No Corners Cut, No Pacifying, No Round-About Way

By Lou Yeboah

You hear me… Because, “they’re trying to bamboozle you!” Don’t be took, and don’t buy into the lies! You see, there are some Pastors preaching prosperity and blessing sermons that are not Scriptural. Scriptures are very clear about the subject of financial prosperity in the New Covenant. You have simply to look at what the Word of God teaches, not the way that man says it will happen. I tell you, if your pastor is always preaching prosperity, you best run and don’t you stop, because prosperity gospel makes a mockery of Christianity.

Woe to you, false pastors, prophets and teachers. Luring people to Christ to get rich. Don’t you know that it is both deceitful and deadly. (Luke 14:33). (1 Timothy 6:9). Why would you develop a philosophy of ministry that makes it harder for people to get into heaven? Why would you develop a philosophy of ministry that promotes less faith in the promises of God to be for us what money can’t be?  Confess your sin, repent, and get cleansed by the blood of Jesus from all covetousness, or you will surely be swallowed up by damnation from the pit from whence your false doctrines come!  For thus saith the Lord, “I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” [Jeremiah 23:1]. This is God’s verdict! It is a woe pronounced on you by the God you say you serve! Your words will fall like a sword of judgment upon your own necks. You have prophesied lies to the people.  You have taught them after the imaginations of your own hearts and you have not heard from God.  Why do you insist on taking Scripture out of context to make it appear as if your lies are God’s truth, [2 Tim 2:15] and expositing Scripture in context, [Nehemiah 8:8]?

God is not fooled, and He does not want His people to be fooled either. What God unfolds for us is the right way to judge hidden things!  Do not be quick to embrace every teaching that comes from the pulpit. Learn to sift the teachings that have been given to you through the filter of the Scriptures. The Word of God will expose that which is error and that which is truth. You must pay attention to what God’s Word is saying. If what you are hearing is not lining up with the Word of God, you would save yourself from deception and heartache if you would just learn how to spit out the bones [Hebrews 13:9.] I tell you, there are few things more important to hear than the warning Jesus gives us in [Matthew 7:15-20]. He begins with the word “Beware . . .” and we should always take it very seriously whenever Jesus tells us to “beware” of something. If your pastor is always preaching prosperity, you best run and don’t stop!

So what are we to do? Preach the gospel “whether they hear or refuse to hear” [Ezekiel 2:4], and trust the power of the Word of God to do again and again what it has always done: convert the soul, enlighten the mind, break the yoke of sin and bring joy to the entire person. Run Forrest run!

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- Oh, the limits of God’s patience! When God’s mercy ends, it’s all over [Amos 8-9]. Peter 3:9, says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is certainly gracious. He is rich in kindness, forbearance, and patience, which is why He does not bring an immediate end to all sinners [Romans 2:4]. In fact, He often gives us many chances to repent. During the old covenant, He even sent prophets to warn Israel of its impending doom and the discipline that was coming if the people continued in their sin. These oracles of judgment were words of grace, for the Lord could have brought His wrath to bear on the Israelites without any advance notice. But He compelled prophets to speak His Word that the covenant people might turn from evil [Amos 3:1–8]. Don’t take God’s grace for granted! His patience will run out eventually [Romans 2:4–5; 2 Peter 3:8–10]. Going Once, Going Twice, Gone!

Let’s learn from the people of Nineveh not to try God’s patience but to repent while the invitation to come back to Him is still available. Understanding as [Amos 7:8] says, “…that there does come a time when the God of great mercy might say of His own people, “I will spare them no longer.”  Be very careful, then, how you live—not foolishly, but wisely, knowing how to make the most out of every opportunity, because what David said to his friend Jonathan in [1 Samuel 20:3] is true of all of us: “…as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between us and death. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! Take advantage of the opportunities God’s grace provides. “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” [Hebrews 4:7].  For, “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.”  [2 Corinthians 6:].

