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

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!

By Lou Yeboah

You know when Moses went to the Lord and asked Him what He wanted him to tell the people, the Lord said, tell them, “Go Forward!” [Exodus 14:10-15].  The word “Forward¨ carries the idea of advancement and progress. The Lord says you have been camped where you are long enough and it’s time to pull up and go forward. It’s time to move on. The problem is you have been stationary. Stationary means, you are not moving or not capable of being moved. You are fixed. God does not want you to be stationary. He wants you to be making progress forward. He doesn’t want you to be stubborn and fixed; He wants you to advance and progress.

Some of you have been camped out in the place of hurt feelings for too long and it’s time to pull up stakes and go forward! Some of you have been camped out in the place of anger for too long and it is time for you to pull up stakes and go forward! Some of you have been camped out in the place of depression for too long and it is time for you to pull up stakes and go forward!  God is ready to take you on a journey. He is ready to take you out of that place of depression into a place of joy and happiness. He is ready to take you out of that place of laziness or don’t care, and take you to a place of service and power. He is ready to take you out of that place of easiness and comfort and stretch you and take you places you haven’t been with Him before. God is ready to take you out of that place of satisfaction and fill you with hunger and thirst for Him like you have never had and lead you into a greater dimension of His glory than ever before. You can’t stay in those places camped out if you want to experience the glory and power of God in your life. If you stay in those places long enough, the enemy will destroy you.

The purpose of my thought and intention today is to convey the significance of the moment or occasion we as a people of God have embarked upon. It is an occasion of opportunity, a point of entering, a moment of possessing, a time of taking hold of. And in order to seize this opportunity I tell you, “It’s Time to Move forward” into the blessings of God that is set before us without reservation. “For a great door and effectual is opened unto [us].” God desires to take us places that “eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Therefore, let us shake ourselves off from the things that inhibit or obstruct our mobility and progression from entering into the things God has prepared for us. I tell you, it’s time to move forward!

God has created an open place for you to walk in. He said, “I open up doors that no man can shut… If you would just believe and move forward into the things of God, “He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God is an all-powerful God: if God leads us, if he wills us to do something, then there is nothing that can hinder it from happening but our own selves. I don’t know about you but there are not enough demons in hell to keep me from accomplishing God’s will for my life.  On the onset of entering in, on a day of a new beginning, great are our opportunities. Therefore right now, I call to reality God’s council in your life. I call to reality your dreams and visions. I call to reality the manifestation of His blessings in your life today. In Jesus Name, Amen! It’s Time to Move Forward!

By Lou Yeboah

If you have decided to walk in the newness of the New Year, you must begin with repentance. The question of Salvation has to be settled. Because with Salvation comes the knowledge, revelation and power, not only of your own deliverance from the dominion and condemnation of sin, but also the revelation of that part of God’s plan which He wishes to work out in you for the age in which you live. God wants to do a “new thing” in you in this New Year, but you got to come correct. You can’t do it no other way.

We’re in the Age of “Moving In.” In a world where very little emphasis to put on repentance we must be careful to “make our calling and election sure, by the Word, because when it comes to the modern day teaching of “just believing”, remember, the Devils also believe and tremble [James 2:19]; but the Devils are not saved – they cannot experience Salvation. And True Salvation is an “experience” with God, after which we are never the same again. So if you are sure that you want to walk in the “Newness of the New Year,” then make sure that it’s all or nothing. Because as much as one professes to believe in Jesus, and accept Him as their Savior, without genuine “repentance” from the heart, all of your believing is in vain. I’m talking about walking in the “Newness of the New Year.” I’m talking about the “New You in the New Year!”

Jesus says, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: …..be zealous therefore, and REPENT. [Revelation 3:15-17, 19].

Listen, ain’t no need of fooling yourself. If you have really decided that you want to walk in the Newness of the New Year…. Then make it right… because the times of ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:” and repentance means “to have another mind”, to “change the mind””. It is used in the New Testament to indicate a change of mind in respect of sin, of God, and of oneself.  [Acts 17:30]

Therefore, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Romans 12:1].   I’m talking about the “New You in the New Year!”

