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

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— You see, [Proverbs 15:3] says: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Those who think they have God fooled are only fooling themselves!

Listen, when the Holy Spirit gives you an opportunity, and He begins to touch your life, and He begins to deal with you and point out areas in your life that you need to change and then bring you to a place of repentance, and you say, “Yes, Lord, I repent, and then you turn back and act the same way, you’ve treated that which is Holy as common. You’ve profaned the Holy. You’ve been touched, blessed, convicted, repented–all these things have taken place–you draw near to God–only to go and do the same darn thang. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho ain’t fooling God!

You pray and you weep and you repent and you say, “God forgive me. Cleanse me. Set me free, Jesus, please, Lord, pardon my sin.” Then you go and act the same way you did before.  You are in danger of judgment. How can someone be so active in the church and still be lost? How can you sit in so many worship services, and not grow in your understanding of God? How can you go into the presence of the Holy Spirit and not find conviction? Get yourself right! This is the ultimatum. In God’s message through Isaiah his prophet, the ultimatum is made clear. It is God’s way or it is God’s wrath, the choice is given, the consequences are made clear. “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” It is as simple as black and white. No gray areas, no need for arbitration, no compromise, no meeting God halfway. It is all or nothing. It is God or the devil. It is blessings or eternal cursing.  [Isaiah 1:18-20]. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho’ ain’t fooling God!

We think we are so smart, we think we are able to pull a fast one on God. We ain’t fooling nobody but ourselves.  I tell you, “The time of ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” [Acts 17:30]

The conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “And the Lord said, [insert your name]! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren [Luke 22:31-32].

Yes, the Devil wants you. He wants to “sift you as wheat.” He wants to expose everything that could bring shame and accuse you before God. Let this be a warning to you. Satan would like to chew you up and spit you out! I tell you, as followers of Christ we must never be so naïve as to think that Satan pays most attention to those who have already surrendered to his demonic powers. No, the opposite is true. It is those who follow Christ and have a reputation for being godly Christians who have Satan on their backs. You better know that you know. And let me just say this, if you have never met the Devil, it is because you and the Devil are going in the same direction.

Satan, the serpent, the Great Dragon, Beelzebub, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the evil one, and the adversary, who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan doesn’t give a crap about you. He is Satan. And—if you are a follower of Jesus Christ—he hates your guts with a passion. Like a roaring lion he is prowling about seeking to destroy you. You better know that you know!

And be sure of this, Satan is desirous to trip up the preacher, the deacon, the Sunday School teacher and every devoted Christian that he can. He is at work to keep a church fooling around with things that don’t matter while the world goes to hell. He brings friction into the Christian family to cause brokenness and ineffectiveness.  I tell you, there is a lion loose today, and he trying to defeat you, to bind you, to keep you from becoming what God would have you to be. Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death. But we can overcome him through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ as we put on the whole armor of God. I tell you, be watchful! Because our adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter 5:8].

NEVER allow his-sight to see you – search to smell you – chase to catch you – grasp to hold you- tongue to taste you – teeth to crush you – throat to swallow you – stomach to digest you – and never let his lunch be you! NEVER ALLOW HIS- DECEPTIONS to derail you – DELUSIONS to detain you – DISSATISFACTIONS to detour you- DEPRESSIONS to destroy you – and DISAPPOINTMENTS to deny that God lives. The enemy’s schemes are ruthless and cunning. Know your weaknesses. Know where you are vulnerable, know what your Achilles Heel is, because if you don’t, Satan does and he will eat you up and spit you’ out!”

“Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” [1 Corinthians 10:12]

 May God help us to stay alert, awake and anointed in the face of the evil one.

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “What you’ve done to me is already done back to you….Celie: [holding a knife to Albert’s throat] I curse you. Until you do right by me; everything you think about is gonna crumble! [Sofia]: Don’t do it Miss Celie. Don’t trade places with what I been through. [Shug]: Come on Miss Celie let’s go to the car. [Sofia]: He ain’t worth it, he ain’t worth it. [Albert]: Who you think you is? You can’t curse nobody… [Celie]: Until you do right by me, everything you even think about gonna fail! The jail you planned for me is the one you gonna rot in! Time for me to get away from you, and enter into Creation. And your dead body’d be just the welcome mat I need. [Grady]: It’s been a pleasure meeting all of you. Good-bye.”