Think a moment; “What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” [James 4:14]. You are being offered mercy. What will you say?  What will you do? And what shall I say to God when it comes to report the matter; must I bear my testimony that you would not hear? If you’ve never done so, I urge you to repent of your sins and by faith to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and to do it NOW. If you’re a Christian, but have gotten off-track in your daily walk, I urge you to confess your waywardness and make a new start this very hour. If you need to go to someone and ask that person’s forgiveness and renew your fellowship with that individual, I encourage you to do it right now while you still have an opportunity. 

As [Ecclesiastes 3:1-8] says, “For there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” [Jeremiah 8:20]. Listen, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” [Hebrews 9:27]. Take full advantage of the opportunities God gives. Remember, Jesus’ first recorded sermon was simple: “The time [kairos] has come. . . . The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” [Mark 1:15]. The call is….REDEEM THE TIME – NOW!  Do not put it off until tomorrow. “Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation.” For, “Tomorrow is the fitting epitaph for many tombstones. Tomorrow is the barred and bolted door that has shut many people out of Heaven.” God has never promised us tomorrow. [Proverbs 27:1; 2 Corinthians 6:2]. So the best preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today. Don’t be like Governor Felix who was listening to Paul speak, and “as [Paul] reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity [kairos] I will summon you’” [Acts 24:25]. Fexlix fatal mistake!

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near.” [Isaiah 55:6]. Now is the time to be saved! Now is a time of mercy!

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation” [2 Corinthians 6:1, 2].

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death….” [Deuteronomy 30:19-20].

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—They have their mind made up and they’re not going to change for you, or me… or even God. They are just like the people in [Jeremiah 44]. Although, Jeremiah warned the people that God was upset with their behavior, it didn’t make a difference at all. They responded: “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!”  They had made up their minds. They like what they were doing, and they had no intention of stopping for Jeremiah or God… or anyone. I want you to know as  [Deuteronmy 32:35] says, such behavior shall cause, “Your foot to slide in due time.” I beseech you, therefore, to recognize the nature of such foolishness and fear the consequences.

As [Proverbs 14:12] says, “There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but in the end thereof it leads to death.” Don’t be a fool! Haggai message was simple. It was a message of priority: “Put first things first!” His message was blunt. He pulled no punches and wasted no words. Haggai said stop making excuses, cease being selfish! God sought to warn the people to heed His words. Twice Haggai instructed the people, ‘Consider your ways [Haggai 1:5-7]. Which they did not. Therefore they were rebuked of the Lord because they were selfish and self-centered…  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get rebuked by the Lord. I don’t want God to call for a drought for me as he did for the Jews. He called for a drought upon the land, the mountains, the corn, the new wine, the oil, and upon that which the ground would bring forth. Upon men, upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands. The Lord did that. Why? Because of a stiff-necked, selfish, self-centered people. He caused the heaven to be stayed from dew and the earth to be stayed from her fruit [Haggai 1:10]. All because they wanted to do things their way and not God’s way. I tell you, we must put aside the things we desire, put aside our self-centered ways, and put the work of the Lord first. The psalmist declared: “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to your testimonies” [Psalms 119:59].

Out of God’s love and mercy, He sends His prophets and preaches to remind us of His faithfulness – and in turn, to remind us as His people to be faithful and obedient as well. He has given us His Word to sound the alarm. Not only did God warn them, but He also offered promises through His servant Haggai to motivate them to follow Him. We are not free to do as we please! We belong to God [Ezekiel 18:4]. Our lives belong to the Lord [Romans 14:7-8]. For the whole duty of man is to serve God [Ecclesiastes 12:13]. It’s not about you, but God…  Oh, that you would consider it!

For He said to me; “I will not tolerate this stubborn, hardhead stiff-necked spirit any longer.” He wants us to be warned that there is an end to his patience. There is a resistance to the Holy Spirit that goes so long and so far. Rid yourself of self!  Because I tell you, your life will be Hell before going to Hell!

