Tag Archives: Men

The Call for Conscious Peacemakers

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“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 NKJV

For those of us here who remember the height of the Civil Rights Movement, often we can recall the struggles that we endured as Black people to gain equal liberties. Our movement hit the national stage, and everyone could see the tactics employed by the Jim Crow system and the violence that was inflicted upon a people who wanted to be recognized and acknowledged as human beings who deserved equal rights in this great country called “America.”

There are numerous accounts of the stories told about how the early civil rights workers and protesters had to learn to practice conscious peaceful resistance tactics that would help them to overcome evil with good when they were traveling in dangerous territory. As we have been able to look back on some of these scenes when we see the clips of our historical past, they are riveting and heart wrenching to watch; but, we see the benefits and the victories of what can be accomplished when we are willing to live and practice a lifestyle of conscious peacemaking. 

Often our ancestors would sing songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine.” They had internalized Jesus’s message and were walking as Jesus did when he faced the cross of Calvary. Many in our community knew that they were bearing a cross for another generation. Many of our ancestors knew that they would not make it into the promised land of victory, but they stood in the face of violence and hatred as peacemakers. 

Jesus has been our model of peace. He lived his life on the earth in calmness and quiet contentment about the mission that was set before him. When we read the scriptures, we cannot miss his examples of overcoming evil with good and sleeping calmly in the midst of storms. 

Even in this Twenty-first Century amid a Covid-19 ladened world, God is calling us to a lifestyle of peacemaking. Not only are we being called to peacemaking, we are called to pursue peace with everything within us; and, as much as it is in our power, we are encouraged to live at peace with everyone.

Peacemaking is creating a world that recognizes all human beings as equals and deserving of mutual respect that we each want for ourselves. It is giving the same treatment that we want. To be a peacemaker means to be at rest, quiet, silent, serene, and content within ourselves and our situation, without resorting to violence or rage to solve our problems and disagreements. It is an agreement to end hostilities and to live free from quarrels and unrest.

However, we are living in a world where violence and rage have become the norm for handling disputes and disagreements to the point that when we become so uncomfortable with someone else’s choices, decisions or position of authority, we act out in violence with our thoughts, words, attitudes, and our actions. When we live out of a life filled with internal insecurity personally and corporately, we want to control everything and everyone around us in order to feel secure. It is possible to live in a world that is peaceful, if and when we make the decision to become a peacemaking individual, family, school, business, organization, city, church or nation.

God has called us to go into the world and be peacemakers, but not pursuing the temporary peace that the world has to offer. The world’s message says, “As long as everything is going well and it is going the way that we want, we will have peace. As long as we get entitlements that we feel that we deserve based on our ethnicity, class, status, and income, we have peace.” However, as soon as these things are threatened, we engage in internal and physical war.

Even if we don’t get peacemaking right every day, we have to keep trying to walk in peace until we find ourselves not being rattled by every situation or the things that people say or do. To be a real peacemaker, it will be imperative for us to go within and examine ourselves to make the changes necessary to bring ourselves under the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit and end the war within.

Now let’s set the record straight: Being a conscious peacemaker does not mean that we do not speak out against injustice and inhumanity. It does not mean that we become doormats for everyone to step on. On the contrary, it means that we speak out with love, assertiveness, and conviction in our hearts that every human being has been placed on this planet to enjoy certain benefits and rights without the use of war, violence, intimidation, bullying, oppression, force or control. It means that we do not destroy lives because we cannot get our way, or by forcing others into conditions and behaviors that will break the human spirit. 

Peacemakers are careful how we think, speak and act. Daily we make a conscious decision to practice peacemaking, privately and publicly. We cannot hide the ugliness of the internal war in our souls, and the planning and plotting of human demise, and it not radiate in the physical realm. The energy of hatred and violence can never be hidden. Today, we are being called to be conscious peacemakers!

  • To be conscious peacemakers, we have to watch our frame of mind when we are faced with situations and challenges that are beyond our control.
  • Stop and think before we speak.
  • Listen for what our body and mind are telling us. It will alert us when we are in internal war.
  • Don’t fret over things that we cannot control. God never meant for human beings to control each other.
  • Get rid of any sin or failure through confession and prayer.
  • Settle disputes and misunderstandings calmly. 
  • Watch our tone of voice.
  • Take the time to speak the truth in love.
  • Look for opportunities to be a peacemaker in our homes, work environments, schools, communities, governments, cities and world.

