“Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In” (Isaiah 58:12). Last month, we celebrated the annual life and legacy of a civil rights giant, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His book, “Where Do We Go from Here, From Chaos or Community” leaves many questions unanswered, especially with all the underlying issues 2020 brought to the surface. The cultural morass exposed the fact that much of what appeared to be progress were merely cosmetic and costume changes. If a more thorough examination was given to the conditions, things are worse than before. The sin of accommodation and tolerance were licenses distributed to the majority who dismissed absolute truth as a moral standard. Laws and executive orders are being passed to patch severely severed limbs of society, while they have lost their function of usefulness. Even the Prophet Habakkuk says, “For plundering and violence are before me, there is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore, perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:3-4). 

Desperate times call for desperate measures. God is fully aware of the times and those of us who occupy the earth during these times. As it was with Habakkuk, an awareness of depth of the occurrences must be the qualifying factor. The Lord showed him iniquity and caused him to see trouble (v.3). In contrast to what he was enabled to see, he concluded that laws alone were powerless in facing such dangers. Today, there are laws for everything that happens in our nation. They are there to protect us from what has been created by and through relativism. Truth being relative to the situation creates a chasm and a new law is passed to bridge the gulf that relativism created. Accommodations for behavior are made when there are no preachers or statesmen who would uphold a righteous standard. Where progress was made, wreckage and ruin stand as testaments of incomplete work. Some are engaged in good deeds, but good works are determined by the outcome of completed efforts. God pronounced His goodness on each day of creation after He had completed His assignment for that day. The Tower of Babel was not good because it was incomplete. 

God seeks individuals who engage in the work of rebuilding the old waste places. Those desert places that have become the habitation of jackals. This is only possible when the whole counsel of God is preached and practiced, and not just a select portion that fits the fancy of a select few. It is a costly enterprise, for one must be willing to face the ridicule and judgement of those who wish to maintain the status-quo.  A bridge is walked on so that others can cross over to the other side. This is apostolic work since it is the reestablishment of foundations, and that is why true apostles are foundational. The Church was built upon the Apostles first with Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. If society is to become strong and secure, Jesus must have His rightful place among us. He is a Stone of stumbling and Rock of offense. But ultimately, when Christ appears, there will be those who will gain the reputation from God and among some men as being The Repairers of the Breach and the Restorers of Streets to Dwell in.”

Even though the years of our lives are predetermined by God, for us, each day is filled with mystery and suspense. Who would have predicted that 2020 would involve a shutdown in virtually every sphere of life? Mystery and intrigue lead to confusion, and confusion leads to new questions being asked concerning life and existence. The emergence of Covid-19, other mysterious diseases, and an unprecedented number of deaths, even among people close to us, has shaken our private worlds. There is a message and a method to this apparent madness. We stand at the crossroads of life and decisions must be made. Instead of just looking at what is happening around us, the most provocative question is “where do we now stand?” The challenges of life will either bring the best or the worse out of us. The Prophet Joel remarks on this issue, when he said, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:13). 

We make multiple decisions every day, but most of these decisions do not require any thought. As creatures of habit, we routinely go through life doing what we have grown accustomed to doing. Then suddenly, the scenery shifts to the unfamiliar and the strange environment of the unknown casts a shadow over our limited knowledge and intellect of what we know and what we have the capacity to know. Then confusion emerges as many probable causes and cures are considered as the antidote to our misery. We are not victims of circumstances, but the product of previous choices. If we keep choosing the same things, we will continue to suffer the same results. The consequences of choices do not evolve over time, but it is up to us to make better choices. 

The year 2021 stands before us as a fresh challenge and opportunity. We cannot rightly predict every event awaiting us in our future. The uncertainties we are facing are there to remind us of the contrast between our helpless and the shortcomings of our own strength. Yet we are dependent upon the only One who has full knowledge of the future. The question is, are we Pro Life or Pro Choice. Let us examine the place where both ideologies merge within Scripture when God stated, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). God gives us a choice to either live or to self-destruct. To love the Lord is to choose life and live, and to reject Him is not only personal suicide, but also to your descendants as well. This form of deception has many disguises. Things appear to be productive and beneficial from the surface, but the destination leads to a separation of heart from our First Love. Not only are we affected personally, but an environment of rebellion is then created. In an atmosphere of sin, the culture of death reigns.