Listen, I don’t make this stuff up. [Isaiah 30:1] says, “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of Me.” “Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites…” [Matthew 23:14]. “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how shall ye escape the damnation of Hell?” [Matthew 23:33]… Know that the end has come upon you, and I will send My anger against you saith the Lord; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will repay you for all your abominations.  My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity; but I will repay your ways, and your abominations will be in your midst, then you shall know that I am the LORD [Ezekiel 7:3-8]. Therefore, consider how far you have fallen and repent. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place [Revelation2:5].

“So, this I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God…” [Ephesians 4: 17-21]

 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” [Deuteronomy 30:19-20]

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Well, I tell you why? Sin! You going around doing everything from A-Z and you want to know why God hasn’t answered your prayers. Don’t you know unconfessed sin separates you from God causing God not to even hear your prayers! He says in [Ezekiel 14:3] “Should I let them inquire of me at all?”  It’s not that the Lord’s hand is shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and yours sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear.” You see, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” [Psalm 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12]  Wondering why God has not answered your prayers! Ain’t No need of Wondering!

What makes it even worst, not only do you have sin in your life, “When you ask, you ask amiss?  “You ask wrongly… You adulterous people, says the Lord! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us?  Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [James 4:3-10]. Wondering why God has not answered your prayers! Ain’t No need of Wondering!

And, most importantly, you must belong to God before you can communicate with Him. Jesus said, “He who belongs to the Father hear what God says [John 8:47]. The bottom line: As Christians, we need to put God first in our lives to have an effective prayer life. If you’re doing that, God does hear your prayers, and he answers them. You just have to trust God that He’s giving you the best answer for you- for your life- and for all eternity. As [Proverbs 3: 5-6] says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

I want you to know that you are not the first person to have your prayers go unanswered. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who prayed to God in the moment of crisis, and God for reasons sometimes explained and more often not explained – why He didn’t answer their prayers. Habakkuk struggled with the unanswered pray. He cried out, “O Lord, how long shall I cry and you will not hear?” Job struggled with unanswered pray. In Job 31:35 he says, “Oh, that I had one to hear me! Oh, that the Almighty would answer me!” King David struggled with unanswered pray. In Psalm 13, he said, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me, forever? How long will you hide your face from me”? Habakkuk, Job, David, all echo the frustrations that many of us have had at one time or another when it seems as if God is not answering our prayers. “Three times God told Paul “No.”  Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn in his flesh” so that he could get on with his ministry. And each time God said No! Can you image that? The apostle Paul probably the greatest Christian who ever lived, prayed about this need in his life, found that God did not, would not, answer his prayers until he continued to persist, then God finally gave him an explanation. “… “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Listen, though we may rebel against this idea, God doesn’t always work the way we want Him to. Just because we don’t see Him immediately answer our prayers in the way we expect, doesn’t mean He isn’t working in our lives. Often, we want things that will ultimately be bad for us. And we like to use God to get what we want, the way we want it, and when we want it. But time and time again in Scripture we see that God is not in a hurry. For 400 years, the Israelites prayed for the deliverance that God gave them through Moses. God is the master of time and therefore the master of timing. Even Jesus knew this.  Periodically, we’ll hear Jesus say, “His hour had not come,” and the Scriptures often mention events happening “in the fullness of time.” As the saying goes, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.” So if God is silent, pray for His peace. Pray for His will to be done. And pray that He gives you the kind of faith that will wait.

As Job said, “I don’t understand this at all, but I’m hanging on to you, Lord, and I’m not going to let go.” [Job 13:15]. That’s the place to which God wants to bring us and sometimes unanswered prayer is the only way to get us there.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…. Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” [Colossians 1:9-11].

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” [Ephesians 3:20-21].

By Lou Yeboah

I don’t know about you, but when I think about that phrase, “This far and no more!” it becomes  an “Aah” moment for me! You see, knowing that God watches over you, working things out for you, and blocking the assault of the enemy against you, can’t be but an “Aah” moment! “This far and no more,” means the enemy can only come but so far and then he must stop. For He said, “thus far and no father will you come.”  I don’t know about you, but that an “Aah” moment for me!

