Two celebrations occur simultaneously in the month of February. It is Black History Month, and on the 14th, Valentine’s Day.  To converge the two without diminishing the significance of either is, in fact, a challenge at best. Reflecting on African American History includes the strides and struggles of a people that were once enslaved but seeking freedom.

 “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. (6) Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. (7) And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” Jeremiah 29:5-7

To those us who love and belong to the Lord, our citizenship is in Heaven, even though we occupy the territory on which we were brought. To love and pray for the land demonstrates a living witness of God’s redeeming love, which also requires releasing grievances against the sins of former generations and extending grace to their children. Love conquers hatred and covers a multitude of sins, and it is the freedom experienced within a loving heart that provides true freedom. “If the Son has makes you free, you are free indeed!”  (John 8:36) Through Jesus, we have the freedom to express life, overcome crippling effects of the past, and build a bright and glorious future. The “old waste places” referenced in Isaiah 4:12 are not merely a physical building, but include systems, institutions, and political structures that perpetuate the ills of the past. We are to demonstrate a different kingdom because we serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. True love was demonstrated through the giving of Jesus, the Son of God. Every God-ordained institution, inclusive of Holy matrimony, is to be affected by the precious Gift of His love. Any other expression, regardless of what society may feel, is an accommodation that expresses animosity and hatred towards the origin from which true love generates. To build and to dwell at peace in America requires pursuing and attaining peace with God and one another.      

Marriage, family, patriotism, and all other commitments requiring loyalty must be anchored in truth. Jesus came to give full expression of His Father in Heaven. He proclaimed that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. None can come to the Father except through Him. No true and lasting peace can be attained apart from the Prince of Peace. May this month be approached with an intention on attaining both liberty and love, and may that love extend beyond the narrow views of personal preferences to a fulfilling and lasting lifestyle. “Indeed” expresses the extremities of freedom opposed to the façade that exists only in appearance. Be free indeed!

Transformation is defined as the metamorphosis during the life cycle that is the induced or spontaneous change of one element into another. It is to some extent a conversion since something different and more dynamic is expressed as result of it. Likewise, The Apostle Paul says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Rom 12:2) The creative Word spoken by God not only produces substances, but also changes what was produced into becoming better and more effective.  “In the beginning God said, ‘Let there be’…” Then He develops what He has spoken into existence so that it can work in perfect unity and harmony with all other created things. As it grows and matures, it develops into greater levels of effectiveness. 

God is yet speaking to this generation. His message has been given to make and develop individuals into becoming more effective as witnesses for Christ Jesus. He is saying to His creation, “Let there be men after My own heart, let there be women who fulfill their roles as women of God, and let there be children who live well ordered and discipled lives, being rightly prepared for the future.” All is provided as result of the Light of God’s Word that is absorbed to develop each person into his or her fullest potential. The darkness of the age has come under the control of one who ought to be our common enemy, and much of it has been covertly absorbed into modern culture. It’s in the media and is advertised by the spin doctors who currently operate as both preachers and prophets. Therefore, to do nothing would naturally lead to cultural conformity. However, God is raising up His true preachers and prophets that will say what He is saying and profess the things that He reveals to them. 

The number 23 in biblical numerology represents “transformation.” God requires us to have the mind of Christ Jesus, and we admonish every believer to seek to know Him and develop a discerning heart. There is a mixture among us today that is undetected unless one is rooted and grounded in the Word of God. The nature of deception is the appeal through appearances. As it was with the first mother Eve—if it looks good, tastes good, and appears to make one wise, there is the temptation to ingest what the Serpent (the devil) offers. A changed life possesses a changed heart. If the heart is after God, the passion of the heart requires fueling the mind with that which will keep it steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work and word of the Lord. Will you join us in this endeavor as we seek to know the will of God that is good, acceptable, and perfect.

The Book of Genesis begins with, “In the beginning God…” Before there was a where or a when, there was the Eternal God. He was both self-existent and self-sufficient. “He was before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). Not only is He self-sufficient, but all things are dependent on His sufficiency. He supplies life to all creation and contains the sufficiency to sustain life to every living creature. God made the universes by speaking them into existence, and they are held together by the Word of His power.

