Pastor C. B. Ming was born in Portland Jamaica. He received an associate degree in pastoral administration from Northern Caribbean University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in pastoral ministry from Oakwood University with an emphassis in biblical language. In 2007, Pastor Ming was the distinguished recipient of the C. D. Brooks Evangelism Award and the C. E. Mosley Homiletics Award at Oakwood University. He has served as the president of a community college in the West Indies where he also taught English Language, Principles of Business, Office Procedures and Business Management. Caffin Avenue International Seventh-Day Adventist Church has been blessed to have him as pastor since 2008,
My brother and my sister, we need to keep before us the example of Christ's perfection. In our endeavor to represent the truth for this time to the world, we shall meet with many difficulties, but, if we keep the heart and mind fixed upon the precious Savior, if we talk of his love and power, the perplexities will pass away, and we shall become happy in the assurance of a Savior's love. We must obtain that measure of the grace of Christ that will enable us to dwell together in love and unity in this life, else we can never dwell together in the life to come. We are God's children, by Spiritual adoption we become His sons and daughters, living in conformity to His will to represent Him in life and character. Do not allow anything to turn you aside from the path of self-denial. Let us aim at perfect conformity to the will of God which leads to eternal life. So in the exhortation of Paul, "Let us press on towards the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ" (Phil.3:13,14 ASV).
Redemption for Jew and Gentile
“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth” (Romans 9:18).
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. . . . For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy . . . and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom. 9:13, 15).
What is Paul talking about here? What about human free will, and the freedom to choose, without which very little of what we believe makes sense? Are we not free to choose or reject God, or are these verses teaching that certain people are elected to be saved and others to be lost, regardless of their own personal choices?
The answer is found, as usual, by looking at the bigger picture of what Paul is saying. Paul is following a line of argument in which he attempts to show God’s right to pick those whom He will use as His “elected” ones. After all, God is the One who carries the ultimate responsibility of evangelizing the world. Therefore, why can He not choose as His agents whomever He wills? So long as God cuts no one off from the opportunity of salvation, such an action on God’s part is not contrary to the principles of free will. Even more important, it’s not contrary to the great truth that Christ died for all humans, and His desire is that everyone have salvation.
As long as we remember that Romans 9 is not dealing with the personal salvation of those it names but with their call to do a certain work, the chapter presents no difficulties.
PRAYER EMPHASIS
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(Heb 13:20,21 KJV)
When you come together for worship and to seek the Lord, it should be your one aim to honor Him whose requirements are all equal and just. His will, declared to you in His word, is to be carried out to the letter. The rule of righteousness revealed in the lives of His professing people is to make them conspicuous. We are to live with an eye single to the glory of God, ever seeking to be Christians in every sense of the word.
$86,400
Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private bank account for your own use. However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.
The first set of rules would be:
1) Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
2) You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it.
3) Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.
The second set of rules:
1) The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say,"It's over, the game is over!"
2) It can close the account in an instant and you will not receive a new one.
What would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people in your life, right? Maybe even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself and the people in your life, right? You would try to spend every single cent, and use it all up every day, right?
Actually, this game is a reality, but not with money!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just don't seem to see it.
The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken and receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when the day is done, any remaining time is gone and NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up to that day is lost forever. Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the magical bank can dissolve our account at any time....WITHOUT WARNING.
SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Think about that, and always think of this: Enjoy every second of your life, because time Races by so much quicker than we think. Take good care of yourself, and enjoy life. Live each day to the fullest, be KIND to one another, and be FORGIVING. Harbor a Positive (+)Attitude and Always be the First to Smile.
Does God still speak to people?
A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'.
After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'
As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.
But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.
'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .... At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.'
He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.
Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.
'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid..' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.
Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for some thing, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.
The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt.... He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway..
Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying.. The man had tears streaming down his face.
The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying .. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.'
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some.. Are you an Angel?'
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
Pastor Carl B Ming 