You see, when God got behind Israel, He put a separation between them and the enemy. The Egyptians, who sought to attack them from behind, were neutralized. God blocked the attack. I want you to know that, you don’t have to run away from the enemy, be intimidated, or fearful, because God  got your back. He is your defense.  That’s why what the devil  tries won’t work!

As Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”Place your hope, confidence and trust in the Lord who defends you.  Don’t panic! Don’t fear.  God has you covered and has the enemy blocked. Know that He’s blocking the attack on your family. He’s blocking the attack in every area of your life where Satan has tried to stop you from possessing the promises of God.

I tell you, when the devil and his imps are waging war in your life, don’t worry, be happy! Because the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.  God got your back! The same God who showed Himself strong on Hezekiah’s behalf is showing Himself strong on your behalf. Top of FormBottom of FormNo weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. [Isaiah 54:17]

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, God preserve my life, He stretch out His hands against the wrath of my enemies, and His right hand delivered me….[Psalms 138:1-8].

As David said, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield…” [Psalm 33:20-22]

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Well these are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither cold nor hot—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  Be earnest and repent. Talking ’bout you got this!  “I will destroy you, and none will be left.” [Zephaniah 2:5]. Oh, that God may help me to speak so that your life may be changed, and that the Word of God may be against you no longer!

Oh, Sinner Man! Consider the fearful danger you are in!  You have made God your enemy, what a terrible thing this is. For thus saith the Lord, “Therefore will I also deal in fury; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them” [Ezekiel 8:18].  Come NOW, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” [Isaiah 1:18]. Wake up! Stir yourself and don’t be slothful. “Cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Walk properly, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. [Romans 13:11-14]. Be zealous and repent! [Revelation 3:19]. If you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. [Isaiah 1:20].

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls” [1 Cor. 10:12].

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them [Deuteronomy 30:15-20].

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- Embrace it, and stop trying to get on board with everybody else. You can’t do what everybody else do! You can’t go where everybody else is gingo! God is trying to lead you; He has a plan for your life.  Loosen your grip, and surrender to your own ways. God has His hand on you for a specific purpose. What an amazing privilege to have God’s hand write your name in ‘the Book of Life’ belonging to Jesus [Revelation 13:8]. Stop trying to get on board with everybody else, and embrace the fact that God has you on a different path; for you have been set apart for God’s purposes. “Come out from among them and be ye separate,” says the Lord. [2 Corinthians 6:17]. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” [Jeremiah 29:11].

Even though you may feel as if you have been put on a shelf and forgotten, you have been set apart for the call of God on your life. Embrace it! For many are called, but few are chosen. [Matthew 22:14] You are chosen by God; you are pitied by God; and the effect of that pity—that mercy—is that God takes you to be his own possession. You exist for this reason: “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”This is the full-time destiny of a royal priest – to make the glories of the king know. Knowing our identity is in Christ is one thing, but understanding how that practically changes the way we live is another.  

I cannot urge you enough to learn the verses about your identity in Christ. You are called to be different. While every believer has been set apart for good works [Ephesians 2:10], there are some people who have been set apart to do unique and even extraordinary things in their walk with God and service to God. He has set you apart for a reason.

You know, Israel desperately tried to fit in with the nations around them. They wanted to be like everyone else. But God refused to allow this. He set Israel apart to be a holy nation. God set Israel apart to intentionally distinguish them from everyone else. God did not do this to punish the Israelites or deprive them. He specifically chose them for good. Being set apart not only was a privilege but also carried with it amazing blessings, far more than they could ever imagine.

What is awesome in all of this is that this declaration is made, not by us, but by God. He has consecrated us and set us apart for a higher purpose. Renewing our mind to this truth is of the utmost importance. We must know and understand who we are in Christ and who He is in us so that we can walk in the purpose to which we have been called and set apart.

You have been set apart for God’s purposes. Embrace it!

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— If you think the locust plague was bad, if you don’t repent, I tell you, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God; and cry out to the Lord. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is near! A day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess; that great and dreadful day of the Lord, who can endure it? Who will remain standing when it comes? 

