OUTHSIDESCOOP

Fresh Dew

AlreadyBetter BySis.RickiFuller

800ElmiraAvenue

Durham,NC27707 info@sside.org|www.sside.org

919.688.3535

Staff

OrlanderR.Thomas

SeniorMinister

WilliamA.Stephens

MinisterEmeritus

WileyShearin,Jr.

ElderEmeritus

RickiFuller

Women’sCounselor

CandiceP.Blount

ChurchAdministrator

QuentellaWilliams

ExecutiveAssistant

Deacons

JohnAlcox

AnthnoyGreen,Sr.

ArthurHackney

JohnMathis

ChesterMayfield,Jr.

RogerMcDougal

JoeWilliams

KeithWright

Over the last few years, I have found myself actively contemplating the very meaning of life. Well, to be honest, this thought pattern was openly expressed and asked of my grandmother (Muh) when I was five (5) years old. My questioning her was so intense that one day back in 1955, she responded to me thusly, “you don’t question GOD.”

In essence, Muh was telling me to simply believe and love GOD, to memorize bible verses, to be a good obedient girl, and someday grow up to be a good Christian woman.

Needless to say, while I stopped asking questions out loud, I have pondered and searched these sixty-seven or so years about Who GOD Is and about What GOD’s Plan is for humanity (especially for me). When I asked Muh one rather pointed question about GOD, we were living in a 2-room apartment (I’m just realizing it was an apartment because I’ve always called it a 2-room house) in a ‘community/neighborhood’ full of people who looked like us and were church-goers either at the baptist or African Methodist congregations.

With this partially described back-drop being my point of awareness, it was in September of 2019 that I journaled the following: It occurred to me that while it is the premise on which I was taught from childhood, and on which people have taught and studied for centuries, Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection IS paramount to our salvation [which served to make our lives better]!

However, looking closely at the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Habakkuk, and others where they clearly stated that Immanuel (Jesus Christ) would take on the form of a human being bearing all human sins. This, too, is profound in that Immanuel (GOD with us) inherited (took on and portrayed, characterized) ALL of mankind’s tendencies –essentially Immanuel took on the earthly characteristics of mankind while in the gestation process all the way through the birthing canal into human existence. Holy Spirit GOD could have simply placed Himself here as a fully developed human without going through the actual birthing experience. But that would not have made for a relatable salvation experience for humankind. Jesus experienced ALL points of humanity’s fallen state. Hence, because He was born into our mess, He experienced the hurts, disappointments, fears, degradation -you name it- He experienced it/them. Because of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ’s birth and life into the world scene as particularly depicted in Hebrews 4:14-16, we and the people of the world can unequivocally trust and say that our lives are already better, and consistently getting better! This declared better-ness is due to the birth, the living, the ministering and teaching, the beating, the death, the burial, the resurrection, and the re-entry into heaven of The Lord Jesus Christ!

So, go on and ponder our Father GOD, our Savior Jesus Christ, and our Ever-Present Holy Spirit so that we all may honestly and determinedly reverence GOD and serve one another with love and respect!