Taking Up the Cross of Kristos

Greetings Dawtas of Ithiopia,

I just want to give a little strength and encouragement for the daily trod. I know sometimes it can be hard to just be RasTafari, even though you already know and live RasTafari. Sometimes external forces rise up and try to shake your hola foundation. These are tests of faith that must be met with diligence, truth and love for JAH and right. They are part of taking up the Cross of JAH RasTafari, to live and walk as Kristos lived and walked.

Sighting RasTafari is not an easy trod, it is filled with ups and down, round-abouts, doubts and uneasiness. But one thing that cannot be compromised in all those ups and downs, is the truth and the mission of I and I. No matter what each individual Ras experiences, JAH RasTafari remains the same. Because of that, only the Lioness-hearted can serve the reality of RasTafari livity as it comes with its knocks and prejudices, only true faith in JAH can see a Dawta through.

Not only is it hard just to accept JAH and Kristos in flesh and to change one’s life to reflect that awakening in the Word or Law; but it is hard to maintain old relationships that do not support the new change of mind and heart – the learned wisdom and overstanding of JAH. Wisdom requires one to act justly and correctly, to shun abomination and evil. The reality is that in Sighting up, every Ras develops new thoughts, new viewpoints, a new way of carrying on and living – the Personality of JAH is consciously received and reflected. That means that who you used to be in your Babylonian life is old and dead, and therefore the kind of relationship you had with others change also.

It ends up that in trodding Fari the biggest fight comes from those closest to you who showcase more resentment than the average curiosity of strangers. Most times it is just their own ignorance of the truth and their inability to see the benefits in shunning certain traditions for better ones – the list goes on. Their resentment stems from the fact that your new principles mean that you refuse them things you never did before – the change from their side of things is therefore unwelcomed. They want things to be how they were, for you to remain how you always have been. They don’t want to hear the better way to do it, or the better way to live, or think. The life they live has worked thus far and they have no intentions to change it unless it’s to gain more money to achieve more Babylonian things of course. Your not wanting to live how you were raised becomes an insult to them. Some Rases are thrown out of their home because they refuse to honour their family’s way of life.

But of course it is not to discount that there are those true loved ones that through their own spirituality will see the benefits and welcome the changes of righteousness. Educating yourself on JAH and knowing the Word will keep you strong and able to defend yourself against the ignorance and hate of others. People can raspect you even if they don't agree or like what you say. RasTafari involves learning the art of tact, and to be diplomatic with Wisdom and JAH is as King of Kings and Empress. Every Ras should try to overstand that many people don’t overstand JAH, Krist or the ways of Krist even if they claim a religion. They put themselves and their traditions above truth and right. They are really not concerned with who or how JAH is, because the idea of JAH is an “after-death” revelation and occasion. Hearing the Order Rastafari brings is an offence because they prefer the pleasures of ignorance. But because it’s tradition doesn’t make it right.

So it is not your job as Fari to worry about the knick-pickers too much – it is your job to study your own personal righteousness and trod. It is up to them also, to do what is right or not. Once you yourself learn right however, to go back on it would only make you yourself the fool. It is your job to maintain positivity and love in spite of the new differences that develop between you – to think “What Would JAH Do?” It is simpler to reach a cordial impasse with the more difficult personalities, than to give up on your Calling because of others. Though we love our family and friends, they cannot live our lives for us, every individual is responsible for their own internal state of consciousness, their own salvation from tribulation, sin and evil. And at the day of transition or “judgment”, no one can stand up and account for your deeds and misdeeds but yourself. No one can argue on behalf of your heart and motives, your choices but you. Sometimes it is even better to ask yourself who really would sacrifice their own soul for you? It is simpler to leave them to their own devices and to focus on doing better yourself. It is wiser to share love with them in spite of their bad attitudes, and hope that they too will have a change of heart.

Yesus Kristos was one that said that being Nazirene, or hola, meant not going back to the old ways, to live a life that is different from the life you had before. New Jerusalem couldn’t be like the old Jerusalem, could it? He said it was necessary for all followers to lose their current identities, their livelihoods, their families, their former occupations, so that they could truly gain Life. They had to do better works than before, that they could gain all the fruits of the Irit. What the Nazirene would receive for dying and being reborn in baptism or Iritual resurrection would be tenfold over what was lost.