The Incarnation is the embodiment of the Word, where the flesh did not just contain the Word, but the Word was made into something that it had never been before. The Word was made human, lived among its fellow beings, became sinless flesh, and that flesh knew no sin. He became flesh that fully possessed the Spirit of God and possessed the same potency as in creation, but was confined to function within the framework of humanity. The life of this sinless flesh was the Spirit of God who was animated by the full measure of the Holy Spirit. Yet to fulfill all righteousness, He had to engage in what would be required of sinful flesh. Jesus was baptized in water symbolizing the requirement of death for the inherent sin within the members of fallen humanity. There was no need for the Holy Spirit to fill Him, for His Spirit is one with the Holy Spirit.  He descended on Him gently like a dove to confirm His rights and to engage fully in the works of God in the earth realm. The life of His flesh was the Spirit of Almighty God. 

The Word that became flesh then had to become what Christ had never been before. The Messiah, the Christ of God, became sin for us or sin on our behalf. He could only become sin as result of the Word becoming flesh. Then, sinless flesh was then capable of carrying the sins of the world. He came into the world for a worthy cause. Flesh that was eternally separated from God by sin and condemned to die an eternal death was given the opportunity to live. As death was a stranger to humanity before Adam sinned, eternal death is a misnomer to those who only think of life as they currently consider it to be. Eternal death is to be in an eternal state of dying, and the fear and the pangs of death become their habitation. Yet Jesus came to give us eternal life, a life that postures the individual that receives His life to be in a constant state of living and discovering the eternal adventures awaiting those who enter in. What a waste of time if all our hope was in this life only! If discovery and adventure can exist in this miniscule episode called time, how much more must be awaiting us when we explore with Jesus the mysterious and intriguing adventures of eternity? Christ came to give us much more than we can ask for, see, or currently understand. But He must be fully received and acknowledged if we are to live with Him and in Him as enjoying the full benefits of our salvation.

In both Ephesians 1:3 and I Peter 1:3, the salutation is to bless or praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has both blessed, begotten, and fathered us again, thus restoring us to our original state as His children. Giving us the nature of His eternal Son, Jesus Christ, by way of His Spirit so that we might be graced to fulfill our eternal purpose as His sons. We have been justified by His grace and given His Spirit, which leads us to the fullness of His grace and on to the blessed hope of our eternal inheritance. He has given us grace for grace—grace to receive more grace, which leads us to the discovery of blessings in this life as well as the life to come that is reserved for us in Heaven. 

Jesus Christ came to fulfill all the righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf. Then, He died on our behalf so that our requirement was only to believe that His sacrifice was sufficient for our past, present, and future sins. By receiving His Spirit, we can give full expression of the new life that is now ours. This allows us to no longer live unto ourselves, but allows the Spirit of Christ to become life within us. Then as Isaiah 54:14 states, we then can become established in righteousness, the ability to stand before the Father without guilt or inferiority. It is what we now stand for that matters most.

The objective of the true and transformed believer is to glorify the Lord. He does not just believe in Him, but believes on Him. He then can discover aspects of His love measured out to Him in the abundance of His grace in application to life’s experiences. God is then permitted to enter His world as an active participant rather than a passive theoretical idea. Too many people believe in the Lord, but not on the Lord. They do not walk in the Spirit but rather merely give Him an honorable mention. The works of God are but of a past era while a powerless and impotent entity is worshiped in the place of the Omnipotent God.

All creation anticipates the revealing of the sons of God. He provides for us endless opportunities to participate with Him in the work of restoration and bringing the whole of creation into compliance with His will. Spiritual gifts are distributed to us as we mature and grow in grace to understand their proper use. He works in us and through us at the same time, and we are being fit for our future inheritance while receiving a glimpse of His glory. A foretaste of His ultimate promises is demonstrated through us as Heaven and earth meets through His Church. We give thanks for the glory of His grace by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 

When discussing life matters, we must first consider the facts of life. There are certain unalterable facts that points back to its origin. Where does life begin? How is life to be sustained or preserved? What does each life mean or the purpose for its existence? Then we take a personal look at life, and the question may be: what is my life? The uniqueness of my life, its purpose, and the length of my existence are all proof that all life points back to its Source, the Giver of life.  