    For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5 NKJV)

Disrupters of Peacemaking

  • Misalignment and harmony with God
  • Unhealthy need to oppress and control people and situations
  • Unhealthy pride and arrogance
  • Broken expectations
  • Disagreements that become disagreeable
  • Continuous trials and test
  • Overworking
  • Sin
  • Failure
  • Fear
  • Hearing the word “no”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Search our hearts for war and give us the willingness to bring a ceasefire to the internal wars that are destroying the fabric of our world. Give us the mind and heart of a peacemaker. In Jesus mighty name~Amen 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 NKJV).

Combating The Spirit of Hatred

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“Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Psalms 2:8-9

There are times when it is difficult to walk in the gifts of God. When I was a child, I found it difficult to share what I was experiencing in the Spirit; but that is not the case today. In June 2017, there was a major transition in my life. I took on an assignment in the Western Region. It was one of the hardest decisions of my entire life, but I knew God was calling me to an assignment of spiritual warfare. Along with several co-laborers who operate in the prophetic calling, I engaged in extensive counseling and research of the Western Region before I made my journey to the West.

We understood that the warfare would be intense because the cosmic influence over the region was heavy and the demonic darkness has worked for years to control the West. This darkness has not only taken a firm hold of the region, but it has also impacted the spirit of local churches across denominational and non-denominational lines. The spirit of hatred is operating in the churches and seeking to destroy. In some instances, I encountered the demonic spirit of hatred just because I showed up for the assignment here in the West. God made it clear to me that I had encountered this spirit. Hatred is a nasty spirit that aims to destroy everything God desires to accomplish through His servants. It is a subtle and dangerous spirit that masquerades as an angel of light – for a while – then it unleashes its venom. The kindred spirit that accompanies the demon of hatred is the lying spirit. It speaks calculated lies with intention. Its aim is to gratify its fleshly desires and to discredit the prophetic voice of God. But the alarming thing is that any individual, clergy or laity, can be open to this hateful spirit; it simply needs a body to operate through. It nestles itself in the broken and insecure places in the soul of those who are unguarded against it or leave themselves accessible to it.

The spirit of hatred can hide temporarily, but not for long because of its agenda to dishonor and sabotage its target. The only thing that closes the door on the spirit of hatred is repentance, renouncing sin, and filling the empty place in the soul with the Spirit of Love. To the pastors, leaders, and laity in the western region, we have to search our hearts and attend to our daily walk moment by moment. When we are hurt by any matter or we face challenges with others, harboring hatred will not solve the problem. Hatred unchecked will take anyone deeper into bondage and will keep us in the hands of the enemy by carrying out his will instead of the will of God. We have to evaluate ourselves and close the gap because this spirit has a strong presence in the western region of the country, and many of the churches are being taken hostage by it. Even children and youth are affected by it.

Abba Father is not pleased because we have the power within us to close the door on this spirit by walking in unified prayer, forgiveness, and love with everyone. Love is God’s command. (John 13:34) This is God’s way of being. There are consequences for maintaining a spirit of hatred. The Word of God says, “Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.” (Proverbs 17:13 NIV) Here is the warning: The anger of the Father is being poured out, but we can repent and turn back His hand. (Isaiah 42:25)

This is the question; why would we want our entire house destroyed as a result of harboring and practicing hatred? Wherever we see hatred, it is time to confront and expose it for what it really is. If we cast hatred out of those who have been carriers of that spirit and replace it with God’s radical love, I believe we will see God do an amazing work in our midst.

Let us do our part to start this revival by examining our own hearts. If we find that hatred is operating through us, we must acknowledge that spirit, confront it, and repent in Jesus’ mighty name. God is calling us to a higher place of praise and to transform The Church ~ Love!

Get Up With A New Determination

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At the opening of 2019, I was flooded with thoughts about my life, my friendship with God, motherhood, marriage, ministry, and my relationships with others – in that order amazingly. I came to realize how my life was impacted by all of these roles. My ministry assignment in San Francisco, which has taken me away from extended family and close friends, has been one of the most difficult and yet rewarding endeavors of my life. It has opened and stretched me to a new determination. I do understand now why God allowed and opened this door of opportunity for His glory and insight.

I am going to new levels. There have been some painful moments on this journey; aloneness, but not lonely, rejection in unexpected ways, and misunderstood intentions. However, some things have been made clear to me. I have gained insight into obscure matters that blindsided me. I can see clearly now. What I love about friendship with God is that it never changes and God will never allow me to walk in the dark. God is consistent in His love and care for me as a human being created in His image. There are no contradictions in His character. His love endures forever.

I have all of this stuff inside me to fulfill and I know I have to work with a new determination to complete it. I have never been jealous or envious of the dreams and goals of others. I have been a cheerleader for other people’s dreams and have sacrificed much of my time and energy to see their dreams happen. I will continue to help others and encourage them to go after God’s best for their lives; but I woke up recently with a new determination to fulfill my dreams.