“You reap what you sow” is a well-known idiom, but this principle is also Biblical. The Lord gives principles in Scripture to serve as warnings and as an encouragement. In [Galatians 6:7], His Word states, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” The principle applies to everyone, both Christians and non-Christians. This principle is irrevocable; there is no escape, either for the believer or for the unbeliever. It is a law of life. But herein lies the root cause of the careless and indulgent lifestyle of many people. They are deceived. They either do not believe the truth, or they think they will somehow be the exceptions to God’s laws. But as [2 Corinthians 5:10] reveals: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

The fact that we reap what we sow is good news for those who sow good habits, but a frightening thought for those currently involved in ungodly activities such as promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, neglect of family, or mistreatment of others in order to climb the ladder of success. We cannot sow crabgrass and expect to reap pineapples. We cannot sow disobedience to God and expect to reap His blessing. What we sow, we reap. Let us not deceive ourselves: We will reap the harvest of our lives.

I don’t know who this is for, but spitting out a bunch of hostile, angry, mean, resentful words at someone is not going to help. It is not going to make you a better person, it is not going to make them a better person, and it won’t improve your relationship. Just because you feel something doesn’t mean you have to say it. And you don’t have to let your feelings control your actions. Much of living the Christian life comes down to how well we get along with other people. Scripture makes it plain that God places tremendous value on unity.

As you go through life you’re going to find some people who simply rub you the wrong way. Maybe they don’t do anything specific—but there’s something about them that gets under your skin. Also, there will be times when you find that you rub someone else the wrong way. You might not have anything against this person, but they’ve got something against you. No matter how hard you try, they’ve decided in advance not to like you. I tell you, take the high road. Your actions are more important than your feelings. Sometimes you have to cover your feelings by “putting on” the right behavior. Your feelings may be sending you in one direction emotionally, but you can clothe yourself with attitudes and behavior that move you in the right direction. Paul said, “Put on compassion…put on kindness…put on gentleness.” You may not feel these things, but you can “put them on”—at least temporarily. Some people say, “That seems hypocritical,” but it’s not. If you feel dislike for another person, and you show them kindness, you’re not being hypocritical, you’re being holy! Besides, the Bible never tells us that we will be judged according to our feelings. It says again and again we are judged according to our actions. You can’t always control the way you feel, but you can control the way you dress. So, dress for success! Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. When you deal with conflict you put your feelings aside and you put a layer of holiness between you and the other person.

As [Matthew 7:12] says, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” It is written in Proverbs to “ponder the path of your feet, and … remove your foot from evil.” [Proverbs 4:26-27].  We need to think about our choices and what the consequences of our choices are. They can lead to corruption, or to eternal life. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Everything in life goes exactly according to what is written in God’s Word. There are no exceptions. This is a law of life that affects everyone, whether a believer or a non-believer.

As [Celie] said: Dis life be ova soon. Heaven last always.

The Color Purple – a film based on Alice Walker’s novel, directed by Steven Spielberg

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— People ain’t got a Heaven or a Hell to put you in, but God does…. Don’t you be worrying about what people think; you best do what God told you to do! The fact that people can make opinions does not give them the right to dictate someone else’ life. I want you to know that Jesus became so powerful every time people raise opinion about Him. He was always a step ahead of them. Yet He remains whom He was made to be. You must know who you are or what God has made you to be irrespective of human opinion. If you don’t know who you are that is where you will allow the opinion of others to rule and control you.

Listen, “They said I wouldn’t make it, they said I wouldn’t be here today, they said I never amount to anything, but I’m glad to say, that I’m on my way, and I’m going more and more each day. There were many that started out with me, but now, they’ve gone astray, but I’m still holding on to his hand. You see when I was young, I gave God my hand, and I told him to lead the way, though the road has been rough, and the goings been mighty tough, still I ain’t going nowhere, I’m right here to stay. Though I’ve been talked about, and oh I’ve been criticized, I had to wipe many tears from my eyes, but I’m still holding on to his hand. Yes I’m still in God’s holy plan, and I’m bound for the promise land, I will never let go of His hand. I’m still holding on…” [Songwriters: Luther Lee Barnes – I’m Still Holding On lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Memory Lane Music Group – Domestic]

I say to you, stop worrying about what others think and set your mind on Christ. And, do the work God has called you to do, because when this life is over you will have to give an account to God and Him alone. And no excuses will be accepted. You want be able to say, well “they” said….. Forget about it!  It’s time to regroup, refocus, and rise above petty people, things, sin, and caring what others think of you. They don’t know your back story, but Christ does. Worrying about what others think is human, but when it’s to a point where you got to choose between pleasing man or pleasing God, you best want to please God….. As Moses said, “If you fully obey the Lord your God… you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country, the fruit of your womb will be blessed and the crops of your land… If you do not obey the Lord your God… you will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and kneading trough will be cursed…” [Deuteronomy 28]

I know that we all want approval—caring what other people think seems evitable. Through the years it can become a problem for us as it can cripple us emotionally and spiritually. We need to get to the point where we don’t care what no one says, how they feel about us, or live in state of constant fear or agony of what others think. Live out Loud: Live your life as God created you in Christ to live. Determine you will obey God no matter what.

As Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” [Acts 4:19-20]

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians. 3:13-14].

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Talking ‘bout you chasing that paper…. Fool, don’t you know that Jesus warned, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” [Luke 12:15]. If you going to chase anything….. You best chase God…. For He alone can only satisfy. Everything here on earth is vain. If you don’t believe me believe the wisest man endowed by God: King Solomon. Not only was he given wisdom, but wealth beyond measure. The combination along with the experiments of life, lead to his conclusion; All is vanity [Ecclesiastes 1:1-2; 13-17]. He tells us, “I tried everything. I sought ever pleasure. I gained great knowledge. I possessed unsurpassed wealth and power. I had the power and resources to do anything I wanted to do.” Yet, in spite of all that, he declares, “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher [King Solomon] all is vanity! What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun goes down and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits, the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.  

King Solomon was fabulously wealthy. And yet, he says in Ecclesiastes 5: 10-12…. All his riches and all his possessions nothing withstanding. It’s a chasing after the wind. A life lived under the sun, seeking satisfaction when this is all there is, is such an empty thing.”

Paul puts it similarly in 1 Timothy 6:10… the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. “But those who chase riches are constantly falling into temptation and snares. They are regularly caught by their own stupid and harmful desires, dragged down and pulled under into ruin and destruction. For the love of money – and what it can buy – is the root of all sorts of evil. Some already have wandered away from the true faith because they craved what it had to offer; but when reaching the prize, they found their hands and hearts pierced with many sorrows. Don’t let this happen to you – run away from these things! Let your quest be for justice, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance, and gentleness…. [1 Timothy 6:9-11]

The Take Away – Don’t put money before God. God is your Father, and He will always provide for you. Money is just a tool. Chasing after money will only result in disappointment. Chasing after God will result in blessing and increase.

Chasing God, Not Money!

Why God had me to go this route, I don’t know…. but as the spirit gives utterance so shall it be!

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Yes, we have been endowed with a rare privilege to take their legacy further. Their mantle has been laid upon us as a symbolic action, therefore, it is time to stop talking about it and being about it. Like Elisha [2 Kings 2:13], we must make a conscious decision to pick up the mantle as a symbol of responsibility, service, and sacrifice.  Realizing that when we pick up the mantle, that not only do we honor the spirit of our ancestors, but it becomes the symbol of God’s power in our hands as it was for our ancestors. That when we pick up the mantle, we will not just be a passive observer to inequity and injustice.  That when we pick up the mantle, we say that we are willing to pay the price and sacrifice…. for the future is in our hands. The future belongs to us. Therefore, we must commit to the calling of something bigger than just a feel-good. We must commit ourselves to doing this, and doing it together.  Greatness is still standing among us. And now we must pass that legacy on . It is my obligation. It is your obligation. It is our obligation. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…. [Hebrews 12:1]

Now shall we ….

“Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won…““ [Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon]

By Lou Yeboah

Let us remember that the Commission has been given. As [Joshua 1:1-18] reminds us, “that after the death of Moses [Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, W.E.B. DuBois, Wangari Muta Maathaia, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Deratu Tulu, and all of those whom we celebrate today] that the LORD spoke saying, “Moses, My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan… to the land which I am giving to you… Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses [and to all your ancestors].  From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory.  No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, and [your ancestors] I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Now arise, cross this Jordan!

I tell you, what was true for Joshua is equally true for us. Regardless of the obstacles, we need to act on this fact by faith in the Lord’s person, promises, and provision, just as our ancestors did. [Joshua 1: 16-18]. This is significant. We must be careful to do according to all the law which Moses [Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and all of those whom we celebrate today] commanded us; do not turn from it to the right or to the left; for then we will make our way prosperous, and then we will have success.

I tell you, the Commission has been given…. Arise, Let’s cross this Jordan!

