March On Washington Anniversary: A Young Leader In The March Reflects

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

On the day of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, I had the distinct honor of interviewing Mr. Alonzo Batson, an educator selected to serve on the Governor's Task Committee for the state of Virginia. Mr. Batson was a youth who attended the March on Washington and offers some great insights in this interview:

 What was the context of your attendance at the March?
 

I was a 13year old student. I was the President of the Oklahoma State Chapter of the youth NAACP. The Black leaders in the state met in Oklahoma City and decided that we would participate in the March. I was part of that meeting.

 What was the emotional atmosphere at the time?

Oklahoma, at that time was a totally separate but not equal state. Black were supposed to go to the back doors for food service at white restaurants, bathrooms and water fountains were segregated. There was only one day of the year Blacks could go to the city amusement park. In Tulsa, the city of my birth and growth was a city that flourished with the separate but equal policy. We really didn't have to interact with the Euro-Americans.

 Did you feel like you were making difference?

Sure, I felt that the numbers and attitude we displayed in Washington on August 1963 let the World know we were serious about equal right for all people, economic equality and unity for America. Alas, I was wrong.

Were there any personal sacrifices you made in order to be there?

Being the Youth President of the Youth chapters, I had to raise funds for us to go. My biggest achievement was that I personally raise enough monies to sent 3 buses of youth from Tulsa, 3 buses from Oklahoma City. 1 bus from Muskogee and one bus from Lawton, Oklahoma.

 How did you get that banner and what made you hold on to it?

The banner was proof I was there. My parents moved to a new house that same year and I pinned the banner over my bed and it has been there ever since. With the upcoming 50th anniversary, I asked my brother, who still lives in the house, to send it to me.

Mr. Alonzo Batson with his original banner.

 Looking back, and looking at 2013, do you feel that Blacks have progressed in terms of what you all marched for or have Black Americans regressed?

Blacks have improved their status. However, the the basis or tenet for The March has not been achieved. Blacks have given up the values and principles that  adherence to the purposes of the march would have brought about. The system of racism has be re-defined and we, Afro-Americans, have been caught as unsuspecting participants in this redefinition.

What would you say to your younger self in retrospect about that day?

Keep focus and be ever vigilant.

What would you say to young Black Americans today about keeping The Dream alive?

"To thine own self be true" - Shakespeare. I say to them reject self hatred, love your people. I say to them that being true to principles and values will bring about achievement in all areas of their life. I say to them to not become available to become a statistic. This country is a country that profits from slavery of the body in the past to slavery of the mind now. I say to them that it's not too late.

 What are some things you took away from The March about society as a whole?

Our country is truly a melting pot. At The March all components of this country were in attendance. We blended as one then. We have been separated in today's reality through class, gender, economic warfare.

 Did you face any negative repercussions for participating in the March?

None; we returned to our respective towns and cities and became active in our pursuit for equality and justice. But as I've said before, we have got a whole lot of work to do.

My Take Away from the interview: 

Because that moment on the Washington Mall brought about a oneness in this Nation, since then, there has been an underlying and systematic attack on seeing that level of unity. I believe this generation is poised to either be the Great Reconcilers  or the Great Dividers. Only time can tell which route we will take. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one who lead going before the people not from behind. We must not make ourselves an available statistic, but stand up for our rights, not be silent or indifferent to injustice, and like Mr. Batson, make our mark on history in a positive way, no matter how young or old, no matter how small or great our contribution. Everyone had a part to play in showing the fabric of this Nation as One Nation Undivided and that we can stand for justice. A very key part of being Undivided that many leave out is Martin's faith in God. His natural leadership was driven by the his spiritual leadership. You see, we can only lead so far without God's divine guidance and help. May this Next Now Generation fully embrace that truth!

The Tell The Truth Generation

If I could categorize the generation that I grew up in, I would call it
"The Tell The Truth" Generation. 

~.~

This generation did not lie to you.
They also did not spare you any feelings of uncomfortableness. 

If you could NOT sing, they told you.

If you had no rhythm, they told you.

If you were not particularly good at an academic subject, they told you.

AND it was NOT called "bullying" or "emotional abuse"

People recognize it as TRUTH.

~.~

But my generation also 

STEERED you in the direction of your gifts.

They CHEERED you for following your dreams.

They ENCOURAGED & URGED  you to strengthen your weak areas.

