Entertainment
Akron-Ohio
‘Juwanna Mann’ Star (Miguel A. Nunez) Busted for Shoplifting At Supermarket
The news site reports that the actor was checking out at an L.A. Ralphs supermarket earlier this week when his credit card got declined. He allegedly took his groceries in his cart and headed out without paying.
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Sources told TMZ that Miguel returned to the same Ralphs a few days later, but he wasn't allowed inside since they were aware of what he did the first time he came to shop. Cops were called and Miguel was later placed under citizen's arrest. LAPD eventually showed up and just cited him for misdemeanor shoplifting and let him go home. The news site notes that cops didn’t take him to the station due to the pandemic. Apparently, L.A. cops are not booking or jailing people for minor offenses. However, they still call it an arrest. Now, Miguel did speak with the news site to share his side of the story.
As schools, universities, churches shut down across the nation amid the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, Pastor Creflo Dollar has made clear that the potentially deadly virus is not going to dampen his hustle.
While church attendance is expected to dip due to the quarantines, Dollar has set up a Cash App account to collect tithes from his congregation as they practice “social distancing” by staying home to stall the spread of the CORVID-19, yourblackworld.com reports.
The pastor’s loyal flock are encouraged to wire money to $DollaDollaBillYall, and he has allegedelly warned folks not to use the virus as an excuse for not paying tithes.
“I understand the concerns over coronavirus but those concerns should not interfere with the tithing so I can afford to pay my bills on my mansion, fleet of luxury cars & private jet. If I’m struggling, nobody’s getting into Heaven. So pay your tithes so I can properly shine while spreading the gospel,” he said.
With the limitations of no more than 10 people in large gatherings, we'll be moving to VIRTUAL SERVICES only.
You can tune in via:
1. Facebook
2. Youtube
3. http://WorldChangers.org
4. CDM App
Service times:
Wednesday Bible Study - 7PM
Sunday Worship Experience - 10AM
Meanwhile, the pastor announced Monday (March 18) that he will be hosting virtual church service in an effort to adhere to “social distancing,” writing on Twitter: “With the limitations of no more than 10 people in large gatherings, we’ll be moving to VIRTUAL SERVICES only.”
As reported by CBS News, social distancing is now being enforced throughout the nation, with government officials calling for the shut down of schools, sporting events, Broadway shows, theme parks and all non-essential businesses.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that U.S. and Canada have agreed to close their border to most travel to curb the spread of the virus.
“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!” Trump tweeted.
Babylon, Markets, Preachers and Proclaiming The Biblical Narrative
Something For Sunday
*The Bank of Canada is the latest of the world’s major financial institutions to lower its interest rates; it is reported to be a staggering 0.25%. Hours that preceded this action, the United States Congress passed $ 2 trillion bipartisan legislation to relieve the United States economy from its immediate stresses (This followed the $2 trillion package that was given to 1/10 of 1% of the American plutocracy).
The current stimulus package came as a response to the worldwide coronavirus that has either injured or killed (629, 607 people and counting). What then is an initial response of the Christian church? We hope that our preachers will proclaim the biblical narratives that intersect with our current times. First, we turn to what must be our initial responses.
An initial response is to ignore Donald Trump and the social Darwinism of the Evangelical’s irresponsibility. These zealots are determined to demonstrate their American and White male virility. Their fear; white supremacy is on its last leg. It is scheduled to slip into the rubbish bins of history – good ridden.
This makes Trump’s silent whistle audible. It is more of Trump’s fascist rhetoric. Desperately, he wants to open the American markets around the time that the Western Church will observe Easter Sunday and fill the churches with sycophants who await infections and massive carnage because of their cult of personality (we note that the great Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Egyptian Coptic Church will observe Easter worship on 19 April 2020).
Underneath, Trump is trying to save his failing presidency. His viral hope is the return of a strong economy but that’s not going to happen. The American economy is approaching a massive and historic economic recession. More than likely the American economy has recessed now.
Evangelical leaders gather and pray for President Donald J. Trump
Another initial response is for preachers to struggle with the apocalypse. By that we mean, the distinctive literary form of the book of Revelation and Daniel 7-12. This is the hyperbolic language that prophesies the future; its symbolic language is filled with extended metaphors and similes that provide approximations to what the writer sees but indeed the writer has not worded of any language that will help the readers grasp what is to come. – Nevertheless, preachers in my view should grapple with what appears to be apocalyptic times.
For example, Revelation chapter 18:1-3 can be thought about generally in the following way. Remember the writer is expressing in metaphor about the fall of Babylon. The writer has substituted Babylon for imperialist Rome. The Roman Empire was the world’s sole superpower militarily, politically and economically. But the writer saw its emergent fall:
“Preachers must grapple with eschatological texts and share these texts with their congregations.” Dr. Joseph Evans
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become the dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean detestable beast. For all the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual morality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living (Revelation 18: 2b-3).
When we immediately take notice, the writer confirms that demonic presence and power are real. It is a demonic presence that manifests in multiple forms of uncleanliness which more than likely is a metaphor for unethical and immoral behaviors that have become cultural norms that exist and certainly among the elites – the plutocracy. The writer creates an extended metaphor that points toward illicit power.
Illicit power is the lust for income and wealth. Lust of power has turned the plutocrats symbolically into drunken immoralists. Plutocratic privilege is described as their willingness to prostitute themselves for profit. This is metaphorically expressed as sexual immorality and committed to immorality with Babylon’s power. This describes the undisciplined lust for power. Power is defined here as luxurious living – material wealth. We know this is a metaphor because in verse 3, it begins by telling us that “For all nations (ethnos or people groups) have been drunk by the propaganda. There is no truth in the land.
The writer points toward the nihilistic state of the world; it has fallen because its morals and ethics have fallen. The demonically possessed people are blind because of their lust for power. As long as the markets are producing a profit, the world and its human conditions are not important and no longer noticed.
A final observance, what appears later in chapter 18:11-20 should take preachers several Sundays to exegete, expound and proclaim. In a large and sweeping statement, the merchants’ luxurious living comes to a sudden and immediate end. We characterize this as something that has occurred which has disturbed the market’s profits (for us it is COVID-19). Because the Roman economy intersected and intertwined throughout the world, the nation-state’s collapse was caused by the smaller economies collapsing as well. Briefly, let us grapple with chapter 18:11-13:
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her {Babylon], since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kind of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
The writer describes a world economy that is controlled by a few merchants. We would call this group of people, the one-percenters. What has happened? A complete, debilitating, recession has occurred. We take notice that the merchants have supplies, but apparently there is no longer a supply chain. The prostituted government has failed to keep currencies of value in the hands of the oppressed. Forced human labor (the souls of the slaves) has been exposed. The economy has stopped and the Roman nation-state is not valuable and no longer intimidating without its ability to move its wares through its markets. Alas! Mr. Trump’s Easter bunny and social Darwinism are exposed.
These are inadequate exegetical comments but the larger point; preachers must grapple with eschatological (last things) texts and share these texts with their congregations.
The Bank of Canada has followed the United States’ initial financial response with others coming from its financial institutions. This will not stop the moral bleeding. There is no immediate ending insight. What is certain, serious preachers will rise to deliver some of the strongest sermons that have been delivered in decades.