Do you feel me? RasTafari is all about giving up the old robe, the old body, the old brainwashed mind for the Ithiopian New Jahrusalem. The Dread symbolizes renewal and movement out of the wrong into the right. Bob Marley’s Exodus is one of my favourites because He is giving I and I this same message, check the verses:

Many people will fight ya down
When ya see Jah light.
Let me tell you if you're not wrong; Everything is all right.
So we gonna walk - all right! - through de roads of creation:
We the generation trod through great tribulation.

Open your eyes and look within:
Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
We know where we're going, uh!
We know where we're from.
We're leaving Babylon,
We're going to our Father land.

Jah come to break downpression,
Rule equality,
Wipe away transgression,
Set the captives free.

Taking up the cross of RasTafari therefore means taking up the Cross of Kristos, of JAH, to suffer as He suffered, to love as He loved perfectly, to do justice as He does. That means to leave off:

Ignorance for truth

Hate for love

War and hate for peace

Vanity for goodwill

Sin for righteousness

Injustice for justice

Babylon for Zion

The past life for new life in Kristos

The old habits for Ivine Livity -way of life


JAH gives I and I Rastafari many blessings in our Livity: healthy bodies, children, loving relationships with man and nature, a deep fulfilling creative talent, contentment in I-Self and Identity. Let no one extinguish the Light of JAH within beloved Sistren.

Blessed Love

Sis. Ila

The Way of the Anointed One

Selamta!

Today I offer some of my words which support the importance of truly knowing what you stand for, as an Anointed Dreadlocked RasTafari Daughter and Empress, as a Virtuous Daughter of King Sela and Queen Omega Ityopya. This post is ideally a forerunner of the Queen Omega Livity Principles because it discusses the New Testament Scriptures which would have been the same Iritual literature taught to Empress Menen as She was growing up. The Way of the Anointed, the Way of the Nazirene, Christian, Saint, such are the guidelines that She would have been taught to encourage a strong moral character. Have you ever thought about what Scripture impacted on the making of the Queenly Character of Krist? Of course it is relevant for the King-Man also, do share it with him and your children.

Biblical  Explanations  of The Ways  of  the Kristos and Nazirene 

         

          There are parts of Biblical Scripture that I and I can Iditate on daily to define and advise upon the God-Self, and the way that flesh must abide if to have the blessings and power of JAH through the Kristos Irit upon the nation. By considering the Gospels of the Apostles as a whole body of work based on One Message; it is apparent that there is a Defined Type of Personality to embrace and meditate upon so that the God-Head may enlighten and become a part of self. Yesus constantly talked about the Ways to the Father through Him, that Isra’el should follow Him and His teachings to gain redemption and everliving life. In many ways that will not be mentioned here, RasTafari is like the Israelites of the Ible who according to the prophecy of Hosea, would appoint over themselves one leader in order to be liberated from tribulation and captivity.

          Within RasTafari it is also necessary to pay attention to the Personality of Krist (Kristos, Christ, Messiah means “Anointed One”), what I call I-Consciousness or Kristos Consciousness. In layman terms RasTafari call it “Krist in His Kingly Character.” Who is JAH? Who is the Almighty? Who is the Man-Ifestation, the Anointed King of Kings? Who joined His pregnant Wife to His Throne in the same anointing and coronation ceremony to bring back into reign the true trinity of Black Mother, Father and Child? What Would JAH Do? Everything JAH is as Husband, King, Prophet, Priest, Father and Afrikan is of course mirrored in the Emperor’s Wife, Krist in Her Queenly Character, the Afrikan Mother, Queen, Daughter, Wife, Patroness, Priestess.

          But when it comes down to it, and focusing solely on the name, RasTafari, the Movement is not only about being pro-Afrika, or exalting Emperor Haile Sellassie or Empress Menen with flattering words and Ises. No, RasTafari goes beyond the praises of The Man and Wombman, the God-King and Goddess into deep personal accountability. Finding the Queen and King within, the Image and Likeness of Kristos. To be Images of the Supreme King and Queen that gave us back our identity, our will to live right and our place in our homeland. Holy King Sela and Queen Omega I provoke us all to look at ourselves, to see illumination and enlightenment within and to take up a cross and walk on the Path of Righteousness with fear and love of the Almighty Creator. “Do as I do, live as I live.” Isn’t that the plee of Kristos?