~.~

My generation did not do us a disservice by leaving us with 

a false sense of entitlement

a false sense of accomplishment

a false sense of exceptionalism

especially WHERE THERE WAS NONE.

~.~

My generation would NOT

let you dishonor your body

let you disrespect your parents

let you embarrass yourself on any national platform

even if they had to come yank you off stage

and save you from yourself. 

Yes.

~.~

I Believe that SUCH a generation 

can exist ONCE AGAIN.

And I for one have my Poms Poms Out

Rooting For Them 

To RISE UP 

&
Take Back Their Generation 

by 

TELLING THE TRUTH

& shaming the devil!

Be GREAT!

You are the Next generation NOW.

The Statesman- A Call To Awareness

On my way to rest last night, the Holy Spirit spoke something to me concerning the Statesman. 

I believe it speaks to the kind of man God wants to set in office. 

I share it with you now. I know many Statesmen and I am praying that they will rise to the occasion and take back this country's moral ground that has been eroded. 

God is looking for leaders who stand on the Rock

The Statesman

Blessed is the Man 

who blesses His wife. 

For she is His body

Reflecting His Life. 

Blessed is the Wife

Who blesses Her Man

He is Her covering

Her Kingdom Right hand

Blessed is the Family

Whose God is Jesus Christ

Who gives Him His Place

And gives Him Their Life

Blessed is the Community

That thrives in Unity

That calls on the Lord

Before they call on a "Board"

Blessed is the State

That Sees God as Great

That trust Him for Increase

To Bring Surplus Not Decrease

Blessed is the Nation 

Whose God is the Lord

Who is Devoted to Love Him

And serve Him, never Bored

Blessed is the Statesman

that lives their Life

Loving Their Family

Honoring Husband or Wife

Their Family 

Will Bless the 

Community and State

Oh, Bless 

the Statesman 

Who KNOWS 

God Made Them 

GREAT!

-Shantae Charles-

From Generation To Generation: The Power of Generational Blessing

Genesis 26

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. ² Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵ BECAUSE Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”⁶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

______________

 If there is one thing you need to know...GOD is an Oath performing, COVENANT-KEEPING GOD.

What makes this covenant that more incredible was that it was sealed based on faith and not on the works of Abraham.

Romans 4

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness

Abraham left a GOOD CREDIT REPORT with GOD.  Through his Obedience to God, He demonstrated his trust in God. As a Next Generation Leader, here are some lessons we can take from Abraham's Life. 

1."...and I will be with you and bless you...";Isaac had seen and had been an active participant in the obedience of His Father. Obedience had been modeled for him. He had no need to rely on King Abimelech. God was more than capable of blessing him and he had witnessed it in his Father's life.

2. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness- Could it be that God is speaking to You in this generation because someone in your previous generation was wholly obedient? Their credit report with God may have opened up a line of credit for you. Time after time in scripture we see record of sons who either walked or did not walk after their father's standard and the results. 

3. "...in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; BECAUSE Abraham obeyed..."- Obedience can release not only a blessing in your generation, but it can release generational guidance, protection, provision and encounter to your next generation. We often times focus on the material inheritance that can be left to our children's children, but forget the spiritual inheritance.

4. "...and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father."- God gives the next generation direction based on the previous generation's obedience. As heirs of the promise and as the seed of Abraham through Christ, we can receive the covenant blessings of God through faithful obedience.

5. "Then the Lord appeared to him and said..."- God wants to appear to the next generation. He wants his glory, his mercy, his love, his covenant to never end.

You can leave this generation with an example: You can open the door to Faith. You can show through your life how to live by faith, walk by faith, encounter God by faith, and trust in the Word of God by faith. Or you can leave this generation with a closed door by never living by faith, never walking by faith, hiding your faith in a closet, doubting God's Word, never speaking of God's existence, never testifying of God's power, never giving credit to God's generosity and denying God's power in your life.

I challenge every Next Generation Leader to fulfill these verses today:

Psalm 145:3-5

³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

⁵ I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

The "greatest" generation is the generation that recognizes, loves, and obeys the GREAT GOD. - SAC

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Leading In Famine Times

Genesis 26:1-5

King James Version (KJV)

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

² And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go NOT down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
³ Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
⁴ And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
⁵ BECAUSE that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

                                                 _________________________________

God is into being WITH US in famine. There are thirteen recorded famines in scripture, and they are usually all tied to dependency on God for guidance, provision, and supply. Much like Isaac, there is a spiritual tendency to naturally head to "Egypt" when famine comes. But it was not to be Isaac's prophetic destiny. Famine carries with it the seduction to go down to Egypt. Indeed God uses famine to draw Joseph's brothers into a family reunion in Egypt. He uses famine conditions in the wilderness to test the hearts of the Israelites who were still enamored with Egypt's government slave program. 