By Lou Yeboah

You need to resolve that you will have “No More Drama” in your life. You know Mary J. Blige had a hit record entitled, “No More Drama.” In this song, “No More Drama”, Mary J. Blige talks about how tired she was from having so much drama in her life. She talks about how tired she was from having a broken heart. She talks about how tired she was from being burned by some so-called friends. She talks about how tired she was from being hurt, being in pain, being in tears. She talks about how tired she was from being in so much stress, being in bondage and that she wanted to be set free from all the drama, and from all the madness that was taking place in her life. And because Mary J. Blige said she was so tired of the drama that was taking place in her life, she decided, “No More! “No More Drama” in her life.

I tell you, if you are going to start the New Year off right, there are some things that you need to let go of: Hatefulness, unforgiveness, bad relationships, bad attitudes, lying lips, malicious gossiping, disobedience, drugs, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, anger, and anything that come between you and the Lord. Anything or anybody that hinder your relationship with Christ, and it brings nothing but drama in your life, you need to let it go! I’m talking about the “New You in the New Year.”  You are committed to things you really don’t need, and you are not committed to the things that could change your life. Apostle Paul tells us to forget those things that are in our past, those things that hinder us and press forward to achieve the goal that Jesus Christ has won for us.

I tell you, we would do good to follow the examples of the people we see in scripture and throw off every pain that hinders us and get busy running our race with perseverance. Jesus said in [Revelation. 21:5, “I am making everything new.” I don’t know about you, but I like that…. Everything new! It’s a New Day, It’s a New Season, and it’s a New Year…. Walk in it with Total Newness!

By Lou Yeboah

Please don’t take it for granted! Know that grace is an opportunity for us to make our hearts right with God, not a chance to take advantage of it and live as crazy and on the edge as we can. Do not take the Lord’s grace for granted by continuing with the same attitudes, desires and carnal actions. Instead, let that grace transform you bit by bit every day. Think about your way of living. Examine your hearts to see if there is anything in you that is not beneficial. Do a spiritual check. And please, if you have not given your life to the Lord, “behold now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.”

May this year be one of great spiritual growth for you.  May it be one where you learn the name of Jesus, and never fail to see him for who he is, and what he is doing.  May it be one where God does new things in your life, not just on one day, but on all of them.  And may it be one where you resolve to live with hope, and with love for God. Christ’s blessing be upon you in 2019, and always.

” Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- ” [Psalms 103:1-2]

” Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ” [Lamentations 3:22-23]

By Lou Yeboah

I tell you, if you are going to experience the relationship Christ wants for you and that you desire, there are some things that need to change. If you are going to have the life in Christ you want and the life He wants you to have, there are some things that need to change. I tell you, change is in the atmosphere. We are in a season of change, and the question is not “will there be change?” but will it be for the better or will it be for the worse?” you must decide. I am writing to you with a word in my Spirit [change]. God said this is a season of change, major change. He said tell my people change is coming; major shifts are going to be taking place. God said: to prophesy change so that you can participate and cooperate with him in the process. So is there anybody ready for a change? Is there anybody sick and tired of being sick and tired? Is there anybody fed up with their present situation? Because I want you to know that we serve the God of turnarounds. For the Bible is a book of turnarounds, from Genesis to Revelations we see God turning things around. Don’t let another year come and go, and you find yourself in the same position. There are blessings that are yours by design, commanded blessings. God has divinely ordered them for you, but you are not going to get them until you are in position. I tell you that there are some things that you have to change!

You know, one of the worst-case scenarios in the Bible is in the book of [Ezekiel chapter 37] – the Valley of Dry Bones. It looked hopeless, impossible, beyond the point of no return. But when the man of God started prophesying to those bones something started happening, things started changing. The situation started turning around. Bones started coming together, and they didn’t just come together but every bone found its matching bone. And when the prophet finished prophesying, in the very same place where there was nothing but dry bones there stood a mighty army fully equipped and fully empowered to fight. I tell you, something’s getting ready to change. 2019 is a new season: it’s a season of new beginnings, new connections, new anointing, new fire, new jobs, and promotions, new avenues of income, new joy, new friends, new confidence, new strength, and new health. Is there anybody ready to step out of the old into the new? If so, activate your faith right now and take a step, a prophetic symbol of moving into the new. For [Isaiah 43:18-19] says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old, behold I will do a new thing [now it shall spring forth].” This Scripture tells us that God is doing something fresh and new, but the condition and requirement for receiving the new is to let go of the old [mentally, emotionally, and spiritually].

