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Pastor Dimas: Why I'm praying for Kim Kardashian

Sat, 15 Oct 2016 12:00:00 -0400

New evidence is surfacing that the group that carried out the invasion of Kim Kardashian’s apartment/hotel on the evening of Oct 2 in Paris were no amateurs. The gunmen involved had a strategic plan.

It is sad for anyone to experience a home invasion. My worst nightmare is to one day find a stranger lurking in my house, or to open the door and see gunmen.

Only Kim K. and a select few people know all that took place in that bathroom, with wicked men, with firearms.

One man has argued that you cannot get guns in Paris. He must have forgotten about the terrorist attacks in Paris. I was there, ministering with my family, and can assert that guns are on the streets of Paris. (You can find my report on Fox & Friends called "Pastor is Hungry for Prayer.")

Did the gunmen restrain themselves from sexual assault? I pray that they did.

Years ago I grew up in an upper middle class community in New York City, a “nice” area, and yet my cheerful, happy neighbor was robbed and raped at gunpoint. -- She was never the same again.

Kim Kardashian has withdrawn from the limelight and appears to be showing the classic traits of the victimized among us.

There are some individuals who hate Ms. Kardashian’s success and delight over her misfortune.

Others think the incident in Paris was a ruse to get attention.

Lawyer Nancy Grace agrees with the assessment that this incident was not a publicity stunt. She said, "I definitely believe it was a set-up, but I don't necessarily think the Kardashians set themselves up."

Let's hope that Kim K. recovers well and that her smile returns.

Kim K.’s life is extremely public, most of the time that's by choice. We all have made comments concerning her celebrity, but let our thoughts be balanced with compassion for a victim of a violent crime.

I know that there is a segment of the American public who just cannot feel compassion for a person like her -- someone who has made millions in a non-traditional way. But, please remember, she is a fellow human being, a mother made of flesh and blood and, plagued by human depravity… just like you and I.

We all make good and bad decisions in life. We all are affected by the good and bad decisions of others.

I believe that this 35-year-old reality star has had a nightmare come true, a situation that I wish on no one.

Getting robbed at gunpoint never fully leaves a person.

This woman has experienced her share of trauma: in the past with Nicole Brown Simpson's death, and in the present with the reality of her own temporary home being invaded.

I encourage you to pray for Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, North, Saint, and the rest of their family. They need to heal, regroup, and think deeply about the way they will conduct their affairs as they move forward in this challenging world.

Kim Kardashian robbed in Paris: An ex-robber explains how to stay safe

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:16:00 -0400

I have been robbed at gunpoint more than 8 times in my life. When I was only 11 years old I was already involved with a robbery ring and was a part of six robberies. Believe me, I understand the intense preparation that goes into these things.

What happened to Kim Kardashian in Paris this weekend, where she was tied up and robbed of more than $10 million in jewelry, was not an impromptu idea. These guys had a plan.

When I became a kingpin drug dealer – in other words a “Street God” -- I learned how to evade robbers who tried several times to set me up so that they could rob and kill me. I was in the drug world from age 11 until age 23.

My heart goes out to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. In the middle of a stick up you simply don’t know if you’re going to live, die or possibly be sexually assaulted.

So how can you protect yourself from a stick up when you are in a foreign country?

First, Americans must wake up! The world has changed and our lavish lifestyles attract attacks on us all.

When we travel overseas we look like the answer to most people’s poverty.

When I’m traveling I always watch everything and I especially notice people who are overly interested in my schedule.

When you’re overseas you should avoid answering questions like, “how long are you staying?” My reply is often that we are still figuring that out, or I share that my stay is longer then it really is. That way, if a robbery is being planned, the potential criminals feel like they have more time than they really do. When I was in the drug world, I left numerous locations. When the robbers came, I was long gone.

In my Street God days my team would sit around and plan who we were going to rob. Our planning would take a minimum of two to three days. Mostly we had someone on the inside who told us about the comings and goings of our potential victim.

In this situation Kim Kardashian was already a million-dollar target. Photos of her engagement and wedding rings have been all over the tabloids for years. In 2013 MTV reported that Kim travels with $1.25 million just on her hand!

