B. L. Aki - Aliyah: What Is Truth?

About the Author

B. L. Aki has always enjoyed the subject of theology. She is a person who loves to guide people using biblically based solutions and principles. Her love for the youth is especially strong. According to B. L. Aki, The youth are the people who will carry the torch and keep it bright.

Ms. Aki holds a bachelors degree in Christian counseling and psychology and a masters degree in life coaching from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, one of the largest Evangelical Christian universities in the world. She lives with her husband, Dr. Charles Aki, in the Austin, Texas, area.

Aliyah

What Is Truth?

B. L. Aki

Copyright 2020 by B.L. Aki

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

My prayer is not for them alone I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:2021

Aliyah had never gone to a revival, and she was beaming with curiosity. The revival was on a Saturday night, so this would not interfere with her moms strict rules of not missing Sunday service at Greater Light Baptist Church. Besides, her best friend, Vicki, always had exotic and interesting stories to tell.

As they entered the church, there was a very short, fair-skinned black man playing the bass guitar. Aliyah thought he was African American, but when he opened his mouth to sing, he had an extraordinarily strong Caribbean accent. The carpet on the floor and the material that lined the wooden pews were bloody red.

Aliyah looked toward the pulpit, and perched on a royal white chair sat a beautiful middle-aged black woman with a black robe just like Aliyahs pastors robe. Her hair was black, thick, and wavy, with streaks of silver. If it were not pulled back into the bun, her hair would have nestled softly on her shoulders.

Vicki must have been following Aliyahs eyes because she quickly leaned over and whispered, That is Pastor Bowser.

Aliyah felt the blood rush to her face. She was shocked as she had never seen a female pastor before.

It is okay because we have a male bishop, so she is within her rights because she has male leadership, Vicki whispered.

Vicki seems to have an answer for everything , Aliyah thought.

Aliyahs eyes quickly swept the perimeter of the church.

Okay, theres an alter with the typical gold offering plates and the words Do this in remembrance of me written , Aliyah surmised. There arent any pictures of Jesus or angels or even St. John the Baptist!

There was a white cross on the back wall of the pulpit, which Aliyah hung over the baptismal pool.

Well, at least that is normal , Aliyah continued in her head.

The little Caribbean man was playing the bass guitar, and there was no choir. There was a little boy about twelve years old playing the drums. A very stout lady with what looked like orange hair was playing the organ. If she were to count the little boy as being a man, there were only three males in the entire church.

Although the bass guitar was loud, the drums and the organ blended so perfectly, it was difficult to discern which was the beat of the drum and the tune of the organ.

In the front of the church below the pulpit was a tall, slender man that led a congregational song. He would sing, What do you know about Jesus? and the congregation would answer in melody He is all right! This chant seemed endless, and both the congregational hymn leader and the congregation seemed like cheerleaders in a football gameexcept, the goal was to hypnotize the congregation.

As the people sang, some leaped from their seats, some moaned, and some spun in circles, while others dashed out of their seats and ran up and down and around the church aisles.

In the back of the church on the last pew, a young woman, about thirty years old, made inaudible sounds as her eyes rolled back into their sockets. Two ladies were shouting at the young woman, Praise him Praise him! Let him in, let him in!

These women look insane , Aliyah thought, frightened.

Aliyah began to feel overwhelmed at this point in the revival. Aliyah felt her body struggle to slide off the wooden pew. Relieved that she made it out of the back door of the church, Aliyah gulped a deep breath of fresh night air.

Aliyah looked up at the dark sky to see twinkling stars, as she tried to make sense of her experience inside that little grey church.

Still rocking and swaying with the rhythm of the music and occasionally looking back to see when Aliyah was going to come back to her seat, Vicki decided to go outside to find Aliyah.

What happened to you, Liyah? Did the spirit almost catch you? Vicki said with a chuckle.

Aliyah responded to Vicki with pretend confidence, What? I dont know what you are talking about! It was hot in there.

Yeah right, Vicki chuckled.

Vicki was originally from Louisiana. Her hair was the color of a gingersnap cookie, yet in the sun, it seemed to have rays of burgundy. Her eyes sometimes rotated between the colors of green grass and autumn leaves.

Vicki had to look up at Aliyah directly in the face; everything about her hourglass frame and sassy persona was the opposite of Aliyahs late blooming physique. On the other hand, Aliyah had shoulder-length hair and would wear a single braid most of the time. Vicki admired Aliyahs long legs and slender figure, yet she was always urging Aliyah to glamour up and stop being such a tomboy plain jane. There was so much beauty hiding behind those brown dovelike eyes; smooth, nut-brown complexion; and long, dark hair. But Aliyah chose the easy way out with pants and wearing braids or her hair pulled back in that awful bun, as Vicki called it.

Aliyah always admired Vicki, as she seemed to know so much about life. Vicki was from the south and at age fifteen, she already knew how to cook and drive, and to further add to her maturity, Vicki confided to Aliyah that she started her monthly when she was only ten years old!

With her pretentious grown-up attitude, Vicki appeared to know more about an aspect of God that Aliyah did not know. How could she be both worldly and religious?

On the way home, Vicki asked Aliyah, So what did you think?

Think about what? Aliyah replied.

The revival? Vicki said questionably.

It was okay. What was up with the lady in the back? Aliyah tried to sound normal, although this bothered her tremendously.

Oh, she was trying to get the Holy Ghost, but there were things in her life that was holding her back that she did not want to let go of.

Really? Like what? Aliyah sarcastically replied.

Maybe cigarettes or a boyfriendwho knows? She just didnt let go.