By Lou Yeboah

Why is it, do you think, that we need this constant reinforcement and reminding of the truth? Simply put, as Malcolm X said, “we have been bamboozled, hoodwink, and lead astray. While we may know the truth, we still are bombarded with worldly philosophies everywhere we turn. Make no mistake about it, as the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, our life is one of swimming against the tide. And so, being reminded of the truth is critical. Therefore as Peter said in [2 Peter 1:12-13] “I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.  I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder.”

Peter says in this verse that a person may have heard the truth, been established in the truth, but not be stirred by the truth. And that, my friend, is a scary place to be in because it leads to spiritual apathy! We need to remember the importance of what we believe. We need to be stirred up, and gripped by the reality of it. History is the study of the human past. The past has left many traditions, folk tales, and works of art, archaeological objects, and books and written records of our accomplishments. Historians have been recording the events of history since the Phoenicians in Africa invented the first alphabet. Until the advent of Black History Month, our school children learned all of their black history when they studied the plight of slavery in the south prior to the Civil War. Very little truth was, and still is contained in our children’s textbooks about the depth of slavery’s pain in America. So it was not a bad idea to set aside one month out of the year to concentrate on setting the record straight. It is about time we taught our own Black children that there is more to our history than our ancestral enslavement. Because, “without history, [there is] no life.” [Nigeria- African Proverb]

I tell you, there is blessing in remembering. There is blessing in remembering that God is with us in our times of pain and sorrow. There is blessing in remembering our loved ones who now stand in the great cloud of witnesses, watching over us and encouraging us to persevere through life’s challenges. There is blessing in remembering our loved ones because it reminds us of who we are. That we are part of something bigger than ourselves; that we can count ourselves among the saints, those holy ones of God, who dwell in heaven and here on earth.  Yes, today we remember all of those who helped shape us into who we are, as a nation and as individuals. For our memories are the foundation of all that we see, and taste and hear and experience in this life. I want to remind myself over and over again that Black history is part of my history, is part of what shapes me as the person I am today. I want to dance in the celebration of the liberation stories. I want to cry in the face of the stories of suffering. I want to prepare for the ongoing work because we are far from done with the work we need to do.

In concluding, I quote [Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian]…. “This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for my ancestors: my father and grandfathers before me, my mother and grandmothers before me. This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for the path of my soul, I honor the paths of my ancestors who journeyed before me. This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for the earth. I give thanks for the gift of my body, and rejoice in the opportunity for awakening that it brings. May my spiritual awakening be a cause for celebration in the generations before and after me. Through me, may healing come: in our family, in our community, on our earth, in our world.  Peace, Amen” 

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend…. Remembering Jesus and our Ancestors on Valentine’s Day! [John 15:13]. Happy Valentine’s!

By Lou Yeboah

I am a Harriet Tubman, a Sojourner Truth, a Fannie Lou Hamer, a Rosa Parks, a Zora Neale Hurston, a Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a Maya Angelou, a Mary McLeod Bethune, a Elma Lewis, a Wangari Muta Maathai, a Meta Warrick Fuller, a Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, a Septima Poinsette Clark, a Madame C.J. Walker, a Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Bessie Coleman, a Deratu Tulu, a Zora Neale Hurston, a Charlotte E. Ray, a Maritza Correia, a Mary Church Terrell, a Coretta Scott King, a Flo Kennedy, a Katherine Johnson, a Gwendolyn Brooks, a Mary Mahoney, a Octavia E. Butler, a Shirley Chisholmand, a Tegla Laroupe, and a Josephine Baker. Oh, Yes I am!

I am a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  a Malcolm X, a Frederick Douglass, a Nelson Mandela, a Booker T. Washington, a W.E.B. DuBois,  a Benjamin Banneker, a Louis Armstrong, a Duke Ellington, a Paul Robeson, a Jackie Robinson, a Howard Thurman, a Langston Hughes, a Ralph Ellison, a Richard Wright, a James Baldwin, a Kofi Annan, a Romare Bearden, a Imhotep, a Bob Moses, a Desmond Tutu, a Toussaint Louverture, a Lewis Latimer, a Joe Louis,  a Muhammad Ali, a Hank Aaron,  and a Jesse Owens. Oh, Yes I am!

What makes me all of them: We are all co-heirs with Jesus, sons and daughters of the promise given to our father Abraham. And, because, “I am my mother’s daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.” [African proverb] [Mary McLeod Bethune].

No matter who we are, where we live, or what our goals may be, we all have one thing in common: a heritage. That is, a social and spiritual legacy passed on from one generation to another. Every one of us is passed a heritage, lives out a heritage, and gives a heritage to our family. Consider our LEGACY and the legacy of others. What do we leave behind? And what do we do with what is left to us? What impact will our life have on those around us? What will your legacy be? Our legacy be?