I hear the Spirit of God saying it’s time for a change. The discomfort, the agitation, the frustration, is your spirit telling you [it’s time for a change]. The spiritual atmosphere is very ripe for something new. Don’t let another year come and go and you find yourself in the same position.

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Thank You Lord! As we stand on the brink of a New Year it is a good time to reflect on the year that is ending and look forward into the year that is soon to begin. A New Year filled with new possibilities and opportunities. Twelve new months, 52 new weeks, 365 new days, 8,760 new hours, 525,000 new minutes and 31,536,000 new seconds… every one of which is God’s gift to us. So as David encourages us in [Psalm 145] yes, we should take the time to look back on our lives and reflect on the goodness of God. We are encouraged to praise God for his greatness, his compassion, and his faithfulness; and to thank God for his many gifts throughout our lives. Because as Curtis Mayfield sang, [Diamond in the Back] “Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin’ the scene, with a gangsta lean, gangsta whitewalls, TV antennas in the back… you may not have a car at all, but remember brothers and sisters, you can still stand tall, just be thankful for what you got.” Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Look back on this past year, and trace the hand of God who provided you with everything you needed. Think about God’s powerful acts. Remember, meditate and consider all that God has done [Psalm 77:11-12]. Remember your redemption, and let your lips ring with words of Praise and Thanksgiving.

It is also a good time for you to take inventory of your walk with the Lord. You should take a very close look at where you are in your relationship with Him. You need to examine yourself and see where you have been, where you are and where the Lord wants you to be. The benefit of keeping God in mind is that it keeps our hearts grateful, appropriately humble, and delighted in our God for His goodness to us. Take some time to write out what God has done for you. Let it be an exercise in remembering His goodness and grace in your life! Because taking time to remember what God has done over a whole year is sweet for our souls.

As I reflect back, I think about a man who was separated from friends, unjustly accused, and brutally treated—the man was the Apostle Paul—a man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity. Earlier, when he had been imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” [Ephesians 5:19-20].

 I tell you, there’s so much to be thankful for:  Spiritual things — if you didn’t have anything else but Jesus, you would have enough to praise God for all eternity. Simple things — you should be thankful for your families, health, food, and even a glass of water. Thank God for the simple things. Sorrowful things — you can even be thankful for the heartaches, the pains, and the sufferings, because as [Romans 8:28] says, “…All things work together for good…”

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good [1 Chronicles 16:34], and His love is eternal, and His faithfulness endures to all generation.” [Psalms 100:4-5].

Prayer

Lord, we praise you for your goodness and faithfulness in this past year. Help us to count our blessings and to be assured of your love. In Jesus, Amen.

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Oh, I know I’m right about it because [John 12:43] says, “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

Listen, “If you seek the approval of any man, you cannot please God!” [Galatians 1:10]. As Christians, our chief concern should be to gain God’s approval. We should not seek the approval of men, even of our family and friends, but of God Himself.  I tell you, the same misplaced desire for approval is why Jeremiah rebuked Israel: “Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” [Jeremiah 2:12–13]. Craving human approval is a cistern that cannot hold water. Why chase the approval of man?  There is a tyranny and bondage in living for man’s approval.  “Instead of living in bondage, craving the approval of everyone around us, the Bible calls us to live for the approval of God.

I tell you, we need to be like Jesus – he got his validation from God – he pressed on despite the lack of approval from others.  Besides, the Scriptures call us again and again not to live for the expectations of man, but for the satisfaction of God. Tell me, can anything compare to having the smile of God’s approval? Having God’s approval is the only thing worth living for. Let’s be motivated by seeking approval – but not the approval of men or the approval of our culture – but the approval of God. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. [1 Thessalonians 2:4].

May we intentionally seek God, his will and his pleasure above all others, and may God continually minister his truths to us – Amen.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”  [Colossians 1:9-10]