Since God is sacred, then all of life is then sacred. When the sacredness of life is unknown or ignored, you end up living a lie. Your lifestyle then becomes a contradiction to life. Shakespeare once wrote “To thine own-self be true,” but what is the measure by which truth can be determined? God spoke all things into existence. “In the beginning, God said Let there be.…” Since all things have their origin in what God said, then His Word is Truth on which all things have their beginning and from where all things must be established. The major challenge pertaining to life is to know God so that you may know the Truth. He said that “If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed and you shall know the Truth and the Truth (that you know) shall make you free.” You will be free to live and express life as it was originally intended to be lived and expressed.    

Reductionism is the process of reducing life to what you perceive to be manageable and the need to be in control. You cannot manage your life, but it is required of you to manage your soul. The soul, the mind, the will, and emotions will be out of control unless it is anchored with hope beyond the moment. Without an established standard, people are easily deceived into being manipulated by what is expedient rather than what is true. Spiritual blindness among leaders who become blind guides lead to moral failures. It was a variety of mental and emotional blockages that allowed many social injustices, like slavery of their fellow men, to dominate their ideals. True freedom provides insight and foresight. Only then can an individual or a people group realize that certain decisions will ultimately lead in the future. Comprehensive knowledge of the Kingdom of God allows us to see the Kingdom and participate in all activities leading to God’s ultimate objective. Only then can you give full expression to your humanity and live life to its fullest. 

Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

Today, people need to be encouraged. The challenges of life have imprisoned many and as a result, they either engage in taking desperate measures for survival or giving up altogether. When no relief is in sight, you brace yourself for the next crisis to occur. According to The Suicide Data and Statistics from 2020, 45,979 people died of suicide, which is one death every 11 minutes, 12.2 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million adults made plans, and 1.2 million adults attempted suicide. These are adults and do not include children! Fortunately, there are several organizations and institutions organized to address this critical issue. Some employ methods requiring medication to control the urges of those who are suicidal. Conversely, some individuals choose suicide by police interaction, where the individual will place himself in a threatening situation where deadly force becomes necessary to neutralize the threat. What many do not realize is that most of the treatments are temporary, for when the pressure returns or resurfaces in a different form, the individual is right back where they started. 

Hopelessness imprisons the soul which contains the mind, the will, and the emotions. The person may be relieved on furlough, but eventually will have to report back to the duties of reality. The problem must be addressed at its root, when lovelessness, or the lack of security that exists in true love, is at the core. When the security is attached to a fragile object of affection, the disappointments experienced from failing to meet the person’s expectations will produce a downward spiral of emotions from which some never recover.  A broken heart, a failed relationship, or rejection in many forms appear to minimize the person’s value. Additionally, how that person is seen through the eyes of others may cause them to devalue their own worth or to become so emotionally callous that nothing in life matters. Sustaining and hope-inspiring love cannot be found in a person, but it may work through a person. God is the source of love, and although He is defined by many qualities, His primary attribute is love. Love is not just what He does, but it is who He is.  

It is imperative to not be anchored to the person, but trust in the Lord who works through the person. God promises that He will never disappoint us as people often do. Paul remarked, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Choosing to follow Jesus leads us to a glorious future and a hope that will never let you down. It is a contagious hope, and for those who possess it, they will become the instruments in His hands to distribute this hope to a hopeless generation.