    I don’t ever want to stop dreaming. I don’t believe it is God’s will that I pour all of my life into someone else’s dream while my dream dies on the vine. God said in His Word, “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28) That means I should be increasing in whatever God has planted in me to advance His Kingdom.

Reader, on this journey of life, you are going to meet people in the world who are takers. They have unrealistic expectations of your pouring all of yourself into their dreams and goals, but they can never celebrate yours. You have to know when it is time to wake up or you could die asleep.  Don’t die with your dreams unfulfilled. You might have to take a season away from environments and people who are killing you. Get up with a new determination to start working on something. Even if it seems small, just do it! Help others, yes, but don’t get so absorbed that you can’t see clearly what God wants to do in and through your life. Decide today that, with a new determination, you will fulfill your dreams for God’s glory and honor!

Peace,

 

Getting Rid of the Old and Bringing In the New

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As we have entered into 2017, many are making plans to change something. It could be a lifestyle, a hairstyle, a relationship, weight, buying a house, or moving to another state or county. The New Year always opens with people wanting to make some kind of change – getting rid of the old to bring in the new.

Getting rid of the old and bringing in the new is a good thing to do. Taking away or adding to our lives is much like the pruning of a garden that has been overrun with weeds. At times, we need to cut the weeds away to make for a better and healthier garden. Even in our personal lives, taking away the old to bring in the new requires that we have a plan of action that is manageable so that we will remain on the path of change to reach our goals. Stay away from lofty plans that will not bring about the changes you desire. Keep your change goals simple and reachable.

Make 2017 a great year for your life as you get rid of the old to bring in the new. Bringing in the new will fill your heart with joy when you accomplish the desires of your heart. Never forget that the God of the Universe is cheering you on and believing for your success. Go ahead, bring on the new!~SSC

Relationship Not Religion

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When we think about Christ Jesus and look at the way “JESUS” has been portrayed in the world, it can at times cause great confusion. When we examine various faiths and religious expressions, it can leave us perplexed about who JESUS really is. Because of the way “JESUS” is characterized, we sometimes misconceive Jesus, The Christ and what HE came to do in the hearts and minds of people. There are many instances where JESUS’ mission and purpose have been misrepresented and rejected. JESUS was quite clear about what He was commissioned to do on behalf of people around the world.

Whenever God anoints someone by filling them with the Holy Spirit, it is always for a special reason, purpose, or intention. God will never waste the anointing; He directs His anointing toward a specific mission. JESUS announced what He would do with the anointing on His life; He would save people, heal them, deliver them, and set them free. Luke 4:17-19

This announcement was not a religious message. It was about building relationships – with God and with people. God’s healing power restores us to a right relationship with Him and with one another. All we have to do is believe, receive, and practice being a relationship builder in JESUS’ name. Only believe! You can do it. It’s about relationship, not religion. ~ Peace!

Trail Blazer

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There are times that we find ourselves faced with decisions that can make or break us. Destiny requires that we make critical decisions that will lead us down the path that God has planned for our lives. God’s plan is to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) However, we have to make sure that we are not making decisions that are not in our best interest.

There must be a willingness on our part to prepare ourselves for opportunities and doors to come open that will lead us to adventures of a lifetime by blazing some new trails. To blaze a trail we have to be risk takers. We cannot be afraid to travel on uncharted paths.

We cannot sit around waiting for others to give us an opportunity at destiny. To do so would mean that we have turned over the power of our lives into the hands of feeble human beings, which could lead to manipulation and control. We have to ask God to create opportunities for us to fulfill our purpose in life and make our paths clear for new adventure. There will be so many things that we will discover about ourselves and the impact that we will have on the world when we blaze new trails. Start walking~ PEACE!

A New Horizon

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Today starts a new horizon. I woke up today feeling restless with where I am presently in my life. I realize that I feel stuck in old patterns and places with the heaviness that I am not progressing in ways that I desire to. I am full of life and creativity, but inside I know I must look toward a new horizon. The world and the people in it are constantly moving, yet with all that is within me, I feel stuck. There are times that my being craves newness and freshness.

There are times that I feel trapped by my own limited perspective. Changing my perspective and shifting my view is a must so that I can move forward and begin to release the fullness within me to change the world. I believe I hear destiny calling my name; she is saying, “It is time for a new horizon.” It is time for me to take the limitation off my mind and my life and get moving to the next phase. I started this blog today with just a few thoughts about where I am as I search myself in an attempt to find out how to be all that God created me to be, and in so doing, help others to take the limits off their lives and move away from being comfortable into finding their destiny. It is time for a new horizon. Destiny is calling my name!