We will be addressing issues of life this year and exposing the many ways that death has been chosen instead of life. We pray that the messages this year will liberate you from deceptive influences and guide you down the road of life and liberty. My prayer for you in 2021 is that you choose life. 

Paul, a disciple and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, saw the Light of His glory shining brighter than the noonday sun on the Damascus Road. After having been blinded by the Light, the Light of the Holy Spirit led him to renounce all things to follow after Him. It was his recognition and appreciation of the grace of God that allowed him to understand that God came into the world to save sinners. His personal life served as a product of God’s mercy and grace. Apart from the grace of God, he would have continued doing the things done before his divine encounter. He placed no confidence in his flesh but relied wholly on the Spirit to lead him on his entire journey of life. His former life had to be completely renounced so that he could attain excellent and intimate knowledge. However, what he knew through natural sources conflicted with what God was yet to reveal to him. 1 Timothy Chapter I and verse 15 expressed his life after he had gone through many humbling experiences. He said, “this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” The Light of the glory of the Lord exposed the defects that still existed in his life. He was aware of the fact that the closer one walks with the Lord, the more one is enabled by the Holy Spirit to see areas in need of being perfected. He spoke of not having yet arrived or having apprehended, but that his life was a journey through time to eternity. The journey of his life was as just as important as arriving at the destination. 

 Primarily, Paul proclaimed that “Christ came into the world to save sinners,” which was the primary purpose for His coming. The Father’s love is expressed through what He provides, and He sent His Only Begotten Son into a sinful and rebellious environment to rescue man from self-destruction by choice. Adam chose to disobey God, thus introducing sin into the world. Even though Adam’s choice became the nature of all who came after him, the lustful passions and desires of the flesh were not originally a part of who you were intended to be. The goodness that remains in fallen man is merely a shadow of what God created. Man was made to be in fellowship and communion with His Creator and the wealth of His wisdom and knowledge working in you was to be your reward. Jesus came to save sinners. To sin is to miss the mark of God’s high calling – His voice from Heaven. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the perfect order of Heaven was to be established in your life. Unfortunately, the attention given to voices heeds you to look around and to see what the masses are saying. To listen to what makes sense to them even if it contradicts what God is saying. The serpent in the Garden of Eden tempted Eve with a contradiction, “you shall not surely die, but you will be as God knowing both good and evil.” 

 Jesus is the Word of God, the voice from Heaven made flesh to dwell among us. The Law brought forth the Word, but the Word became word. Although the prophets spoke of the Word, it was the Word becoming word that illuminated the path to man’s salvation. When Jesus came, the Word became flesh and was personified so that the activity contained in the Word could be given full expression among us. We could then witness God’s original intentions in contrast to the nonsense of sinful activities that lead to death. He did not merely speak the Word, but thankfully, He led those who were willing to follow Him into discipleship. 

 Jesus came to save those who recognize their need for salvation. Those who cannot see it are blinded by the world’s fancies and live a life of perpetual dying until they finally succumb to their final end of eternal death. Christ came! Know this and know why He came that you may live!      

Decision making is a vital part of life, and the things that are placed before us are there for a reason. It is not only their appeal that ought to motivate us in our decision-making process, but our destiny also hangs in the balance. Just one move in the wrong direction can set in motion a series of events that may require more than one lifetime to correct. Why would God entrust us with such a precious enterprise as choice when He knows the end from the beginning? Scripture even tells us that “We are made in His image. He chose us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).          