Lifeguards operate with the knowledge that the possibility of drowning is evident when people gather together in pools, beaches, or lakes. As watchmen, they spring into action when someone goes underwater without the skills or strength to maneuver as they ought. Similarly, laws exist to protect the innocent and to indict the guilty. Currently, there is a tsunami of laws that were modified over time to create turbulence on the sea of life. Unfortunately, many Ministers of the Gospel, who indeed function like spiritual lifeguards, are standing on the sidelines with their hands folded. When one life is lost by neglect or murder, the protective shield is removed, thus creating a climate of violence. History verifies this point even from the beginning when Cain slew his brother, Abel. As a result of Cain’s action, the innocent blood of Abel cried out from the ground and the environment was cursed. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). To “forget” is to fail to hold in mind. Plainly speaking, this equates to being a forsaken people and not hearing from Heaven nor having any regard for what God has to say to this generation.

The sin of forgetfulness or absentmindedness is a curse for having ignored the origin of life. What one refuses to remember, he eventually will have the tendency to forget. God created all things and life did not merely begin at conception, but life began as a thought in the mind of God. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:3). His Divine Providence preceded His acts of creating. Yet when He is forgotten, laws overrule the Law of God and identity is lost while values are minimized. Life does not mean the same, therefore all pertaining to life is reduced to its chemistry rather than its truest value and potential. God asked the question in Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?” Today’s response would be emphatically “yes!” She can forget that the child in her womb is in fact a child, a part of her being with the capacity to express life and model the life from which the child originated. She, for the sake of convenience, can abort the future growth and development of every future blessing within her womb. However, God continues by saying, Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. (16) See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16). 

Spiritual Lifeguards or proclaimers of the Gospel message must inform and remind people of the value of life from the womb to the tomb. Then, make them aware that life does not end at the tomb, but the soul that is carried within the unformed body is eternal. We are to guard life and inform those living that life is sacred and a gift from God. Therefore, it is to be treated as such and the whole earth groans when life is cheapened and discarded as excessive waste. Violence gets out of control when man is in control rather than submitting himself under the governance of God.

 “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.” Gal 5:13-26 (MSG)

The progression of freedom can lead to two conclusions—either to greater degrees of freedom or to a freedom that leads to bondage. When one becomes encumbered in expressing liberties independent of the Liberator, his actions will eventually inhibit his freedom of expression. “He who the Son sets free is free indeed.” The opposite is also true, as he who seeks freedom outside of the will of God will be ensnared with unexpected entanglements. The saga continues to repeat itself from history to this present time. Adam and Eve chose to yield to the temptation by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The eventual consequences of their choice led to the discovery of their nakedness. The end result of their liberation was not only nakedness alone, but also self-consciousness and the fear of being exposed without a covering. True liberation demands taking a leap of faith into the unknown. It is freedom from the familiar into a new experience and a new life. It is required of those who seek after freedom to have a goal and a vision for a bright and glorious future. The question is, who will be there to catch you when you take the leap of faith? The children of Israel were set free, but ended up wandering in the wilderness. What would have been a short journey required forty years of uncertainty. “Without a vision, the people cast off all restraints.” 

Additionally, pursuing freedom for freedom’s sake is a misnomer. Israel was being set free to worship God in the wilderness. They were to turn the wilderness into a sanctuary, and God proved Himself by providing for them while they were there. Yet, much more would have been provided if they had understood their reason for being in an unfamiliar place. The freedom to worship God sharpens one’s perception of reality. It postures the worshipper to receive the revelation and insight to navigate through life and to lead the way for others. When we are free indeed, we are free to love others. And as result of loving others, we are free to serve them. A difference is made through those who are truly free. Only the Son of God can make you free by releasing you from the bondage of self, Satan, and all other entities that offer pseudo-freedoms but cannot deliver on their false promises. 

The relationship between God the Father and Jesus is a continuing story that preceded Creation. In the beginning, God is and before there was a beginning, God was and will always be. He is Father and Son in One mysterious union. As gravity is subordinate to a restricted environment, so is the succession within the numerical system. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—One God, One Spirit, One mission. When God created time, He sent for His only Begotten Son within the fullness of time, and through Him, He introduced His love to the object of His affection. “For God so loved the world, His creation, that He gave His only Begotten Son to the world.” The Son was given to restore both mankind and the whole of His Creation from the bondage and corruption in the world as result of the Fall. Sin entered the world through the interference brought forth by God’s enemy. The eternal love experienced by mankind and nature was interrupted by a cancerous contagion. The disease of sin had become so widespread that the pandemic was unrecognizable by its victims. Unfortunately, it is the tragedy of every generation; lovelessness, hard-heartedness, lusts, greed, and selfishness emit from the hearts of those who know no better than to heed the familiar voices of their peers who suffer from the same condition. 

