Let Love Win the War Against Hate

This past week, once again, I watched on television with great sadness as another city, Charlotte, North Carolina became the latest city to experience violent protests, police curfews, and businesses ravaged as a life was once again taken.

The enemy is not very creative. In fact, he has been doing the same thing over and over for centuries. He lures people into his trap by inciting fear, jealousy, anger, hate, pride, violence, and death. This war is much bigger and deeper than we think. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, the enemy has been using people to commit his acts of deceit for him.

Who do you think preyed on Cain’s mind until the thought he held within his heart became manifested into his flesh? Cain’s fear, anger, jealousy and pride provoked the sinful act of killing his brother Abel. What Cain thought he could hide in the ground could not be hidden. You can’t hide what grieves God’s heart.

In Genesis 4: 8-10 (NLT) we read:
One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!

We are experiencing the blood cries coming from the ground today. God’s heart is grieved for what is happening all around us. The enemy divides, schemes, steals, kills and destroys. The same lies which started over two thousand years ago are STILL the same lies the enemy uses today. The enemy can only go from what has worked in the past to be effective because he can’t tell the present or the future because of God’s gift of free will.

See, we have the opportunity to change the present and our future if we are willing to break the bondage and the hold of the world has which is crushing us in defeat. We are not a defeated people, but we are living in a defeated state. In order to defeat the enemy’s schemes we have to unify ourselves with the only one who HAS defeated the enemy, Jesus.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that all of this violence has erupted in North Carolina. I believe it is the same strategic plan the enemy has been using for centuries because he knows it works. It is obvious he has been pitting brother against brother because we know the story and the outcome of Cain and Abel. The enemy is evil and he is out to destroy as many lives as possible because he knows his days are numbered.

Before the riots there was revival. In Charlotte, prior to the riots, Elevation Church who is pastored by Steven Furtick was having a #CodeOrangeRevival. People from all over the world came to experience revival and people from all over the world were watching online the power of Jesus transforming lives.

For ten days straight people were gathering in Elevation’s satellite churches, around their television screens or listening online to the promises and the truth of God’s word. People were being saved and baptized by the hundreds. Lives were being changed around the world. Hope, faith and love was revived in the hearts of many. There were testimonies from those who had been enslaved to hurts and habits who were freed and receiving their break-through because the bondage breaker was at work.

Each person who spoke was anointed for this place, purpose and time. Elevation Church may have put the revival together, but no one but God could orchestrate the power of His word through the many lives which are forever changed. As brothers and sisters of all nationalities, colors, and races came together to worship in ONE accord and in their diversity were unified in the POWER of Christ!

This is what happens when we choose to become our brother’s keeper. Love! When we choose to love, we win more than love, we experience joy, peace and contentment. Three things the world can never provide because the enemy knows the power of these three things and the ability it has to reduce his power to nothing.

Darkness only has the power to overcome the light if we allow it. The war we are fighting isn’t against each other, but against the Father of lies and the principalities of the dark. We are at war. Satan is angry. He hates it when he no longer can hold people captive.

My sisters and brothers we are in pivotal season of our faith. The last night of the revival, Pastor Steven’s message was called “The Remains of Revival” and the subtitle called, ‘Don’t Let It Die”. Pastor Steven shared, “The attack comes after revival when it is time to harvest.” And, “The event may be over, but the breakthrough has just begun.” Harvest season is upon us and the enemy will do anything to distract us from seeing God’s plan come to fruition. I don’t think Pastor Steven knew how prophetic his words would become that night, but I believe God was already preparing hearts for what was coming next.

We can’t allow circumstances to blind us to the truth of God’s love. We must find a way to forgive, reconcile, restore, heal and move forward together. We can’t shirk our responsibility to God, each other or our children. We can either continue to run from God or run towards God. We can put our heads in the sand, pretend issues don’t exist and live in our fairytale world of make-believe, but the facts remain until we stand against every kind of evil and for unity with God, the blood cries from the grave will continue to happen.

The Reverend Martin Luther King stated:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” MLK

Let love be our strategic plan to win the war against evil and darkness. Share on XLet love be our strategic plan to win the war against evil and darkness.