In-Justice

When you hear the word injustice, what comes to mind? Maybe, it is one of two words: wrong or unfair. And to be honest that would be the correct view… Injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one’s rights. It is unfair when an employee is mistreated at work, or when a child is being robbed of their youth. Injustice even shows up when a person is denied or withheld the right to change. You may be wondering why I put a dash between in-justice. The answer is this: as you learn to walk in justice you begin to bridge the gap between those who have been hurt and those who want to help the hurting. It has been said that hurt people, hurt people. But we have a choice to break that way of thinking if we choose to do so. I am currently speaking as an inmate in the “Department of Corrections: more like the “Department of Corruption”. Those who are in leadership positions need to be led in order to know how to lead. Prison is not supposed to be a place that they stack bodies, and call it being corrected: That is actually inhumane. We are supposed to be taught discipline and values of good citizenship. It is unfair to the taxpayer whose taxes are used to fund the housing of inmates. Being wasted, but also to the inmates who are being denied the help that they need. There is a fact of equality that everyone seems to forget about: everyone has a voice, and that fact needs to be recognized. When I came to prison I lost some rights, no doubt; bit I did not lose the right to become a better person or the right help others become better themselves… If we, as humanity, do not get on the same page a lot of people will suffer due to poor leadership. I have a question for you. Do you want to see the world and the people in it change? Then become a better person yourself. We need to stop being a part of the problem and become a solution to the problem.  Freedom is a state of mind. I am only bringing awareness that we all need change in our lives. If we really want to see change. The Department of Corrections creed is “We change lives”, The question is are they being changed for the better or the worse?

A LEADER MUST GIVE UP IN ORDER TO GO UP. ARE YOU GOING TO BE THAT LEADER?

WHAT MEN GO GHROUGH

I want you to think about what you have gone through as a man. Maybe it is abandonment, fear or some other feeling or emotion that you have picked up along the way. However, that is not the real you. Please, do not let the separation from your family be the cause of you becoming a product of your environment. Rise above the label and chains that have been placed on you and live free. Choosing to be different is your choice and it’s one that we all need to consider. Your experience has made you stronger.

Respect

The word respect is often used, but very rarely honored. What do I mean you may ask? The society we live in says, “Respect me and my wishes”, however, many times respect seems to be only a one way street.

That understanding, clearly, goes against the order in which we were created to follow. Becoming a person others want to respect brings the understanding that respect is earned and given. If you want others to respect you, then become a respectable person. I would like to ask a question, who should be respected more, the person who goes to work 8-5 every day, or the inmate who dedicates his time rehabilitating his life every day?

What if I told you that they both had struggles in life, would your view change? The problem is we want change, but we do not want to be part of that change. That is selfish and unfruitful. Remember if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re possibly part of the problem.

When a community comes together, they get stronger. When a Nation comes together, they become wiser. As John C. Maxwell says: “people naturally follow leaders stronger then themselves.” To lead requires a certain level of respect.

You will not get very far demanding something that you, yourself refuse to give. For once listen to the screams for justice… they are in the streets. They’re in the Governmental offices. They are even in the prison system. If you listen to the whispers, you will not have to listen to the screams. You do not have to remain silent, but if you choose to, then God will use somebody else.

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO ANY PLACE WORTH GOING… BEVERLY SILLS

RISE UP…NOW IS THE TIME THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND BE THE PERSON THAT WE ARE CREATED TO BE. WHEN YOU STAND IN SILENCE, YOU ARE NOT USING YOUR VOICE THAT COULD HELP CHANGE THE WORLD. ONE PERSON AT A TIME, ONE MOMENT AT A TIME, RIGHT? YOU KNOW WHAT IS BETTER THAN A VOICE? A BODY DEDICATED TO ACTION. YOU HAVE A CHOICE THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, EITHER HELP CREATE CHANGE, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET OTHERS CREATE CHANGE. TO STAND BY AND WATCH WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING IS TOTALLY WRONG. BE A CHANGE AGENT TODAY.

The Tree of Knowledge of good and Evil.  

All scripture taken from New King James Version. 

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The tree. Whose fruit ruined humanity. The tree that scholars have been studying for thousands of years. What is this tree, and why is it so important? 

Genesis 2:9. States “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In the midst of the Garden of Eden, God’s paradise for humanity, set two trees. No one knows what they looked like or how tall they were, but we do know the purpose they served and that one was special. 

 Genesis 2: 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die 

That tree was restricted because eating of it would bring about death. It was the most important first and only command God gives before the fall. This order brought the possibility of sin into God’s creation. 

It wasn’t the tree itself that had held any power. It was what God said about the tree that changed its nature entirely.

God had a knowledge of sin. He knew what sin was. How could he judge sin without knowing what it is? How could he make a sinless world if he didn’t know the definition of sin? 

This does not mean. God is sinful. 1John 1:5 (NKJV). Clearly claims This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 

How can a holy and absolutely sinless God have knowledge of sin? I must admit that I have no idea. I personally don’t think the human conscience can begin to comprehend the mind of an omniscient being like our God. The finite is simply unable to understand the infinite. 

 I want to make a distinction between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:22 says Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

Two trees in the midst of the garden, one which eating of it brought life: Eternal life. The other sin and death. The choice was there for Adam and Eve to make. When God created a being outside of himself with the ability to make its own choices. The possibility of sin immediately entered in.

This tree represented that possibility. It was like the Pandora’s box of the Bible. It was the doorway into an utterly different world. The rise and fall of humankind were based singly on their decision concerning this tree.

What made the tree that way? Was it created like that? No. Before God banned us of eating from that tree it was just an ordinary tree, the Bible says it was even good for food in Genesis 3:6.

In fact, let’s go over that verse because it reveals some very interesting aspects about this tree. Genesis 3:6 reads “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree desirable to make one wise. “let’s stop right there. Three aspects of the tree are named here. Let’s take a look at the first one. It was good for food. What does that mean? How could one know that something is good for food without eating it first? The Hebrew word for God, [H3978] ma’ăḵāl can also mean fruit[i]. Therefore, this could simply mean that she saw it bear fruit. Eve had eaten plenty of fruit before and the presence of fruit in the tree would have meant to her that it was good for food.

Next it was pleasant to the eyes. This was a beautiful tree. it looked amazing. Its leaves were a healthy green and its fruit was plump and ripe. I like to think of it as a tall, majestic tree with delicious looking fruit dotting it. When Eve beheld it, it enticed her.

Lastly, it was desirable to make one wise. I believe this was just a presupposition of Eve. Like I said earlier, the tree had no power. Eve simply assumed because of Satan’s lie that the tree would make her wise. If Eve had known what would happen after she ate of that tree, I believe she never would have done it

In the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were murder, rape, war, hatred, jealousy, and strife. Sin and separation from God were held in this Pandora’s box and Eves one decision unleashed it upon the world

This tree symbolized something that is still prevalent in the lives of every believer today. A decision against God is an enticing object which is luring us away from our Lord. I’m sure you have one in your life, so do I. We all have one.

It may be a beautiful lady who lives next door to you. It might be your friend’s new phone or the cigarette in your momma’s purse.

They are pleasant to our eyes, desirable, enticing but we must remember that they are forbidden.

Watch out for this tree. Every day you encounter it. It stands before you in all its splendor and the enemy whispers in your ear to take partake of its fruit. Do not listen to him, remember what God has said and steer clear. The fruit may seem great but will only bring death.

[i] Outline of Biblical Usage: food, fruit, meat