When they report on such things about our celebrities, the media helps to inform criminals about what they should potentially target.

In street terminology robberies are called “jobs.” Criminal jobs that involve $10,000 or more are usually executed by a team of criminals. Anything less than $10,000 is usually one robber or a two-man job.

Given her wealth and prominence, Kim Kardashian was clearly a high-priority target. I am grateful that she survived. She is beloved by more than 55 million of her Facebook followers. To many, she is one of America’s beloved daughters.

My other tip for you is to move around a lot and do not return to the same destination over and over or even in the same pattern.

I have recently been in Paris, Berlin, Ireland and Moscow. While traveling, we switched our location every few days. I’m not a millionaire but I know that Americans make soft targets.

I am sad to admit all of that, but it is just part of our world today.

Also, I would recommend changing the way in which you walk in a foreign country. Once, when I was in Venezuela on vacation, I went across a bridge and then through a parking lot to get to an ATM. A whole gang followed me but I noticed them. So I got my money and then went around the corner and jumped over dividers to get back to the hotel. Once I was there I watched the gang, from a safe distance, search high and low with frustration trying to find me.

I am a pastor now. But I still work with robbers and the criminal element in the South Bronx. These robbery rings that I belonged to as a young boy are still in existence and they are growing in popularity in Europe.

I am praying for the Kardashian family and I hope they get through this well.

Charlotte is stabilizing because, finally, the church is engaged

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 14:00:00 -0400

Ten men walked in front of flowing traffic and formed a wall. Bewildered, an officer turned to me and said, "Reverend, I don't know what they are doing."

My concern grew more for the men blocking traffic. They were perilously close to turning cars that could easily hit them. Sensing the mood of the gathered protestors, I began to lead them in prayer, speaking loudly into my speaker system saying, "The only one who never gets it wrong, and is the Judge of judges, is God. Looting and going to jail is not the way. We want justice, but we also must conduct ourselves respectfully. Trust me, no one gets away with murder, even if they win a case. Life will never be the same for them."

Moments later, our prayers were quickly answered. It seemed that our words had penetrated those blocking traffic as they willingly dispersed without further provocation. The crowd applauded.

This certainly isn't New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles. This is Charlotte. On a humid Saturday night when the Charlotte Police Department finally released two disturbing videos chronicling the last moments of Keith Lamont Scott, a night when no one could predict with certainty just what embers those videos might inflame among frustrated protesters, it was The Church in Charlotte which dominated the night and made the peace that was so very needed.

On a rough night when body cams called into question the police officer’s account that Keith Lamont Scott had pointed his gun at them, and after days of raucous looting and volatile protests, it was the Church that finally dominated the narrative of Charlotte. The people of God were so integrated in the crowd that the pervasive mood was like a Sunday worship service.

Chaplains, ministers, pastors, and youth workers all united. One Muslim imam was so overwhelmed by the show of faith that he asked if I could share about the sixth Commandment of Moses: Thou shall not kill.

I was in awe of what was happening. The Church in Charlotte kept the focus on our belief that the truth would indeed prevail, be it in a local court or in the Highest Court of heaven.

I am a pastor in the Bronx who regularly works with law enforcement in my community. I find it difficult to share this, but the truth is many African Americans don't feel protected by the police anymore. They have seen men shot while cooperating (Charles Kinsey), walking away (Terence Crutcher), running away (Walter Scott), choked to death (Eric Garner), shot while backing up with their hands down (Keith Lamont Scott), and the list goes on.

My nine-year old daughter has expressed that she is scared of the police. When I was 9, I loved the police and saw them as heroes.

Today, sadly, some police officers routinely behave like police work is set in a video game with African Americans as its main targets.

We are in need of serious reform, and new equality and real ‘threat assessment’ police training. Though one percent of the African-American population could accurately be identified as gang-bangers, the other 99% are not threats to society. I am praying that the small batch of trigger-happy officers infecting police forces throughout this country will be proactively removed from the ranks.

Peace is returning to the streets of Charlotte. Sadness still permeates the city, but Charlotte is on the right track.

The city is stabilizing because the Church is engaged.

May we remember in prayer those families now planning funerals: in Charlotte, in Tulsa, and in all places of unrest.