No Cross No Crown: Remarkable Testimonies of Faith in God During Unfathomable Crises

Copyright © 2015 Glenn Dowell.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-2763-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-2764-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-2765-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015902601

Balboa Press rev. date: 03/24/2015

CONTENTS

Biographical Sketch

Acknowledgements

Is God Trying To Tell You Something?

Chapter 1:    A Father’s Testimony Results In Death Sentence For Son

Chapter 2:    Imitation Of Life Sometimes Very Real

Chapter 3:    My Friend’s Death: A Case For Demon Possession, Or Just Plain Mental Illness

Chapter 4:    The Compliant Child: Sometimes The Harbinger Of Unexpected Sadness

Chapter 5:    Blasphemy Can Have Dangerous Consequences

Chapter 6:    A Merchant Of Death Leaves Legacy Of Peace And Goodwill For Generations To Come

Chapter 7:    Is Homosexuality Wrong? What Does The Bible Actually Say?

Chapter 8:    Death And Dying-Still A Mystery

Chapter 9:    Is God Trying To Tell You Something?

Chapter 10:    A Man Who Would Become The 20Th Century Anti-Christ? You Be The Judge!

Chapter 11:    Nothing Shall Separate Me From The Love Of God

Chapter 12:    A Tribute To The Greatest Parents Children Could Call Mama And Daddy

Which Story Did You Like?

Reference List

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Glenn Dowell…..

Attended historically black colleges and universities, including the University of Legon in Ghana, West Africa. Spent three years living in the country studying African Religion and Philosophy. A Doctorate Degree in Supervision/Leadership.

On return from Ghana, taught at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. After leaving Texas, worked as the Acting Director of International Affairs for the City of Atlanta. Responsibilities included pairing foreign business interests with those of metro-Atlanta businesses. The visits of foreign Presidents and Ambassadors to Atlanta were also a major responsibility of the office.

Former administrator with the Atlanta Board of Education in Atlanta, Georgia.

Guest appearances on major broadcast media on the local and national level, including programs such as the Oprah Winfrey Show (program discussion was on the issue of corporal punishment).

Moderator for documentary titled, VIOLENT MINDS-VIOLENT TIMES. The documentary was about kids who kill and included metro-area experts from Emory University, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), State of Georgia-Department of Juvenile Justice, and other experts. The documentary was nominated for a Cable Ace Award with HBO.

Expert witness, California General Assembly, preventing passage of infamous Paddling Legislation (AB 150 x) proposed by former Assemblyman, Mickey Conroy. If the legislation had passed, courts would have been allowed by the State to paddle juvenile offenders for graffiti violations.

Lecturer, speaker on major campuses such as Temple University, Washington University, Kent State, and other major institution in the United States. Topics have included Cultural Diversity, Race Relations, and African Religion and Philosophy, and most recently, Police Misconduct- A Cause for National Concern.

A writer-articles have appeared in major newspapers including the Atlanta Constitution, most recently an OP-ED piece for Focus News Daily (Texas), titled, Beverly Hall- A Classic Case of Moral Turpitude

An author-Back to Africa For African-American: Is it Possible? The book is actual research that investigated African/ African –Americans relations during stay in Ghana. Currently, a Lecturer/ Researcher, residing in Clayton County, Georgia.

Single parent of three children, Araba, a daughter, a Public Relations Expert and two sons: Yoofi and Paakodwo, both Educators. Interests include motorcycling, reading, people watching, and exploring the awesome power of Faith to heal and provide solace in crisis situations.

CURRENT EXPLORATION: A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD-ONE STEP AT A TIME.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is dedicated to my parents, EF and Earnestine Dowell. They were a hard working couple who raised me and my four other siblings in La Grange, Georgia, 70 miles south of Atlanta.

My father worked for more than 50 years in a cotton mill and my mother’s job was to oversee the awesome responsibility of taking care of the children. They worked as a team until she died much too young at the age of 68. Her death was my before and after moment in life. I say this, because I was never the same after her death.

I am proud to have been born to such great parents and siblings. One sibling, Jeanette, wrote the prayer to one of the stories. Even though we lived a segregated existence, we survived. Our faith in God was the cornerstone of our lives. In fact, the church was right next door to our home, resulting in each time there was a service-as children-we were required to be in attendance. I complained then, but I now wish for those days when life was much more simpler.

On another note, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge with deep appreciation, my thanks to Ms. Jeannette Livingston, former Site Manager for the Youth Empowerment Project, Inc., of Clayton County, Georgia for formatting and editing this book during the initial stages for publication. I also thank God for his divine spirit, reminding me along the way that I should complete this work which I hope will positively impact others to understand that no matter how great the challenge they are currently facing: HAVE FAITH THAT A BETTER DAY IS COMING. COMPLETING THIS BOOK WAS MY PROMISE TO GOD.

***********THE BEGINNING**************

IS GOD TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING?

Some among us believe that God in his own unique way has destined us to do something great in life. In fact, I often hear preachers talk about being called to become a servant of the Lord and to preach His word. Some even say that He speaks to them regularly, preventing them from making unwise decisions, even guiding them to do great things in His name.

In one of the stories listed herein, I am reminded of Nat Turner, slave and later insurrectionist, who prayed to God incessantly to give him a sign that he should personally lead a rebellion against the institution of slavery. As a point of reference, Turner’s family, as it were, truly believed that he was strange and that God did ordain him to do important things in life.

BUT WHAT?

Believing in signs and hearing divine voices, after an intense period of praying, reading the Bible, and fasting, Turner received, in his mind, what he wanted. Perceiving the natural occurrence of a solar eclipse, which took place in February, 1831 as a sign for him to avenge the sins of slavery, Turner acted. After organizing his troops, on August 21, 1831, he led a violent rebellion, which resulted in the loss of life to more than 55 people, which included slave owners, their wives and children. Afterward, he was actually able to evade his captors for over a month. The chaos ended with his death in a town called, of all places, Jerusalem, Virginia.

DID GOD CALL HIM? YOU BE THE JUDGE.

I do believe that God talks to us. I am afraid, however, that in too many instances we are unable to interpret or understand His communications to our spirits. I believe that any of us are potential vessels which God can use for His divine purposes. I also believe that in some instances He communicates in His own way to let us know that no matter what we are going through, if we place our faith in Him, everything will be all right.

This was certainly the case pertaining to a