Our public and private worlds are the result of previous choices. Originally, God created all things and pronounced goodness upon the whole of His creation. But then, He placed all that He made before Adam to see what he would name things and do with them. The process of categorization requires recognizing the distinctions and uniqueness of each category. However, when the identity of distinction is lost in the mix of quantity, misuse is inevitable. Generally speaking, people have no discernment of distinctions where identity is lost. If a person does not know who he is or where he is, there is the tendency to follow the direction of anyone who appears to have the advantage. This occurs in what exists within our current society – the richest leading the moderately wealthy and the poor; the prestigious and powerful leading those who are not on their level. The leadership vacuum exists when the original plan and purpose of God is overlooked, ignored, or neglected. Consequently, people decide to engage in activities that serve the purpose of their leaders with the objective to make the rich richer, the famous more famous, or any other selfish interest that may have contributed to their rise in life. The individual forfeits his personhood and becomes a statistic while the person leading them is motivated by his strength being increased by numbers. 

Right choices can only be made when the right direction is made clear. Yes, it is easy to point out the fact that things are moving forward while the scenery continues to change and the environment shifts in a different direction. But the most significant question is, “where are we headed?” Economic shifts and policy changes cannot stand as a substitute for the erosion of character. Hatred, selfishness, racial divisions, and dishonesty have contributed to personal and global insecurities. We are currently on a path of a cultural collision that is certain to erupt unless new questions are asked and a new direction is sought after. 

When the blind lead the blind, the end of the road is a dead end or a ditch. “There is a way that appears to be right for a man, but the end or the consequences is certain death.” Since it is not immediate but ultimate, many willingly take their chances and run the risk as long as it saves face. On the surface, everything appears right, but the content beneath the surface is deadly. This is the plight of single-issue politics. Sometimes change must occur from within the system or the party, and when basic decency exists, the opportunity remains for a shift in values based on new information provided. But when character is compromised, truth does not matter. Either way, we must pray that hearts may be changed or a new heart given to the heartless. Nevertheless, a decision must be made. Now it’s your turn, and the future is yours to decide.    

How is it that defenders of rights can readily turn a deaf ear to things that are obviously wrong? We live in a schizophrenic society where double standards are the order of the day, but all too often, they exist unquestioned even by those who have the responsibility to uphold God’s standard of righteousness. Our current dilemma places us between the tensions of cultural degeneration and a politicized veneer of righteousness. This is the result of when the heart is driven by a passion that did not generate from God, and then attempts to reconcile those passions with what ought to be their passions. People live between the two polarized positions of what is and what ought to be.  But if there is no struggle there, they try to make sense out of nonsense.

As a child, we are taught the difference between right and wrong, where ethical choices must be made and a line is drawn between civility and the uncivilized. Civil Rights are determined on the basis of civility and the pursuit of its establishment. There is no such thing as half right and half wrong—rightness and wrongness are absolutes. A woman cannot be half pregnant. She might not have delivered the child yet, but when the time comes, the outcome of her pregnancy will be apparent. Likewise, the seeds of ethical choices develop silently within society. However, there comes a time when those seeds germinate and produce fruit.

The sinner must be able to see a clear distinction between his humanity and his sin, but he should not be dehumanized because of the error of his ways. He has become the product of his fallen race. As the John, the Evangelist wrote, “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Unfortunately, the term “human rights,” has become a misnomer. All things of importance to those whose lives have taken a departure from God’s original intent can be placed under its category. First, there has to be an understanding as to what it means to be human. Whoever received the breath of God within him is human. Yet, that breath was received to give expression to His will, and only then will our being express our humanity.

Today, the fruit of man’s misdoings is producing a harvest. The chaos and challenges of our day are not mere happenstances, but are the alarm clock and siren sounds of warning.  Unless we rethink the course of our collective lives and take personal responsibility for our contribution to the demise occurring within society, we will experience the worse rather than the better. It is not what we think or feel about a matter, but rather, what God says about it that holds more importance? He alone is absolute Truth, and our position is to align ourselves with what He knows and reveals to us of Himself. God breathed His breath into man, and man became a living being. He breathes His Spirit-life into those who receive and trust in Him so that those who are made alive in Him can give full expression to life.  