Think of how Revelation 6:15 describes the terror of those who face it. “Then the kings of the earth,  the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks,  ‘Fall on us and hide us  from the face of him who sits on the throne  and from the wrath of the Lamb!  Or consider how 2 Thessalonians 1:7 describes how God will pay back those who trouble Christians. “This will happen when Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…” I tell you, if you don’t repent, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Listen, although God is merciful and longsuffering, He will not remain silent forever. Read what He said in Jeremiah 15:6, “You who have forsaken Me,” declares the LORD, “You keep going backward so I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!”

I tell you, it takes a fool to ignore the warning and plow straight ahead to the awaiting judgment.  Make no mistake about it, as Malachi 4:1 says, Behold! Look! This day is coming indeed! Be on the alert for it! Be viligant! For the Bible is so very clear on this. There will indeed be a final day of judgment. There is no doubt about it. Joel warns that “the day of the Lord is near.” Four other prophets in four different centuries gave the same warning (Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14). In each case, the day of the Lord was imminent, and was a day of divine visitation wherein the wrath of God would be poured upon the ungodly.

The Only Hope…“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mournings; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” Joel 2:12–14…Turn back to God and find salvation instead of judgment. That was the message back then. And so it is today.

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Because you see every time we encounter the Word of God, an unseen world of spiritual forces go to work. We don’t usually think about this, since our experience—for instance, reading the Bible —feels so patently mundane. But read Jesus’ first parable in Matthew 13 and you’ll gain a renewed sense of weightiness for the moment when your life and God’s Word intersect.

I tell you, God’s Words are powerful. It took just a handful of them to create the entire known universe. If those Words are taking root in you, that same power will be at work in your life. But naw, you rather search Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, My Space, Linked-In and a whole slew of other social networking websites. “These social networks were originally created to give people a means to communicate and stay connected with others.  But what started out as a novelty has now turned into a serious addiction for many. These electronic tools that are supposed to help us stay connected have actually caused us to become more disconnected than ever before. If you don’t believe me, look around the room at your next family gathering or at the next social event you go to, and take notice of how many people are staring at their SmartPhones or Tablet screens, totally disconnected from everything that is going on around them. This addiction has even created a whole new problem in our Churches . Many are now looking at their SmartPhones instead of the Scriptures during the worship services.   They are tuning into their social media messages and tuning out the message from God’s Word.” I tell you, “Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.”

Listen, God’s Word is the foundation of our lives. The Christian life, from start to finish, is utterly dependent on the grace of God. Not only do we come into spiritual life by sheer grace, but it is in divine grace that we continue on. It is by God’s grace that our soul survives through many trials, is strengthened for everyday life, and grows into greater maturity and health. I tell you, you can either follow the counsel of the world or the counsel of the Word. But Psalm 1 tells us that we should make God’s Word our delight and meditate on it consistently – day and night. I pray that through the teaching of this message today that if you are not regularly reading and studying the Word of God you will began to make God’s Word a regular diet for your life.

For He says, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he was sowing some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withereed. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. He who has an ear, let him hear [Matthew 13:3-9].  And as you read through this, think about which type of soil you relate to and how receptive you are to hearing the truth of the gospel. For I tell you, “Everything else will pass away, [Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like ] “but the Word of God stands forever” [Isaiah. 40:8].

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on

his law he meditates day and night. – [Psalm 1:1-2]

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” – [Jeremiah 15:16]

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Oration delivered by abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Rochester, N.Y. on July 5, 1852, entitled “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”.

“Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. —The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day? What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages… For black men there are neither law, justice, humanity, not religion.” [Frederick Douglass]

“One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand’s of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges…. And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true…” [Martin Luther King Jr].

“Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. “The arm of the Lord is not shortened,” and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope [Frederick Douglass].

“True Freedom is yours Forever in Christ!”

“Free At Last, Free At Last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free At Last!” [Martin Luther King Jr.]