Thankfully, God’s love is laser focused, as it penetrates the sin barriers erected over lifetimes and generations. Only His love can restore God’s creative order that is modeled throughout His creation. Contrastingly, a fatherless generation is a godless generation. Jesus came to share His Father with us while we were sons of disobedience. But now, God has sent His Son that we may enter in the eternal relationship that preexisted time. The story of redemption was historically conveyed through the Prophets to the fathers of the Tribes of Israel. This would bind fathers and sons through godly instructions given to families. Now His Word is embodied in flesh and He now speaks through Jesus Christ, His Son. And His Son speaks through His Church, the Body of Christ. As Christ is made known through His Body, every father has the responsibility to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to and through the Church. 

Governmental and political parties, along with Law enforcement officials, are searching for answers to dilemmas of our day. The statisticians are measuring the continuing decline of morals and ethics while passing laws that reinforce what they attempt to curb. When God is not acknowledged as Father, biological fathers have no established pattern for how to model their fathering. Even those who attempt to do their best at providing come up short not knowing where they went wrong. Fortunately, The Spirit of the Lord will send the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.  

It must be pointed out for one to fully realize how important a mother really is. When we take the time to cease from our daily efforts and ponder the value given to the second person of God’s creation, we cannot help but thank God for such a wonder. Yes, fathers originate the process, and that began with God our heavenly Father. Our word “father” comes from Pater in Hebrew meaning, “brought forth from,” and that which is produced must be developed if it is reach its destiny. The seed would remain impotent and eventually die unless it was not deposited into the womb. There it is nurtured and protected in order to be formed into the idea of its original design. Who but God could have thought of such a wondrous plan as to take two distinctly different people and use them as His instruments to bring forth life? Not only does God place this miracle within her physical body, but also within her mind and soul lies the passion and desire to see that life become all that God intended for it to be. Within the womb is God’s creative genius, and outside of the womb is the demonstration of His love. The continuous love of a mother provides an environment for a child to grow up knowing that he or she is cared for. The world is a vicious and violent place to live, and people, not knowing who they are, will act out various roles of reality given to them by those that they admire. Their twisted thinking often leads them to violate the ethical code of humanity. They lose sight of their purpose and have no idea of life’s truest meaning. But the mother, the symbolic source of nurturing, serves as a reminder that there still remains a person that cares, and therefore, there must be a God that cares.

If love exists anywhere, it reminds us of the fact that love still remains. If it remains, it must generate from its origin. Therefore, if there was no other indication that God is the same, the dynamic of a mother and child would be enough to reveal to us of this truth. Jesus in His lamentation over Jerusalem expressed this love for His people. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37) Not only does a mother provide and protect her children, but even in the animal world, that protective love is exhibited. You may threaten to rob a mother of her valuables, and even threaten to take her life, but woe be unto you if you threaten to do harm to her children. She will do whatever is necessary to protect that which was brought forth from her own womb. It is an extension of God’s love through Jesus Christ for His own. She is there regardless of the life altering decisions made by her children. She is willing to express her love but the only way to know it is when it is fully received.

When Jesus was being crucified and hung on the cross, He took time out of his suffering to speak to John, His disciple, saying, “Behold, thy mother.” What He was saying to John was, “John, take care of mother and treat her as your own.” Why was this moment so special? Jesus was expressing His appreciation for the thirty-three years of nurture and love received from her. He was reminded of her value in His life and the encouragement He had received from her throughout the many years of life and ministry. He was saying to John, “Treat her as I would treat her. The acts of kindness that I received…treat her as if it were you instead of Me.” Now as we celebrate our mothers, let us remember that God gave her to us as His gift. Love her as Jesus loved His mother, as the potency of His love is expressed through her.