the number of Black-owned businesses, with 250,000 in the state. But unfortunately, statistics also reveal that Black-owned businesses often find it more challenging to grow. Only 4% of Black businesses are open after 3.5 years, dramatically less than the national average of 55%. Black businesses also face greater challenges accessing investments and support to scale their growth. The teams at Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) Office of Economic Development believe that building a stronger ecosystem to support the growth of Blackowned businesses is prudent for the state of Florida’s economic prosperity.

FPL created the Black Business Resource Hub on its PoweringFlorida website to provide access to programs and information aimed to support the development of Black owned businesses. The site also covers how to become an FPL or NextEra Energy supplier; provides access to a Black business directory and Black business resources that help cultivate success for Black-owned businesses; information on minority owned business certifications; and a list of workshops, training sessions, and programs for Black entrepreneurs and Black business owners offered via various organizations.

“At FPL, we are not only committed to working with minority-owned businesses, we want to help connect all Black businesses with the right resources to ensure they are tooled and equipped to build the infrastructure needed for their business success,” says Pam Rauch, FPL vice president of external affairs and economic development. “We are excited to share this new resource hub and we look forward to continuing

to grow and expand this exceptional platform for many years to come.”

The site provides information on key issues involving the Black business owner, such as:

• Black Business Directory– List of Black businesses throughout the state providing a vast range of products and services.

• Black Business Resources– A listing of organizations throughout Florida are dedicated to providing resources that help cultivate success for Blackowned businesses.

• Minority-Owned Business Certifications– Information on the numerous certification programs that are available at the federal, state, and local levels.

• Events and Programs– A listing of organizations throughout the state with educational programs and networking services and more designed to help take your business to the next level.

• To find out more about FPL’s PoweringFlorida Black Business Resource Hub, visit us online at https://www.poweringflorida.com/how-we-help/ black-business.html.

(Orginally posted on Blackprwire.com)

93rd Street Community Baptist Church Going Strong for 61 years

Faith-based organizations and churches remain bedrock institutions in the Black community. The 93rd Street Community Baptist Church takes this tradition seriously. Since assuming the pastorate, Dr. Carl Johnson will tell anyone that God has blessed the ministry to impact thousands of people in the South Florida community and beyond. That impact has translated to aggressive evangelism and the development of a potent combination of faith and action to minister to souls, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, support college students, and cultivate fruitful partnerships with governmental entities to produce affordable housing and resources for underserved communities.

“Everything is guided by vision and the commitment to make the vision happen. I preach and teach and let folks see we can be fruitfully multiplied numerically, spiritually, financially, socially, and emotionally. Those are my guiding principles. When I began conveying that to the membership, it changed their thought process mentally.” says Dr. Carl Johnson, the church’s senior pastor and longtime leader and teacher. “They began to see that we can do this. Our church grew and our people grew.”

Johnson reflectively recalls being mentored by the former pastor and being elected to serve a 99-member church. Since that fateful moment, the church expanded from the initial modest building to a $ 6 million edifice regularly ministering to thousands of parishioners. The beautiful worship center is the tallest and most expansive building in the community. Under Johnson’s leadership, the church has created a Community Development Corporation, expanded its real estate portfolio, and implemented an in-

clusive and innovative offering of ministries.

“God can cause a revival at any moment where churches can grow exponentially. Great things can happen when God is involved. But you have a vision and a commitment to that vision,” Johnson adds. “You must have a vision, a person with the vision, and people to facilitate the vision. When you have those three things in place, you will see a great victory in God.” It is not unusual to see Johnson lead revivals across the county or partner with elected officials to minister to victims of crime, get resources for the needy, and produce solutions for challenging conditions.

“I am a visionary by nature. If I see something in the community that needs resolving, I do a needs and spiritual assessment. Then, I think, what can I do to correct it? From that I get corrective action,” says Johnson. “When you do the work, and people see the work, people will start helping you find resources to complement the work. So, I don’t look for grants or resources before I get to work. I just get to work. And God will find ways to provide resources to do more work. I believe God has elevated me to another level of responsibility to make an impact on state and federal governments.”

Pastor Johnson gave The Gospel Truth an exclusive interview marking the sixty-first anniversary of 93rd Street Community Baptist Church. Note: TGT edited his comments for clarity and brevity.

TGT: Do ministers have a responsibility to the greater community? What is your community philosophy?

PCJ: Responsibility comes as a result of your love for God. When you love God, you have a love for people, which is our community. That’s the first driving factor to be able to bless and build up your community. Responsibility is another word for commitment. Our love for God is a commitment that grabs you and makes you responsible for carrying out the charge in your care. God saves us, and then he situates us in society. The best citizens in any country are Christian citizens because we are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the city sitting on the hill. Our gospel forces us to serve humanity spiritually first and then socially.

TGT: 93rd Street Community Baptist Church has been a community resource for over six decades. How do you see the church operating in the future?

