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[Silence] [Music] ♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ Gave to man and the child ♪

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♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ And He knew all the love He had for me ♪ ♪ And I will trust Him ♪ ♪ As a friend ♪

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♪ Jesus is ♪ ♪ Come ♪ ♪ This the day we besought ♪ ♪ Heaven's love ♪

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♪ That our people ♪ ♪ Have the grace ♪ ♪ To be ♪ ♪ Mercies of God ♪

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♪ Jesus is ♪ ♪ Heaven's Lamb ♪ ♪ He's love of me ♪ ♪ Love me now ♪

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♪ Love me now ♪ ♪ Lord and Father ♪ ♪ When we shout the glory ♪ ♪ To the clouds ♪

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♪ Oh, to the clouds ♪ ♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ Came to earth as a child ♪

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♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ Heaven's love ♪ ♪ And he knew all the love ♪ ♪ He has come, O God ♪

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♪ And the Christ will be ♪ ♪ That the world ♪ ♪ Will see ♪ ♪ His blood ♪

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♪ His blood ♪ ♪ Is the living ♪ ♪ His blood ♪ ♪ Is the living ♪

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♪ His blood ♪ ♪ Will appear ♪ ♪ The new ♪ [Music]

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on a parable which is recorded in the Gospel according to Mark as well as the Gospel according to Luke. And I shall read both versions of it. About that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor sun, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come.

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It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants to work and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come. in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else

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he will find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say you, I say to all, keep awake. Are those who are ready? If I were to make a single recommendation to persons facing the challenge of this hour, the challenge that involves crises,

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conflicts, controversies, it would be this word, "Be ready." "Blessed are those who are ready." We say a great deal today about reading readiness, learning readiness, but I'm talking about a readiness that is deeper than that. And Sanford and son, Sanford always talked about himself as being "Ready

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Freddy," but I'm talking about a different kind of readiness than what he was talking about. I'm talking about readiness by which we are prepared for the unexpected, readiness by which we are prepared for any eventuality. Ninety-five years ago, seven African-American students at Cornell University took being ready seriously. I don't have to spend a great

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deal of time. You ask what they did, I'm glad you asked. They faced what most minority students face in a predominantly white, large university. Social activities, this has been referred to earlier. Your recitation in class, you're the only one in class.

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And your answer, you feel, if it's not right that the whole burden of the race is on your shoulders. And usually you don't feel at home in the social events. And they not only recognized this,

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but they were ready to do something about it. So they studied together. They formed sort of a study group. And they united their efforts because they wanted to survive

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and to be not only survivors, but to be victorious. And so they organized alpha by alpha. It became the oldest, the first and oldest of our Greek fraternities. And these seven were given the title of "Jewels."

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primary emphasis was upon manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind. Those are some good ideals, not only for that day, but for this day and every day. So we've come a long way toward recognizing equality of the sexes. The Taliban required women to hide their faces

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behind a veil and walk behind the men. Back in that early period, most of our parents wanted to educate the girls and let the boys work on the fields.

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And we as men have come a long way toward sort of equaling the number of men in college we have women. We've come a long way. Overcoming barriers at Cornell, rising beyond prejudice and discrimination, this is what

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was done. The fraternity has grown from a tiny acorn to a Mighty Oak, embracing successful projects in economic development and empowerment, education, business, housing, voting, and politics. So the roll call of Alpha Phi Alpha Men is a list that demonstrates readiness in facing

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the challenge of the times. Some of those persons that are included in this group include the former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, Mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown, Danny Davis, who's a Congressman, former New York

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City Mayor David Dinkins, W.E.B. Du Bois, on and on the list goes. William Gray, President of Langston University, Halloway. It's a list that goes on and on. I won't try to list

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them all. But let me say a word about what Jesus says concerning being ready. During these days when we celebrate Advent, we recognize the value and the rewards of being ready for any challenge. The man who recently climbed the Himalayas was asked, "Why did he take this risk involving

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the risk of limb and life in order to climb that mountain? Why did you do it?" was asked and he said because it's there because it's there so we wait to achieve the impossible but many times we are not ready and so this is why it's

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important that we focus on readiness being ready a young man applied for a job and he came back and complained to a very militant organization that he was being discriminated against. And they asked him, "What job did you apply for?" He said, "A radio announcer." He applied, but he was not ready. He was not ready. Some servants are faithful, but some

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He was not ready. Some servants are faithful But they are not wise. This is a parable that is addressed to servants who are

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wise and faithful Some are faithful and are not wise some are wise and not faithful But this is addressed to the wise and the faithful This is a story Jesus tells

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on his last journey to Jerusalem. And we're all on a journey. At what point we are on our journey, each one may determine, but we are all on a journey.

