Pastors' Study

 FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART….November 5, 2008

“A NEW DAY…A NEW TIME…A GREAT PEOPLE”  “WE Will SURVIVE”

THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE; THEREFORE WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.  PSALM 118:24

It was like it was yesterday…

that on April 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. 

And it was yesterday November 4, 2008 that the Democratic nominee for president, Senator Barack  H. Obama, was elected President of the United States of America.  It’s strange that my tears of joy,  hope, and appreciation did not begin to flow until the next morning, November 5, 2008.

I would like to share this special moment, this special day, this special time with a great people.  The great people that I am addressing are the youth and young people and all boys and girls, our children, our grandchildren, and our children’s children.  I love you all so much and my prayer is that you succeed in achieving your goals in life.  I pray that your dreams come true.

I know you might not have realized it yet but you are a part of a 21^st century revolution and you have a role to play in this new day.  This is the beginning of what I have called a revolution of the Mind, the Body and the Soul.  All of you were born in a different century, the 20^th century (1980-1999) and you have been a witness to the dawn of the 21^st century (2000) and you will be the leaders of your generation.  You will succeed in life if you’re diligent at doing the best you can to achieve your goals in life.  Yes you will make mistakes; yes you will have setbacks and disappointments, but don’t ever give up on yourself when it comes to your future.   You will reach your goals, your dreams will come true, and you can make it.  Be patient, be prayerful and be careful with the decisions you make in life.

You all have great Minds, keep them sharp with knowledge and good productive information.  You should also strive to maintain your Bodies in the best health possible by taking care of them and not allowing anyone to treat you as if you have no value.   Your souls’ are secure in Christ Jesus, make sure you thank God on a daily basis that things are as well as they are and do your best to treat others as you would like to be treated.  When you get tired, rest, when you get stressed, calm down…when you are ready get back on track and continue to strive to reach your goals in life.  You will never hear me tell you that your struggle will be easy, but “nothing beats a failure but a try”.

1968 – 2008 FORTY YEARS OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS…

We have come from a history and a culture of hard working people who knew how important freedom was to future generations.  They knew that the struggles and the strife they went through were for a reason.  They believed their sacrifice and sufferings was to ensure the freedom of their children and their children’s children for generations to come.  Our ancestors had a sincere belief that if they never gave up on their faith and hard work that the generations to come after them would be successful.  The successes would come if they made wise decisions and good choices.  They believe that one day freedom and equality would be achieved and I am passing on to you that same hope.  Never forget that freedom is not free, it has a price, and with freedom comes responsibility.  Your freedom has been paid in full with the blood, sweat and tears of those that sacrificed for you. Look at our ancestors as being trailblazers and follow their good examples.  You also have many today that are still making sure that their help to you is available.  The success of your future depends on the decisions you all make today.

I was a child when many of my heroes of the “Civil Rights Movement” were courageous men and women that worked hard every day, held on to their faith and loved their families.  Some of those heroes, grandmothers and grandfathers, mothers and fathers, teachers and preachers, friends and neighbors worked two and three jobs to ensure the quality of life for their families.  They had a desire to make sure that the struggles of their forefathers would not be the same suffering for those of color in the future.  We should never forget their sacrifices of love that was paid in full with their blood, their sweat and their tears.

As a child I heard the news that my “Warrior Hero” Malcolm X  was assassinated in 1966 by those that called themselves his brothers and friends but actually they were haters. Don’t be a hater or a pretender, be a good friend and make sure you are careful how you choose your friends and the company that you keep and socialize with. 

I heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak on several occasions on the radio and many times on the television.  He was my inspiration and a mentor of the values of life. If you were willing to learn by studying your history and searching God’s word for your purpose in life, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great motivator and spiritual leader.  My heart was crushed when I saw the news that my “Spiritual Hero” was assassinated by those that feared change and equality in this great nation.  I became bitter because my young mind did not understand the depth of hatred, hatred is a poison that kills from the inside out, don’t hate, disagree with your enemy but don’t let hate poison you.  I believe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jt. was someone that was trying to make life better for his people and others that lived in the United States of America.  I was bitter because now both heroes of a young boy were gone…but their philosophy and teachings were in my heart.

But God… has smiled on me, not only me but all of us that were influenced by the “Civil Rights Movement” and its’ heroes, great and small and the passing of the “Civil Rights Act” of 1965. God has allowed us a new prescription of hope, served up to us by His holy spirit, to be given to those that benefitted from the struggles and sacrifices of others. Our eyes have been witness to a movement of the 60’s that was stalled by the assassins’ bullets of hatred and ignorance, now become resurrected in the 21^st century.   On the negative side of our struggle we faced issues both past and present. It has taken 40 years of self hatred, divisions, broken homes, fear, ignorance and apathy of some people amongst us and still we have made great progress. On the positive side the hope... “That one day our children will be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is and has come to pass.   It has taken 40 years for us to come out of the wilderness of despair, bitterness and distrust.  However, now we witness once again the grace of God, through Jesus Christ in our lives.  We see the potential and the strength of the new leadership of the 21^st century.

Philippians 4:13 “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME”…..

Yes you can if you believe in God and also believe in yourself.

This is my challenge to you and your generation.    You can read about a movement, the “Civil Rights Movement” and it successes and failures, its victories and defeats was stalled for a season.  It will also benefit you to learn more about your history, your culture, your people and your country.  You can make sure that you are aware of what is taking place now by getting involved in making an investment in your future and your positive contribution to society.  The movement that was stalled has been blessed by God to become a revolution, of the Mind, The Body and the Soul.  Our generation took advantage of the opportunities that were made possible by the sacrifices of those that came before us. I would like for this generation to take advantage and get on board of this new revolution.  No, it won’t be easy, but anything that is easy is not worth having.  But I guarantee with God’s help you will be rewarded for your hard work and positive determination.   Do the best you can now so that in forty years you can look back and say; we have made sure that the doors that were opened for us by others are still open to our children; we have developed our minds and made positive contributions.  We have shared the love that flows from heart to heart for all those that were trying to keep the dream of hope alive.  In dong this you will give the greatest respect to the heroes of the movement that made sure that our future was paid in full with their blood, their sweat and their tears.  Prepare yourself so that when the doors of opportunity are opened, that you are qualified and able to walk through them and claim your position on the world’s stage. 

Remember, “Life is short…Time is precious…Enjoy your day”.

May God continue to bless you,

Rev. Terry B. Land, Pastor

Church Home School Baptist Church.

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