PCJ: The future looks bright because we will continue to follow our principles. Evangelism remains a personal passion. I still see greatness in 93rd due to us being fruitful, even in suffering and pruning seasons. I see our church still being this beacon of light in the city and increasing our civic service more than we did in previous years. I envision this model will be in place to meet needs at that level. I aim to pay off the $2 million left on our mortgage within the next year. Once we pay it off, we will be able to serve as a bank to other churches suffering financially. I want us to be a resource center. I want to be able to help financially struggling churches sustain their ministries. Of course, we create procedures to conduct due diligence, operate honorably, and ensure that our partners perform valid work.

TGT: After holding various positions in the Florida General Baptist Convention, you are now running for president. Tell us about your inspiration for your candidacy.

PCJ: My quest for the presidency is centered on a vision. I told my colleagues that I had a mind for the time. I communicated my vision into a five-fold platform: The Person, The Plan, The Purpose, The Person, and The Place. I expressed that I have the results, record, and resume to get this job done. We aim to bring light, life, and liberation to the convention. We will do this by giving God the glory and making the convention greater. I plan to improve the convention, impact the clergy, and, most of all, involve

Christ. My priority will always be evangelism. I want to transform the Christian Education division to become more personal. Third, we will focus on economics because it is key to building society. We will focus on education, economics, and the environment. It is very important that we expand our mission and care for hurting people. Our evangelism will focus on people that are lost, and churches that are lost. If elected, God willing, we will focus on evangelizing across the state. I also want to help strengthen the finances within churches.

Find out more information at www.93rdstreetcmbci.org.

Snapshot of 93rd Street Community Baptist Church

93rd Street Community Baptist Church holds these truths and many others to be precious and dear. Its purpose, however, in providing a handout is not for endless doctrinal disputes but to be a place of ministry and healing for those in need. We want to provide healing and encouragement to the body of Christ at large. What we believe may divide us, but in whom we believe should unite us.

Mission

It is to present the greatest gift, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior to the World. This is an awesome task because Christ instructs it.

Motto

93rd Street Community Baptist church is, “Be Faithful to Become Fruitful”.

Progressive Vision

1) Obey God

2) Is to love thy neighbor as thyself. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, if you keep these two Bible principles, you will be faithful and will become fruitful.

The church’s corporate emphasis is to develop, nurture, and increase divine excellence through Strong worship and glorious celebration of the presence of God’s love and to fellowship with one another.

Anointed teaching and preaching to equip the Body of Christ. Targeted activities for men, women, single adults, and families. Effective and life-changing prayer services.

Vision

“The Church Where the Holy Spirit leads and the Body of Christ Follows.”

VOTE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8TH

by Phyllis Yearick

My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend a week with my husband in Miami, Florida. Mike had been in Florida for five months working for an Internet start-up company. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months, and Kallie missed her dad terribly.

As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. I had noticed a troop of Boy Scouts at the gate and commented to my daughter that if anything happened, we would be OK with all those Scouts on our flight! Little did I know....

Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle. That wasn’t such a big deal, except that Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted on my reading to her the whole way. Trying to read across the aisle would be a challenge.

When the two passengers who shared my row boarded the plane, I asked if they would switch places with Kallie and me, so that we could be together and so that she could sit next to the window. They refused, saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats. Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a panic several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, the whole family had been split up.

The passengers in her row also refused to move elsewhere. The mother could hold her baby, but her 6-year-old son and his older brother had been scattered around the plane. She was very concerned about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody offered to help her.

Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, “Ma’am, I think we can help you.” He then spent five minutes rearranging his group so that adequate space was available for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without complaint, and the mother’s relief was obvious.

Kallie, however, was beginning to panic at the thought of not being next to a window or her mother. I told her that there wasn’t anything I could do; we would have to sit where we were. Amazingly, the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster (not a Scout himself), turned around to me and asked, “Would you and your daughter like our seats?” referring to himself and the Scoutmaster. He said he was cramped in the window seat and would really prefer the aisle. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie’s window seat.

Would that man have offered us his seat if the Scouts hadn’t done so for the mom and her children? I don’t know. But I do know that kindness is contagious, and good deeds beget good deeds!

Enjoy Every Moment Of Your Life

Once a fisherman was sitting near the seashore, relaxing under the shadow of a tree. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and inquired as to why he was sitting under a tree and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.

Hearing this the rich man said: Why don’t you catch more fish instead of sitting around wasting your time?

The Fisherman asked: What would I do by catching more fish?

Businessman: You could catch more fish, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat.

Fisherman: What would I do then?

Businessman: You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fish and earn even more money.

Fisherman: What would I do then?

Businessman: You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money.

Fisherman: What would I do then?

Businessman: You could become a rich businessman like me.

Fisherman: What would I do then?

Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully.

Fisherman: Isn’t that what I am doing now?

Moral -- You don’t need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy your life. You don’t even need to be more rich or more powerful to enjoy life. LIFE is at this very moment. Enjoy it fully.

Wanted to share this special story with you.... Like a lot of things in life, it’s much easier said than done but this is where faith and perseverance comes in.

Once there were three trees on a hill in a woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said “Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.”

Then the second tree said “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”

Finally the third tree said. “I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me..”

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, “This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter.” and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsman said, “I don’t need anything special from my tree so I’ll take this one” and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and women came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said “peace” and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the king of kings in it’s boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

CHURCH DIRECTORY