The following is a forecast not a prophesy,
but it’s based on patterns in the prophetic record.
The
prophet Jeremiah had the depressing task of telling his people what they didn’t
want to hear. Jerusalem was under attack
from Babylon and the Lord called Jeremiah to announce that Jerusalem would
lose.
The
holy city would be taken by pagans. The people
of the land would be shipped off to Babylon.
Other prophets were giving much more pleasant predictions. They were declaring and decreeing
victory. They were speaking life and
prosperity into the atmosphere that the weapons the enemy had
formed against
them would not prosper. But Jeremiah had
to say what God said.
For thus says the Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in
your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be
dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,
says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29: 8,9)
In
this particular case, God’s message was:
You don’t like Babylon. You don’t
want Babylon. Based on history,
identity, and deeply held principles you are opposed to everything about the
Babylonians system. But, Babylon’s gonna
happen to Jerusalem.
Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their
fruit. Take wives and beget sons
and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to
husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased
there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the
city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord
for it; for in its peace you will have peace. (Jeremiah 29: 5-7)
Prepare
yourself.
Learn
their system.
Position
yourself for success and growth.
Make
it work for you.
In
his letter to the exile in Babylon Jeremiah wrote: For
thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit
you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.
Eventually
this too will pass.
But
not for a long while.
For
the record, I don’t like charter schools.
I don’t want charter schools in Alabama.
Based on history, identity, and deeply held principles I am opposed to
everything about the charter school system.
Charter
schools are gonna happen in Alabama.
Prepare
yourself.
Learn
their system.
Position
yourself for success and growth.
Make
it work for you.
Eventually
this too will pass.
But
not for a long while.
I
know. I don’t want to hear that
either. I could be wrong. But when we go there come back to what’s been
written that you may be increased there,
and not diminished.
For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29: 11)
---Anderson T. Graves
II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry,
and rural leadership development.
Rev.
Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield,
Alabama; executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking
Organization (SAYNO); and director of
rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
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P O
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