These days of unprecedented challenges have left many to seek answers to questions that otherwise would not be asked. Many are inquiring into what is happening, why it is happening, and how long will it happen. This being the last quarter of the Year 20/20, the Year of Vision, none of the occurrences of this year are without merit. Believe it or not, these years were on God’s prophetic calendar to happen exactly as the events are unfolding before our eyes. The Covid-19 pandemic, the surmounting racial tensions, as well as political and other social issues have aroused the attention of the world. Those who have platforms within society are now standing on their soapboxes and making speeches as to how these issues are to be remedied. They are drawing large crowds of people who have confidence in their celebrity status rather than their wisdom. Some would risk their lives in gambling with their future on a bet that the most popular person just may be most right to lead them. Moreover, there are others who had made prior commitments or vows to a party, whether it be political or social, and cannot break rank with their allegiances to their group. 

These life-defining events are not only causing us to think, but they are also happening with the intent to get us to focus. The question that remains to be answered is, “in what direction are you looking for answers?” An answer is merely a response to the question asked, such as a casual nod, or a yes or no response. A lie is also an answer choice, but these responses do not bring resolve to the chaos in the heart and soul of the inquirer. Unfortunately, even within religious circles, too many are pacified with mere answers. For the most part, they are conjured up in the imaginations of people who feel that they need to say something since so many eyes are focused on them. We need more than some flippant answer. We need the Truth! Jesus said, “The Truth (alone) will make you free!” He prefaces this statement by saying, “If you continue in My Word.” Allow me to paraphrase it in the vernacular of these current crises; “if you grow beyond your limited and narrow understanding as it applies to every sphere of life, then you are a real Christian.” A real Christian seeks His answers in what God has already said. Even before the foundations of the world, He has given us the script to guide us through the mazes and around the pitfalls of life. The Light of His Word enlightens our pathway and guides our feet so as not to follow the wayward crowd headed towards their own destruction. There are only two paths that many interpret as three; the right way and the wrong way. Most see it as the right way, the wrong way, and their way. Their way is only legitimized when it is completely surrendered to God’s guidance, and our confidence and trust in Him lead us down a path that is otherwise unknown to us.

Our eyes are wide open when we know that we do not know the answers and can acknowledge our own ignorance independent of the Sovereign God. Paul, who was beforehand Saul of Tarsus, thought that he knew more than he knew. However, his divine encounter with Jesus Christ shifted his limited understanding. Instead of faking it, with all of his pedigree and training, Paul asked the childish question, “Who are You, Lord?” This childlike question positioned him to receive divine revelation. He was introduced to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, for the very first time! Do not be so smart as to miss the most important point in and of your life. Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your heart through these crises so that He might make Himself known in the midst of your personal and corporate conditions. Will you ask the right question so that you may receive the life-transforming answer that Jesus is making known to you?

Victor Hugo once said, “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” To paraphrase his statement, “nothing is more powerful than the seed of truth exposing past errors in an age of enlightenment.” When the focus of the world is drawn to a particular ill within society and the underlying evil is highlighted by truth, a disturbance occurs. Even though many of the issues of the past had been addressed, yet the residue of the past remains. The crippling wound upon the souls of an oppressed people placed many of them in a perpetual state of inferiority. The study of epigenetics provides scientific evidence of the effects of slavery and racism within the genes of the children of the oppressed. Biblically speaking, the children carry the wounds of their parents. Any trauma to the soul affects both mind and body. Knowledge places a people in the crossroads. Things can either move towards peace when the Prince of Peace is in charge, or towards vindictive and destructive actions when matters are taken into one’s own hands. Both are movements, but moving in opposite directions. The tragedy of knowledge is the prideful element contained within it. A false awareness of self is full of contradictions. What lenses can one use to fully see himself? If a stationary mirror is used, all one is able to see is the self that he has become rather than the self that he was meant to be. Only through the eyes of God can one be enlightened to discover purpose. We were created for a purpose and that purpose extends far beyond what we have become, or the reflection of self whose focus on which many are affixed. The seed of destruction is deeply rooted in mankind’s efforts to free himself and save himself. He would merely turn from one category of bondage to another. What difference would it make if one was set free from external bondage but transferred to a prison of mental, emotional, and social anguish? He is then carrying his jail around with him. 