As we celebrate our history let it remind us that empowered by God as they were, we can continue their work and likewise pass down legacies of strength, perseverance, faith, and victory to future generations. When I think about my ancestors, and when I think about how they lived their lives and followed God. They continue to impact my life as a heritage of faith that is worth following. For God has established his testimony in Jacob, he’s established his Law, his Word in Israel, and it’s each generation’s job to make sure the next generation gets it, that they would know God, that they would put their hope in God, and learn how to walk with God. That’s each generation’s responsibility toward the next.

In concluding, as Joshua Pawelek, a Unitarian Universalist minister, wrote: I believe it is a sign of spiritual health when we practice remembering and honoring those upon whose shoulders we rest. I believe it is a path to spiritual wisdom when we seek to know our ancestors’ stories. What obstacles did they face? If they were enslaved, how did they achieve liberation? If they wandered in the wilderness, how did they survive? What was their relationship to the Most Holy? For what were they thankful? What did they pass on to us?  As we know more clearly who our ancestors were, we know more clearly who we are.  May we remember and honor the ancestors, whether those we were born into or those in which we were adopted, and to all those who gifted us with something of value.

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.”

[Maya Angelou, from “Still I Rise”]

By Lou Yeboah

As we celebrate Black History Month recognition is given to the mighty men and women of valour who paved the way for all of us. We recognize them for their heroic courage, dedication, commitment, and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, intimidation, and even death… all for the equity for people of color.

Black History Month! A time to think about what it means to be an African American. Black History Month! The story of God’s action in the United States. Black History Month! The story of good beating evil, of liberation, of freedom. Black History Month! Remembering the great heroes of the faith who faced horrible suffering and great temptation to sin, yet they persevered spiritually because they looked to Jesus. [Hebrews 12:1-3].

Black History Month… a time of reflection, rejoicing, and recommitting.

Starting with Reflection. One of the things that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., believed more than anything else is that we as a people need to come together and stop hating on each other. “United We Stand, Divide We Fall.” He believed that the only way we can stand strong in our families, churches and communities is when we walk in unity and guard against division and strife. If we want God’s blessing, power and presence, we need to walk in unity: In our homes, in our churches, workplaces, schools and communities.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the disciple Paul urged us to be in agreement and that there be no divisions among us, but that we be united in the same mind and with the same purpose. For when we lack unity, our credibility is worthless. Our testimony is useless. [Ecclesiastes 4:12], says that, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” There is strength and unity in numbers, and if we desire to impact our community, our city, our world, than we need to stand together. Christ gave us even greater insight when He said in [Matthew 12:25] a house divided, a city divided and a nation divided cannot stand. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” [Psalms 133:1].

You know in [Genesis 11:6] concerning the tower of Babel, God said because of their unity there is nothing they couldn’t accomplish if they put their minds to it. Now these were ungodly people without the prophetic purpose of God at heart. What could this mean to a people fulfilling the call of God on their lives and pursuing the purposes of God’s Kingdom? I’m afraid as Malcolm X said; we have been bamboozled, hoodwinked, and led astray. We are divided and separated over insignificant issues. It is a trick of our enemy to bring such contradictory structure into our lives. We fight over issues already settled in God’s Word. The problems are so many and yet the answer begins with one simple step, repentance and reconciliation. We must forgive each other and return to God’s purpose. We cannot do it alone. God never intended it. Divided we fall short of God’s intent. United we stand ready to see the completion of the world harvest God has set before us.

Who Is Responsible? We are all responsible in the body of Christ to see true reconciliation. We are all given the ministry of bringing a lost world to Christ. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not in the church, then where? We must love not in word only but in deed and truth. It is time to recognize the need, repent of our sins and reconcile the family of God. Then and only then will we have validity to speak prophetically to our nation and our world.

Black History! As we take time to celebrate this notable occasion we remember how God has delivered His people. We remember the way God led His people through trials. We remember the victories God has given, and we remember the blessings God has bestowed. Why do we remember? We remember so that we can keep in mind the great price paid for our freedom and for our salvation. For it is that memory that connects us and brings our histories and lives together in ways that are life renewing and life giving. So remember the story by recalling the story. Remember the story by making the story your story. Remember the story by doing the story, and remember the story by being the story. Black History Month — A time of reflection, rejoicing, and recommitting!