Isaac is faced with a choice. He can let his materials do the talking or he can listen to GOD. He chose to listen to God. Ultimately we must all come to this conclusion in Christ: The world is famine. Christ is Living Bread. The world is desert. Christ is the stream, the Living Water. There will come a day, not only when you will leave "Egypt" behind, but "Egypt" will eject you begging you to go as they did with Moses. 

As Next Generation Leaders, let us ever keep Christ, The Way before us, sojourning with Him. Famine Times come to remind us to stay Hungry for His Presence, His Heart, His Life, His Truth. And to lead others to do the same.

The Scent Of A Leader

 Job

1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. ² He had seven sons and three daughters, ³ and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among ALL the people of the East.

⁴ His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

⁶ One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan  also came with them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is NO ONE on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

~.~

I start here with the Biblical account of a testimony service. Testimony Service? Yes. We know today  that Satan no longer has a place to come before God in heaven. He has been cast down to make war with the inhabitants of the earth and to tempt them into operating in their flesh where the principle and the law of sin can work. 

But this account lets us in on what gets God's attention. Job was a worshiper. He was a worshiper not just for himself, but also on behalf of his family. He was an interceding worshiper. Before there was Harp and Bowl, Job was already creating a private and public altar with God. Though the scripture highlights both WHO Job was and WHAT Job had, God only focused his testimony on WHO Job was. Because, seeking God first had added those things to Job's life. And though the things would be taken away, Job did NOT stop seeking God in the midst of his trials and tests:

 Job 1

²⁰ At this (onslaught of calamity) , Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in WORSHIP ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Job was INCREASED once again and with MORE. 

 Job 42

¹⁰ After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

¹² The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. ¹³ And he also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵ Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

One of the things that floors me about Job is that his earthly existence MATCHED his heavenly reality. In other words, THE WAY GOD SAW Job was exactly the way Job was on the earth. This is really the goal of a Kingdom Believer. Let your will be done IN EARTH (that's me & you) as IT IS in Heaven. We please the Father when we line up with who He says we are. We are tested and tried to shake that alignment! Job was tried more than once:

  Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he STILL maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” (Job 2:3)

When you keep a praise and prayer on your lips, you keep an incense going up to God. God recognizes your scent, or rather, your incense. God knew Job personally, I believe, because his life was his altar, and he was sending up sacrifice "as was his custom" (Job 1:5).

God is not pleased when our lives, unrepentant, offer him the stench of sin:

 Isaiah 65

² I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
³ A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
5b ...These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

 God wants the fragrance that saturates Heaven to be that of your prayers:

Revelation 8

² And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
³ And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
⁴ And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Many people focus on God coming to check out the stench of sin in His nostrils, but I encourage you to give God a reason to check out the sweet smelling fragrance coming from your life, your heart, your mouth, your hands raised to Him.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

¹⁵ For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

¹⁶ To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?]

¹⁷ For we are not, like so many, [like hucksters making a trade of] peddling God’s Word [shortchanging and adulterating the divine message]; but like [men] of sincerity and the purest motive, as [commissioned and sent] by God, we speak [His message] in Christ (the Messiah), in the [very] sight and presence of God.

Get a hold of that! YOUR LIFE is the PERFUME of HEAVEN. God knows YOUR SCENT. You scent becomes stronger, and stronger, and stronger as you worship Christ alone. Like any one familiar with their lover's scent when they walk into a room, you KNOW they are there. And when they leave, their scent lingers in the air! 

As a next generation leader, whether you are like Job, prominently wealthy, or like Paul, one who blazes a trail of planting churches and doing ministry all over the world, GOD knows your scent. He wants who YOU ARE, in spite of what you have or have not! Remember, you can always replace things. You cannot replace YOU. So as David said, I will bless the Lord while I have my Being! One of the greatest places of leading is leading in God's Testimony Service. 

Will you be on the Father's lips today? There's only one way to guarantee that--Worship Him!