          Like a Nazirene in following the Word of Yesus Kristos, to call oneself after the Name of the King and Queen of Kings I and I must be pro-right and clean, loving, honest, fruitful, hard-working and selfless. Our whole point is to be as JAH Rastafari Alpha and Omega are: to be loving, giving, unblemished and sanctified inside and out. Every aspect of Their lives whether Iritual, church or family-related, economic, educational, humanitarian or political, hold important lessons that I and I can learn from, and see the Presence of JAH in Them, as They reflected ideally what was said about the God-Chosen in both Old and New Testaments of the Ible.

          The Holy Identity of those reborn in the Irit of the Kristos is about the inner man/wombman, and genuinely doing the things that pure-hearted do. Such instruction is mainly laid out in the New Testament, but there are Old Testament references also such as Exodus 20 and 31, Leviticus 18-20, The Books of Proverbs, Psalms and Ecclesiastes.

         The following selection of chapter and verse make up what can be gleaned from the New Testament as instruction on The Way of Kristos or the Nazirene. This list does not include the Nazirite Vow, or marriage guidelines which were covered in Virtuous Woman. The common themes of the Apostles of course focus on highlighting the important steps Nazirenes should take to God-likeness of Kristos-Consciousness: faith, virtue, knowledge, gentleness and humility, honesty, endurance, patience, love and kindness, repentance or turning away from sins, and obedience to the law.

Then [Krist] said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

Not Carnality but Krist

If then you were raised with Krist, seek those things which are above, where Krist is, sitting at the right hand of JAH. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Krist in JAH. When Krist who is our life appears, then you also will appear with HIM in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of JAH is coming upon the sons [and daughters] of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Krist is all and in all.

Character of the New Man [Wombman]

Therefore, as the elect of JAH, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Krist forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of JAH rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Krist dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to JAH the Father through Him.

(Colossians 3:1-18)

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of [JAH RasTafari] as dear children. And walk in love, as Krist also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to JAH for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Krist and [Jahovah JAH RasTafari].

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of JAH comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Walk in Light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the [Irit] is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Krist will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to JAH the Father in the name of our Lord Yesus Kristos, submitting to one another in the fear of JAH. 

 (Ephesians 5:1-21)

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Irit of JAH, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as JAH in Krist forgave you. (Ephesians 4:25-27,29-32)

 Living Sacrifices to [Jahovah]

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of JAH, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to JAH, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of JAH.

Behave Like a Nazirene

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

(Romans 12:1-2, 9-15)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of JAH in Krist Yesus for you. Do not quench the Irit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-22)

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.  (1 Peter 2:17)

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

(2 Timothy 2:16)

Qualities Needed in Trials

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of JAH.

Doers—Not Hearers Only

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:18-22)

Important Psalms on Righteousness:

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbour, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honours those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

(Psalm 15)

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.

I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.

The perverse of heart shall be far from me;I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Whoever slanders their neighbour in secret,  I will put to silence;

whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord. (Psalm 101)

Other Hebrew Scriptures on the Kristos Right:

I am a priest of the Lord, and to Him I do priestly service: and to Him I offer the sacrifice of His thought.
For His thought is not like the thought of the world nor the thought of the flesh, nor like them that serve carnally.
The sacrifice of the Lord is righteousness, and purity of heart and lips.
Present your reins before Him blamelessly: and let not thy heart do violence to heart, nor thy soul to soul.
Thou shalt not acquire a stranger by the price of thy silver, neither shalt thou seek to devour thy neighbour,
Neither shalt thou deprive him of the covering of his nakedness.
But put on the grace of the Lord without stint; and come into His Paradise and make thee a garland from its tree,
And put it on thy head and be glad; and recline on His rest, and glory shall go before thee,
And thou shalt receive of His kindness and of His grace; and thou shalt be flourishing in truth in the praise of His holiness. Praise and honour be to His name. Hallelujah.

(Odes of Solomon, Ode 20)

JAH RasTafari be praised forIver through our righteous works and words. Holy Yesus I, Menen I, Selassie I JAH RasTafari!

Ila