“And We Shall Overcome Someday!”
Good morning my friend. An excerpt from T D Jakes best explain today’s reflection for us. In explaining that going for your destiny demands courage, he admits that from personal experience, “while accolades come from newspapers and television, there’s a private pain you must endure as people you loved, trusted, or admired turn against you in envy. It hurts to be criticized when you’re trying your best. It stings deeply when you discover the insincerity of those you thought loved you; they only loved what you could do for them. It’s a harsh reality to face that someone simply wants you to fail. You don’t know why, they don’t know why. They just can’t stand the thought of you getting what you want out of life. But you cannot go through the Door of Destiny without passing through the Hall of Haters.” Despite the odds you must “be courageous enough to pursue Destiny.” You must stand up and say, “I have a unique purpose and a destiny that is distinct…” (Destiny, 2015, 330-331).
I’ve used this lengthy quote to interpret what happened to Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch. Having preached there on a sabbath, the people requested to hear them again next sabbath.
On that sabbath, “almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.”
Paul told them that they had to speak the word of God to them first, but since they didn’t want it, they could now take it to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were very happy when they heard this and this is how the word of the Lord spread in that region. The best part of the story is that when the Gentiles heard the word of God, “all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
What I want to share with you today is that if God has “made you a light for” his people, no amount of air, wind or breeze can put that light off!(Acts. 13: 44-49). When the privileged become mockers, then commoners become the favoured. When the assignment is from God, it becomes a destiny! And when assignment becomes destiny, be courageous to tell those who put stumbling blocks on your way, “to hell with you the mockers and haters!” Tell them we are not extremists, and we are not Boko Harams; we are simply zealous for an assignment that has become our destiny! And we shall overcome someday!
Stand for a just cause and be ready to die for it!
Our kinsmen the Jews who refuse to acknowledge us today are about to change their minds and listen to us. Receive them with arms of love! Let’s continue to keep children out of harm’s way because agent provocateurs have flooded the place. May your day be blessed! Let peace reign in our land and let peace be with you
PCC SYNOD CLERK
