Following is transcript of my weekly Facebook video post. (Click here to view.)
I use a social media calendar, and on the schedule for today’s Friday’s Facebook Live broadcast was a talk about persistence or ‘easy ways to add whole grains in your meals’.
My heart is so heavy, I just can’t bring myself to talk habits or the benefits of quinoa.
I’m greatly grieved by the horrific murder of Mr. Stirling here in Baton Rouge, (that happened literally walking distance from the church where we worship), and the killing of Mr. Castile.
Killings that were broadcasted on Facebook.
We witnessed life leaving these men’s bodies on Facebook.
This shook me in ways I can’t begin to explain. Then to wake up this morning and hear about the ambush of police officers working a peaceful protest in Dallas.
Y’all, we need help.
The dark forces of chaos, and deception, and denial, and division, and fear… these demonic forces are wreaking havoc.
We see it in the biases of media and the bickering on social media.
We see where folks have been deceived to take righteous indignation and turn it into an action that shows they believe the proper repayment for evil is evil.
We even see it in those who in the midst of all of this are silent and still.
Not because they are waiting or listening for the Lord to direct them, but because they have a head in the sand reaction. “It will be better by-and-by” or “this is just how things are and there’s nothing that can be done”.
Evil is having a field day. And my heart is so grieved.
The cancer of racism that has metastasized in the social, political, judicial, and economic systems of our nation, has been brought once again to the forefront.
It’s not like this kind of thing has not happened before. It happens over, and over, and over again. Far too frequently.
It’s an ill that affects all of those areas, but the root of the matter is spiritual.
We battle not against flesh and blood.
It is a spiritual issue and we have to stand. And when we do, we have to make sure we have to make sure that our attack is a spiritually based action.
We have to make sure that as we go forth, we are grounded in the character of Jehovah Shalom and our Prince of Peace, and that our actions display the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
We have to make sure that we use the wisdom, and the strategy, and the order and the decency that comes from God.
And some strongholds require fasting and prayer to be broken.
We have to fast. We have to pray.
We have to beseech our Father, asking Him to cover this nation. To cover those who are hurting and are in pain.
We must pray, asking Him for the strategy, and plan, and the knowledge of what we need to do regarding the social steps, the political accountabilities, the judicial changes, the economic structures.
What action do we need to take in those areas to manifest healing?
It is warfare. Spiritual warfare, and we have to do our part so that when people are frustrated and righteous indignation comes up, that it is not diverted by the enemy into something that brings more destruction.
We need to take it to a place of healing and help.
God is in control.
He can work all things for good.
Let’s seek Him and seek our role. How He would have us individually, and more importantly collectively, to be agents of change.
How are we to act, so that His hand of help, and His love, and His righteousness, and His justice… so that His character is seen.
Let’s take back what the enemy has stolen.
A change has got to come.