The Word of the Lord & Prophetic Dreams - Satanic Timetables

I feel impressed to record this in more than one place. This was delivered April 24th 2013 through the Holy Spirit. Since then, the unfolding of this word has been at breakneck pace. As Leaders, it is your responsibility to equip and prepare those who are in your care.

________________

 April 24 2013

The Son of Perdition will be revealed in the third quarter of the third day. (Image flash in my mind :666, Aquarius)

There is a satanic timetable underway that must be initiated and set in motion. This is why the onslaught against humanity has intensified. Look into the age of Aquarius doctrine (did not even know what this was until I researched it).

You've got to begin DAILY to decree and call forth the full armor of GOD (Ephesians 6, 1 Thessalonians 5:3-11) over your family, yourself, your community, your place of employ, your public square. Tighten your helmet. Know what you believe.

You're getting ready to see the unleashing of the false christs empowered in greater measure by the anti-Christ spirit. Signs coming out of South Africa. Many will be deceived and desire to go see this false messiah. Don't be deceived.

Some of these false christs will carry supernatural signs, even turning translucent with false light. Do not be deceived.

Passages the Holy Spirit gave me to read:

2 Thessalonians 2: 1-13, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, 11-23, 2Thessalonians 2: 9-11, Revelations 13, Ezekiel 32:7, Joel 2:10-31,  Revelations 6, Daniel 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, Zechariah 13:9, Revelations 9:20-21, Luke 17, Isaiah 13: 4-22, Isaiah 10:1-2, Zephaniah 1:1-4,15, John 10, Matthew 9, 10, Romans 7,8,9 and Jeremiah 39
Note: I believe God wants us to understand who the players are for the man of lawlessness. I believe he wants us to understand that our country is complicit in his unveiling but we will not escape the results of turning away from God. I believe God wants us to understand the nature of sin, and what power it does NOT have over those who have chosen to walk in the Spirit and yield themselves as instruments of GOD. Read. Study. Prepare. Not for an "if" time of testing but a "when" time. God is clearly warning the people of God that there will be no easy road for Christians in America in not many days. Some principalities were invited and let loose upon this nation during the second Inauguration. It wasn't just a second term, but a sealing of an invite for demonic entities. I say that not to frighten, but to make you aware. If you have not spent any time this year in personal (not church consecrations) prayer and fasting, time is of the essence. The Lamb of God is available for every house. You do not have to be blindsided by what is coming. Seek the Lord for wisdom for your house. Stay ready.

 What I perceive is that there will be some false christ arising with a false spirit at the "third hour" of the day. The Word of God tells us someone will die and be raised to life. They may even emulate a torturing before death. The world will marvel after it.

 The third day here refers to the time Jesus said it would take to build his temple (body). This speaks to the temple yet to be rebuilt for the anti-christ to present himself as well as his rising from the dead, in imitation of the already risen and returning Christ. Jews will receive this false messiah. (Mark 15:25-31)
The Jews are still looking for the Messiah. This is one reason why they will be deceived by the one coming and standing in the temple

May 2013 (dream)

  Leaders upper level clergy (bishops & apostles over major institutions) were behind closed doors showing off their 'powers'. Some were turning translucent like light. The Lord spoke clearly saying it was NOT the Holy Spirit, that it was a false spirit, the same spirit that came against Moses, the spirit of the prognosticators that formed a serpent. But Moses staff transformed as well and consumed the serpent of the false gods of the Egyptians. It is the SAME spirit, and I agree with Jonas, it has infiltrated churches through deliberate means at upper levels of clergy, but also through IGNORANCE by those who engage in Yoga practices that open them up to this spirit. #TAKE HEED

 To the Gatekeepers: (from June 4, 2013)
In this dream around 5am today, I saw many gatekeepers in the posture of the picture below. And I saw two nations (US & Australia). These gatekeepers were exerting strenuous effort to hold back demonic forces. I heard God say, 'tell the gatekeepers to HOLD THE DOOR and raise up MORE Gatekeepers. I know they are weary, but HOLD THE DOOR'. I saw the demonic forces trying to burst open the Door. There was a struggle to hold them back. We prayed into this declaration this morning. Gatekeepers, HOLD THE DOOR! Jesus is the DOOR we must hold onto. We must keep Christ as preeminent in our doctrine, worship, and as the source of our power. I charge you, HOLD THE DOOR!