The Movement initiated by God, bringing a clearer awareness of the dichotomy within our culture divided by race is opening the window of opportunity for some healthy dialogue. We cannot afford to limit this movement to an agenda established by who spoke first or whose voice is the loudest. This would sabotage what could become a movement that could heal the wounds of former generations of hurt and pain. If God initiated the Movement, then He alone must set the agenda. It had already been set over 2000 years ago. Christ is the agenda. To know Him is to know yourself. To know Him to become acquainted with God’s intentions for your life. Yet if He remains in the shadows, His Word then is reduced to a merely philosophy reinterpreted and often misinterpreted to suit the taste of the interpreter. It is the Living Word and Christ alive in His Church with the responsibility and power to flesh out the will of the Father that must live out His set agenda. Jesus made His agenda clear in Luke 4:16-22 “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,  to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Each of these objectives must be acted upon once they are clearly understood. Then the Church can lead the world in the path of freedom and peace.

This year has numerous prophetic overtones. 400 years ago, Africans were brought to America as slaves and stayed in bondage for 250 years. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Watchnight Services held in many African American churches originated to commemorate the time they spent awaiting the news that their freedom had come.   Yet it took two and one-half years before federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure the freedom of those who had been set free by proclamation. Finally, the Emancipation Proclamation was made real with the backing of military force. The information was withheld by many of the slaveholders until after harvest time, using their labor to harvest their crops. The news began to spread and over 250,000 enslaved were set free. The day marked for celebration was June 19^th and became known as “Juneteenth.” 

This year, 2020 connotes vision. 20/20 vision is  the ability to see correctly. Vision provides one the ability to see ahead; to envision things as they ought to be. Israel was enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. They were subjected to harsh punishments and forced servitude. It was their cry to God that their voices were heard on High. God raised up a leader, Moses to lead them to the Promised Land. Pharaoh’s resistance was met with plagues that enveloped all of Egypt. Now in the  global pandemic of Covid-19, along with Global Warming, fires, hurricanes and floods, earthquakes, and other dilemmas are plaguing the world. Through all that is currently happening, a new paradigm is emerging. Laws were amended in the past, Civil Rights legislation and Affirmative Action; an African American was even elected as President of the United States. Yet the residue of slavery remains as systemic racism is deeply ingrained into the American psyche. The changes did not go far enough, yet the beneficiaries of the established systems have their consciences pacified. As long as the established system remained, true freedom would never be fully realized.  “So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.” (Ex 8:28) The leash, or the economic controls remain affecting the educational systems, the availability of jobs; the penal system overrun with the children of former slaves, and other crippling effects that prevent the realization of deeper dimensions of freedom. There remains an invisible ceiling that prohibits the advancement from going too far. The controls are there to regain the harsh grip that once was attached to the neck of the slave. 

Then all of the events of history converged into one prophetic moment. The public lynching of George Floyd ignited global fires that brought years of oppression to the surface. With leadership  assisting in igniting the fire through inflammatory remarks, the light has now been turned on and is burning brightly. As it was on the Day of Pentecost,  new questions are being asked and new actions are being initiated. The unsettled state of the world has led us to an apex. Moses approached Pharaoh with the objective of freedom with a purpose. “Let My people go that they may worship Me.” This nation was established for the purpose of worship;   when true worship was withheld, the situation descended into newer and different forms of bondage. Taxation without representation; the Church under the control of the Government, and many other methods of bondage. Yet freedom to worship without worship in Spirit and in Truth leads to the freedom to enslave others with the disease of amnesia, forgetting why freedom was ever extended. This time, may we embrace the right definition of both freedom and worship. Then we will be free indeed. Free enough to even intercede for our former slave masters!  Pharaoh said  to Moses, “when you get to where you are going, pray for me.”