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And this story provides meaning and guidance on our journey. In this story, one servant is in charge. He has the responsibility to oversee his Lord's property and personnel. But if he mistreats the servants, if he spends his time in a carefree existence, eating and

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drinking and making merry, when the Master comes at an unexpected moment and finds him Failing to do what he was ordered to do, he punishes him severely. So, let's just take a moment to look at the founders, these seven jewels, to understand why these seven were jewels in a special kind of way.

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Seven, precious achievements belong to them. Their lives are decorated with success. Henry Arthur Collis, who became a practicing physician and professor of medicine at Howard University.

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Charles Henry Chapman, who became professor of agriculture of what is now known as Florida A&M University. Eugene Kinkle Jones, who became the first executive secretary of the National Urban League

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and served for 20 years. George Biddle Kelly, who became the first African American engineer registered in the state of New York.

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Nathaniel Allison Murray, after completing his undergraduate studies at Cornell University, he taught in the public schools of Washington, D.C. Robert Harold Ogle became a professional staff member of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee. and Vertner Woodson Tandy became New York's first registered African-American architect.

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These men were dressed for action. They were not there for a fashion show. They were ready. They were dressed for action. So, "Blessed are those who prepare and who are ready for action."

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So, it is for all of us as we meditate upon the meaning of this season to be prepared. We seek to develop in the young a passion for education. We have a passion in sports, but we've got to get a passion for education. And don't expect others to do that for us.

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Don't expect. I talked to a friend the other day and they were talking about having a company to come down from the east to take over our schools to teach our children. We can teach our children.

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We don't have to send up to the north or the east or wherever it is. We have made it thus far. Frederick Douglass did it without even having a teacher that was there. And fighting against overwhelming odds, he developed to the point he could speak in almost

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flawless English. We can do it. Be ready is what we must have in our bones that this is what we will do and we can make things happen.

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Don't expect, don't expect. One school official said to me in the struggle for integration, he said, "You're not going to get integration." He said, "Don't expect it."

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He said, "You want mixing of bodies?" said, "That's all you'll get. You won't get any education." So we must have the burning for learning. And this is what this fraternity represents, but it must go beyond this fraternity. W.E.B. Du Bois talked about having the tenth of the race, the tenth, that upper group.

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we must be filled with missionary zeal to educate all of our people. That's what this country is all about. And so we must be found faithful in that, not only wise, but faithful. As we look at the challenge that we face, the time is short, and we

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must not sleep. Let us be up and doing. Time is running out. Watch, wait, be alert. The time is running out. The Lord is coming back. The faithful and wise servant must give an account of his time and his work. Be dressed and ready. The

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Lord is coming. Listen to the chariot wheels in the distance. The Lord is coming. Listen to the sound of the trumpets. The Lord is coming. And it is for us to be ready. To be ready, yes, to be ready to meet him when he comes. And to be ready is to be

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faithful servants seeking to overcome the miseducation of African-Americans, seeking to overcome many of those back-dragging forces that we confront every day. To be ready is to somehow give ourselves in pursuit of excellence, in pursuit of that which is highest and best, those ideals that are good, noble,

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and true. We must be ready. This is what Jesus said to his disciples during those final days in his life, and this is the Word I believe he would have us hear today in this wonderful time to be ready, to be ready for every challenge, to be

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ready. He's coming. He's coming. The time is running out. Be ready. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightning of his

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powerful swift sword. His truth is marching on. Glory, glory, Hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. His truth is marching on. And I--I want to be like my ancestors. I want to be ready. You should be ready.

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Prepare now. This is the time to be ready, to be in that processional. And you can shout, "Glory, glory, hallelujah." His truth is marching on because somehow we put ourselves in that grand processional and march on, giving thanks to God for the

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opportunity to be ready servants, ready to serve Him now, ready to serve Him in the after a while. As we sing, "Lord, I want to be a Christian," we extend the privilege of the The door of the church is open for those who would join with the family of God here at

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Ebenezer. We invite you to come. It's an open door. You may come by letter, by Christian experience, or on professional faith as we sing, "Lord,

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I Want to be a Christian." [music] Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart. (In my heart.)

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In my heart. (In my heart.) In my heart, Lord, I walk to be a Christian, in my heart. Lord, I walk to be a Christian, in my heart. In my heart, in my heart, for I want to be more loving in my heart.

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♪ In my heart, in my heart ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪ ♪ Lord, I want to be more loving ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪

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♪ Lord, I want to be holy ♪ ♪ In my heart, in my heart ♪ ♪ Lord, I want to be holy ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪

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♪ In my heart, in my heart ♪ ♪ In my heart, Lord, I want to be more loving ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪

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♪ Oh ♪ ♪ In my heart ♪ ♪ For I want you to be in my heart ♪ in my heart. Amen.

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Oh my... [BLANK_AUDIO]